Lake Forest Park
Lake Forest Park, WA · Health
Axios Seattle
Sick season starts early in Seattle
Winter may be months away, but cold season in Washington doesn't seem to be waiting. Driving the news: Emergency room visits for respiratory illnesses are rising as October begins, while COVID is also showing up increasingly in wastewater and hospitals, according to state data . Flu typically peaks between December and February , making the early uptick noteworthy. By the numbers: Acute respiratory illnesses accounted for 11% of Washington ER visits in the week ending Sept. 26, up from 8.2% three weeks earlier, according to the Washington Department of Health's respiratory illness data . Stunning stat: There were 233 ER visits associated with influenza in King County in the week ending Sept. 19, compared with 31 during the same week last year, KUOW reported , citing city and county data . Meanwhile, COVID is sending signals of its own, with several Seattle-area wastewater sites reporting high or very high levels of the virus as of Sept. 23, per state data . COVID hospital use has also risen from its late-summer lows, state data shows . The big picture: Washington and Oregon appear to be running ahead of much of the country, with the CDC still rating overall respiratory illness as
beckershospitalreview.com
MultiCare launches a health plan
Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System is launching a health insurance plan. MultiCare Health Plan, announced Oct. 1, will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of the 13-hospital nonprofit system. Its first product is a Medicare Advantage HMO with prescription drug benefits, which will be available for the 2027 plan year in three counties in Washington state.
kirklandreporter.com
Cryptosporidium outbreak associated with Bothell pool
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... An August outbreak of cryptosporidiosis (crypto) has been linked to a popular indoor pool in Bothell. Public Health Seattle-King County announced Sept. 30 that they had investigated the outbreak associated with the pool at McMenamins Anderson School, suspecting that the illness has spread to 14 cases after someone infected with crypto had spent time in the pool and spreading germs that went on to infect other people. The exposure dates were Aug. 29 to Aug. 30, 2026.
B-Town (Burien) Blog
VIDEO: New Air Quality Monitor begins tracking Sea-Tac Airport pollution in Des Moines
A new air quality monitoring station is now operating in Des Moines, providing ongoing measurements of ultrafine particles and other pollutants near Sea-Tac Airport. The City of Des Moines joined […]
KOMO News
Lawsuit: Parents claim Salem Hospital told them to drive dead infant home to Seattle
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A Washington couple is suing Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics, Salem Health, and a doctor after the death of their infant son, claiming the hospital forced them to drive his body home themselves. According to the lawsuit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Aleksandr Yeremeyev...
24x7mag.com
Making BMETs More Visible Within the Healthcare Team
Early experiences in the HTM field revealed an unexpected challenge: Many hospital staff don’t fully understand who BMETs are or what they do. Biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) are essential to patient safety and healthcare delivery, yet their contributions often remain invisible to new hospital staff. During my studies at North Seattle College and through internship experiences, I observed that while senior nurses understand BMET responsibilities, many new nurses and frontline staff are unaware of who BMETs are or what they do.
MyNorthwest.com
Coca-Cola facility in Bellevue sued over alleged polluted runoff reaching Lake Washington
A local environmental group is suing Swire Coca-Cola, USA, and Western Washington Coca-Cola Bottling. Waste Action Project, a Covington-based nonprofit, claimed polluted runoff from Coca-Cola’s Bellevue bottling facility entered Goff Creek and ultimately Lake Washington. The nonprofit is being represented by Seattle law firm Smith & Lowney PLLC. Swire...
westseattleblog.com
HEALTH: Vaccination clinics ahead at schools in West Seattle
Community members of all ages can get vaccinated at clinics coming up at local schools – here’s the announcement we were asked to share to you (corrected):. Seattle Visiting Nurse Association runs annual flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics at various middle and high schools in partnership with Seattle Public Schools.
seattleschools.org
Flu & Covid Clinic Information: September 25, 2026
When: Friday, September 25 from 3:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. We accept most insurance, but are unable to accept Cigna, Tricare, and some out-of-state Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. Each patient needs their own appointment, in the patient’s name, with their individual information. A family of four will...
dentaltown.com
Where to Go for a Dental Emergency in Lynnwood, WA
A dental emergency can come without a warning. A minor sports accident or a sudden, sharp toothache in the middle of the night requires immediate action. When a dental crisis occurs, you can’t waste time scrolling through search engines to figure out what to do next or who you can visit right away.