Key Takeaways 

1. Collaboration strengthens Mary Bridge Children's Heart Center through shared best practices with Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute.
2. Cincinnati Children's enhances the local care team with national expertise to improve quality, outcomes and access for pediatric patients with complex heart issues.
3. Working together brings world-renowned pediatric heart care closer to home for children and families across the Pacific Northwest.

CINCINNATI and TACOMA, Wash., Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cincinnati Children's and MultiCare Mary Bridge Children's today announced a collaboration to expand access to pediatric cardiology, congenital heart care and complex pediatric heart surgery in the Pacific Northwest.

Together, Mary Bridge Children's of Tacoma., Wash., and Cincinnati Children's aim to provide heart care for pediatric patients so they can stay close to home. The health systems will collaborate on medical decision-making and the care of patients in Tacoma. Mary Bridge Children's Heart Center will recruit top-tier talent and work with Cincinnati Children's to optimize medical education, training and quality improvement programs to ensure seamless care delivery for pediatric heart patients in the Pacific Northwest. 

"This is another tangible way to fulfill our mission of partnering for healing and a healthy future for all kids," said Jeff Poltawsky, president and market leader of Mary Bridge Children's Hospital & Health Network. "We're excited to bring the expertise of Cincinnati Children's to our region, enhancing heart care options for children and families throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond."

The Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute works with health systems around the nation and abroad to offer resources, expertise and shared clinical decision-making for patients with complex and challenging heart conditions. Collaborations are designed to expand access to world-class heart care no matter where patients live.

"Working together enables us to offer our expertise to kids all over the country and the world who might never come to Cincinnati," said Michael Gaies, MD, executive co-director of the Heart Institute and director of the Division of Cardiology. "We know the burden that traveling to obtain health care puts on families. Our heart experts at Cincinnati Children's will work with clinicians at Mary Bridge Children's to keep patients at their home hospital."

In addition to Mary Bridge Children's, collaborations with Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute include Golisano Children's at UK in Lexington, Ky., Akron Children's in Ohio and Peyton Manning Children's in Indianapolis.

"We provide consultative support and collaboration through joint case reviews that include surgeons, cardiologists and other specialists as well as integrated care management and surgical planning," said David Morales, MD, executive co-director of the Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute and director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. "Our focus is on shared decision making and partnering on best practices with a particular emphasis on quality improvement initiatives."

Mary Bridge Children's has a long history of providing heart care, and over the past three years the hospital has worked to establish a comprehensive Heart Center. "This collaboration represents a transformative moment for heart care in our region," said Amy Winsor, assistant vice president of strategy and operations at Mary Bridge Children's Heart Center. "By combining the nationally recognized expertise of Cincinnati Children's with our commitment to local families, we are ensuring that children with even the most complex heart conditions can receive world-class care close to home. It's about hope, innovation and putting kids first."

Mary Bridge Children's Heart Center is accepting new patients and will open a dedicated clinic in the newly expanded Mary Bridge Children's Outpatient Center this spring. One of the first steps in launching the Heart Center in 2025 was to hire an experienced clinical leader, Jorge Salazar, MD, who hails from the Pacific Northwest.

"Cincinnati Children's has consistently been recognized as an international center of excellence for safety, quality and patient outcomes," said Salazar, executive medical director and chief cardiac surgeon at Mary Bridge Children's Heart Center. "Our mission is to offer hope to families and help patients live their best and fullest lives by prioritizing safety, providing exceptional care and working alongside other experts in the field. It is truly an honor to do this in collaboration with the team at Cincinnati Children's."  

About Cincinnati Children's
Cincinnati Children's is ranked among the best pediatric health systems in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. As the leader in improving child health, Cincinnati Children's cares for patients from all 50 states and dozens of countries, including kids with complex or rare disorders. Established in 1883, the academic health system leads the way in healthcare education and pediatric research, where discoveries become innovative treatments and cures that change the outcome for children. More information: CincinnatiChildrens.org

About Mary Bridge Children's Hospital & Health Network
Mary Bridge Children's is a part of MultiCare Health System, one of the largest community-based, locally governed health systems in Washington state. Founded in 1955, Mary Bridge Children's offers comprehensive care and resources for critically ill and injured children. 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. For more information, visit marybridge.org

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SOURCE Cincinnati Children's and Mary Bridge Children's