Mary Bridge Children’s awarded $100,000 grant as part of Preventing Youth Suicide National Collaborative

TACOMA, Wash. — Today, MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network received $100,000 as part of the Preventing Youth Suicide National Collaborative, a Cardinal Health Foundation National Collaborative, which is an initiative from Cardinal Health, Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) and the Zero Suicide Institute (ZSI) at the Education Development Center (EDC), to better identify and care for youth at risk for suicide.

The Preventing Youth Suicide National Collaborative is developing a pediatric-specific, data-driven approach that will enable participating children’s hospitals and health systems to better track, share and implement best suicide prevention practices amid a nationwide youth mental health crisis. In Washington state, suicide is currently the leading cause of death for people ages 10 through 24. Mary Bridge Children’s will use this grant to advance safer suicide care and behavioral healthcare in Pierce County as the region’s only children’s hospital.

“Mary Bridge Children’s is honored to be a partner of this research-driven and collaborative effort to improve national suicide prevention,” said Jamie Kautz, assistant vice president of pediatric behavioral health at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.

“As children face evolving stressors like increased isolation, traumatic national events and social justice issues, it’s important that we’re evolving as providers and sharing effective approaches in real time. As we’re seeing a 400 percent increase in the number of kids coming to the emergency room for behavioral health care, this is a great opportunity to deepen our commitment to the well-being of our youth, families and community.”

“Children’s hospitals and health systems work within their hospitals, outpatient clinics and emergency rooms and in partnership with their communities to improve the health of children and youth — including their mental, emotional and behavioral health,” said Amy Wimpey Knight, president of CHA. “With some 30 pediatric health care organizations now focused on building stronger care systems to recognize, intervene and treat children and youth at risk of suicide through the Preventing Youth Suicide Collaborative, we will save lives. We are grateful to these hospitals, their community partners and to Cardinal Health and the Zero Suicide Institute for their leadership and partnership with CHA. We are committed to sharing their work with children’s hospitals across the nation.”

“At Cardinal Health, we’re committed to investing in the mental well-being of not only our employees, but our communities as well,” said Jessie Cannon, vice president of Community Relations at Cardinal Health. “We’re proud to continue the work CHA and children’s hospitals are doing to reduce youth suicide. We’re confident this program will make a lasting impact in funded communities.”

The following hospitals and health systems have been awarded grants:

• AdventHealth for Children — Fla.
• Advocate Children’s Hospital — Ill.
• Boston Children’s Hospital — Mass.
• Children’s Minnesota — Minn.
• Children’s Wisconsin — Wis.
• Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Northwell Health — N.Y.
• Doernbecher Children’s Hospital — Ore.
• Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital — Wash.
• Medical University of South Carolina Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital — S.C.
• Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt — Tenn.
• Penn State Children’s Hospital — Pa.
• Intermountain Primary Children’s — Utah
• Stanford Children’s Health — Calif.
• Wolfson Children’s Hospital — Fla.

To learn more about the collaborative, visit: Preventing Youth Suicide National Collaborative (childrenshospitals.org).

About Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital

Founded in 1955, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is the state-designated Level II Pediatric Trauma Center for Western Washington, offering comprehensive care and resources for critically ill and injured children, and is the only pediatric hospital in Southwest Washington. Mary Bridge Children’s also provides primary, specialty, therapy and urgent care services at its outpatient centers and clinics across the Puget Sound region, including Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Olympia, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Federal Way, Renton, Bonney Lake and Silverdale.

Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network is more than a place for children to heal. It’s a place for them to grow and thrive. A place for families to come for solutions and support. A place where medical expertise and passion for children and families work together in perfect balance. Mary Bridge Children’s serves children and families, regardless of ability to pay, thanks to generous contributions to the Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation.

Mary Bridge Children’s is a part of MultiCare Health System, the largest community-based and locally governed health system in Washington state. For more information about Mary Bridge Children’s, visit marybridge.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or our Kite Strings blog.