About Our Medical Staff
The active medical staff (PDF) at Children's is comprised of over 1,000 physicians and other providers, with 650 of those holding "active" staff privileges. They represent all of the pediatric medical and surgical specialties, general pediatrics as well as family practice.
Approximately 250 of the members of the medical staff are based at Children's Hospital. Through our formal affiliation with the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM), all of our hospital-based physicians hold appointments at the UWSOM and are employed by the Children's University Medical Group, the Children's and UWSOM practice plan.
Most members of our medical staff are physicians and other providers who maintain private practices in the community and who refer patients to Children's, some actively care for and attend on their own patients in the hospital.
Children's medical staff departments (PDF) include: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Child Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Dental Medicine, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Medicine, Orthopedics, Radiology, Rehabilitation Medicine, and Surgery.
Within the Departments of Medicine and Surgery are divisions representing a full spectrum of sub-specialties.
Mike Dudas, MD, Matthew Allen, MD, Karen Murray, MD, Tony Avellino, MD
Medical Staff Officers
- Karen Murray, MD, Medical Staff President
- Matthew Allen, MD, Medical Staff President-Elect
- Tony Avellino, MD, Elected Medical Staff Advisor
- Mike Dudas, MD, Elected Medical Staff Advisor
The officers of the Medical Staff include the Medical Director, President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President (when applicable) and the Elected Medical Staff Advisor or Advisors (the number of which in any given year shall be determined as described in the Medical Staff Bylaws).
The officers, excluding the Medical Director, are elected by vote of the Active Medical Staff and take office effective October 1st. Their primary roles are to provide leadership and guidance to the members of the Medical Staff and promote effective communication among the Medical Staff, Medical Executive Committee, Administration and the Board of Trustees.
Medical Staff Purpose
The purpose of Children's medical staff is:
- To ensure the delivery of the highest level of quality care to all patients admitted to the Hospital or treated in its ambulatory and regional sites consistent with the state of the healing arts and the resources locally available.
- To provide that continuous quality improvement and patient safety is a priority for all patients admitted to or treated in the hospital or in its ambulatory and regional sites.
- To provide graduate, post-graduate and continuing education that promote and maintain the highest educational standards.
- To support and promote medical research while maintaining and assuring the protection of our human subjects.
- To maintain accountability to the Board for professional performance, competence and ethical conduct of its Members.
- To initiate and maintain such rules and regulations and internal organization necessary to allow the Medical Staff to discharge its responsibility within the Hospital in an organized fashion.
- To advise the Board of Trustees and Hospital Administration on any matters of a Medical or Medico-Administrative nature.
The governance structure, which facilitates this mission, includes the Medical Executive Committee, comprised of 60% community physicians and 40% hospital-based physicians, and numerous quality sub-committees.
Advantages to Membership
Advantages to membership include:
- Association with a world-class Children's hospital and pediatric training and research programs affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine.
- Access to a Web site specifically designed for our medical staff, which includes clinical resources, Grand Rounds on-line, the physicians directory and other features.
- Remote access to Children's Clinical Information System.
For information on joining the Children's medical staff, see Apply for Membership.