Harborview Centers of Emphasis are key programs at the medical center that provide excellent patient outcomes and quality care, high nurse-to-patient ratios, a nationally acclaimed care team and leading-edge research and technology. They include:
Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center:
Harborview Medical Center is the only designated Level I adult and pediatric trauma and burn center in the state of Washington and serves as the regional trauma and burn referral center for Alaska, Montana and Idaho. More than 6,000 major trauma patients are admitted each year, many of whom have been transferred from outlying hospitals. Emergency physicians, surgeons, surgical specialists, nurses, anesthesiologists and other professionals are always in house and available to give immediate care.
Comprehensive Stroke Center
At the UW Medicine Comprehensive Stroke Center at Harborview, physicians who are specially trained in stroke care are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to diagnose and treat patients using advanced neurodiagnostic tools and interventions. Our stroke center was the first in Washington to become certified as a comprehensive stroke center from The Joint Commission. As a comprehensive center, patients who have suffered a stroke have access to the most advanced resources available before, during and after a stroke – through preventive, emergent and rehabilitative care.
Regional Burn Center:
Since opening in 1974, the UW Medicine Regional Burn Center at Harborview has treated nearly 20,000 patients, representing the vast majority of all major burn patients in Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. One-third of these patients have been children. UW Medicine physicians at Harborview were first in the nation to adopt the approach of early removal of burned tissue. It was also the first site of a major clinical trial for a temporary artificial skin graft, a technology that helps some burn survivors recover faster with fewer surgeries.
Neurosciences Institute:
UW Medicine has developed a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team of neurological surgeons, neurologists, neuro-radiologists, neuro-oncologists and neuro-pathologists to diagnose and treat complex conditions of the brain. This team is complemented by a highly-trained team of nurses, therapists, social workers and case managers with neuroscience expertise. The center is nationally and internationally recognized for expertise in cerebral vascular, stroke, trauma, pituitary and brain tumors. In collaboration with orthopedic surgeons, the center also provides care for patients with complex, high-risk spinal problems, such as deformities, injuries and degenerative diseases. The Neurosciences Institute includes the Regional Epilepsy Center, Gamma Knife Center, Comprehensive Pituitary Center and Designated Level I Stroke Center.
Comprehensive acute rehabilitation and reconstruction:
UW Medicine’s orthopedic and rehabilitation specialists work to reconstruct the lives of patients with problems caused by injury, illness, infection, tumors and congenital conditions. They are known for providing treatment and consultation for the most complex orthopedic injuries. The center also encompasses ophthalmology, otolaryngology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation medicine and social work.
Limb viability and re-implantation:
As the only designated Level I adult and pediatric trauma and burn center in the state of Washington, Harborview has developed expertise in preserving limbs through emergency medical care, microsurgery and vessel grafts. Harborview hosts an amputee support group where participants share challenges and successes, discover ways of coping with limb loss, learn about various prosthetic components and tips for daily living without a limb. A complete service for custom designed orthotics and prosthetics is provided on site to provide patients with optimum recovery and rehabilitation needs.
Regional Vascular Center:
UW Medicine’s Regional Vascular Center at Harborview cares for patients with a broad spectrum of circulatory problems involving arteries, veins and the lymphatic system. In addition to treating patients with varicose veins and unusual vascular malformation, the center frequently manages more urgent conditions such as aortic ruptures. It treats more aortic aneurysms than any other health system in the nation and has achieved a patient survival rate of nearly 90 percent, compared to the national average of 60-70 percent.
Eye Institute & Vision Science Center:
The UW Medicine Eye Institute at Harborview is one of the nation’s premier eye and vision science centers for clinical care, research and teaching. Its physicians and surgeons are known for providing expert care and finding new ways to treat eye diseases and vision disorders. They see more than 40,000 patients and perform 2,500 surgical procedures annually.
Center for AIDS/HIV:
Since 1985, UW Medicine physicians and staff at Harborview have provided optimal medical care, nursing care and social work services to men and women with HIV/AIDS. The Madison Clinic, Harborview’s outpatient facility, is the single largest provider of HIV/AIDS care in King County and also operates satellite clinics in Everett and Bremerton.
