Evergreen Health tells Redmond council it has new Seattle Children’s joint venture, warns of Medicaid funding risks

Evergreen Health executives updated the Redmond City Council on July 1 on the health system’s Eastside services, announcing a joint venture with Seattle Children’s to expand pediatric and neonatal care and warning of financial pressure if state and federal safety-net funding changes.

The presentation by Chris Brittison, Evergreen Health’s chief operating and strategy officer, outlined the system’s local footprint, quality ratings and the “economic situation” facing Washington hospitals. “Our mission is to advance the health of our community,” Brittison told council members, repeating a phrase he said guides the district’s investments and outreach.

Nut graf: The public hospital emphasized both service capacity and financial vulnerability. Brittison said Evergreen serves a roughly 1 million-person service area on the Eastside (about 330,000 in its taxing district), operates 354 licensed beds — the largest public hospital in Washington — and runs multiple clinics and a…