February 24, 2026 – Cincinnati, Ohio & Tacoma, Washington, USA
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has announced a strategic clinical collaboration with MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital aimed at expanding access to pediatric cardiology, congenital heart disease treatment, and complex cardiothoracic surgery services across the Pacific Northwest.
The partnership is designed to strengthen regional pediatric heart care infrastructure by integrating the nationally recognized expertise of the Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute with the growing capabilities of Mary Bridge Children’s Heart Center. Through shared clinical decision-making, physician collaboration, and surgical planning support, the initiative seeks to ensure that children with complex cardiac conditions can receive advanced, high-quality treatment closer to home without the burden of long-distance travel.
Collaboration Enhances Regional Cardiac Expertise
Under the collaboration framework, specialists from Cincinnati Children’s will work closely with care teams in Tacoma to support medical decision processes, case reviews, and treatment planning for pediatric heart patients. The alliance will also focus on recruiting top-tier cardiology and cardiothoracic talent while expanding education, training, and quality improvement programs.
By combining institutional knowledge and clinical best practices, the collaboration aims to elevate standards of care across diagnostics, surgical interventions, and post-operative management. This integrated model allows community-based providers to leverage world-class pediatric cardiac expertise while maintaining continuity of care within their regional health system.
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The initiative reflects a broader healthcare trend in which leading pediatric specialty centers extend consultative and operational support to partner hospitals to improve national care equity.
Advancing Congenital Heart and Surgical Care
Congenital heart defects remain among the most common birth conditions requiring specialized lifelong management. Through this partnership, pediatric patients requiring complex cardiothoracic surgery, interventional cardiology procedures, and advanced heart monitoring will benefit from coordinated expertise between both institutions.
Joint case conferences involving cardiologists, surgeons, intensivists, and multidisciplinary specialists will guide treatment pathways and surgical planning. This collaborative structure strengthens safety protocols, enhances procedural precision, and supports improved clinical outcomes.
The Mary Bridge Children’s Heart Center has been expanding its cardiac services over recent years, including leadership recruitment and infrastructure investment to establish a comprehensive regional heart program. The collaboration accelerates this development by embedding nationally ranked pediatric cardiac knowledge systems into local care delivery.
Improving Access for Families and Patients
A core objective of the collaboration is reducing the logistical and emotional burden families face when traveling long distances for specialized pediatric heart treatment. By bringing advanced congenital heart care closer to the Pacific Northwest community, the initiative supports family-centered care models and improves treatment accessibility.
The Heart Center will also open a dedicated clinic within the newly expanded Mary Bridge Children’s Outpatient Center, enhancing outpatient diagnostics, follow-up care, and early intervention services. Access to subspecialty consultations, surgical planning, and long-term cardiac management will be streamlined under one integrated program.
Cincinnati Children’s continues to operate similar collaborations nationwide, extending expertise to partner institutions to ensure that geography does not limit access to high-acuity pediatric cardiovascular treatment. The alliance with Mary Bridge Children’s represents a significant milestone in regional pediatric healthcare expansion, reinforcing a shared mission to deliver innovative, high-quality, and family-focused cardiac care.
Source: Cincinnati Children’s and Mary Bridge Children’s press release
