Multicare Mary Bridge Hospital

Pros

• The nursing staff was amazing.
• The staff were kind, nice, and understanding.
• They diagnosed the daughter and provided a plan giving hope for a pain-free future.
• The ED and floor 6 staff were appreciated for their care.
• Alleia, RN, explained how an IV works and patiently answered questions.
• The tech and RN placed the IV quickly and kindly.
• A+ care, snacks, and a smooth timeline from admission to discharge.
• Dr. Cheung and the team were comforting, thorough, and understanding.
• The gaming volunteer keeps kids entertained and is amazing.

Cons

• The doctors dismissed the daughter's symptoms and refused antibiotics, saying it wasn't an emergency, which the reviewer called unacceptable.
• The hospital was described as treating patients like textbook cases rather than individuals and showing poor bedside manner.
• The hospital allegedly called the police on patients who chose to leave or disagreed with the treatment plan.
• IV attempts were repeatedly painful and excessive, with staff showing frustration and a doctor using "sass" toward the parent.
• A night-time police visit to the home frightened children and disrupted the family.
• Staff were described as rude and uncaring, with the facility perceived to be going downhill.
• Accessibility concerns were raised, including no wheelchair availability and missing wheelchairs, along with criticism of policies on gender-affirming care.
• Administrative issues caused long waits and miscommunications, such as rescheduling a pediatric video visit for a five-year-old.
• Some nurses were criticized for lacking compassion, with only a few exceptions.

Review

Across a broad set of patient experiences, this hospital comes across as a place where powerful, compassionate care can sit alongside frustrating miscommunications, long waits, and policy-heavy barriers. Families describe a mix of warmth and efficiency when the staff are at their best, and a sense of being overwhelmed by systems and decisions when things go wrong. The stories mention several different locations in the region, including Mary Bridge and Seattle Children's, and they reveal how experiences can swing dramatically from visit to visit, even within the same family.

A recurring thread is the distress of being dismissed or dismissed too late when a child is clearly ill. In one account, parents arrived with a child in severe pain and a high fever, only to be told "nothing is wrong" and that this "isn't an emergency," with the implication that the child should go home. The parent eventually learned that the diagnosis and treatment had been delayed; the primary doctor later stepped in after the family had already left, and that intervention helped begin a vital course of care. The mix of textbook expectations and real?world presentations can sting - what is not textbook in one child's symptoms can still be a serious, treatable illness in another - and several families stress that bedside manner and patient-centered attention should guide decisions as much as or more than rigid criteria.

There are also warnings about how care plans are communicated and enforced, even when a parent is actively advocating for their child. One particularly troubling account describes a moment when a family, uncomfortable with the treatment plan, chose to leave; the hospital reportedly called the police at 3:30 a.m. to come to the home. The fear and disruption stretched beyond the hospital walls, impacting siblings and a household already navigating a tense moment, and it left the impression that the hospital could respond to parental concerns with punitive measures rather than collaborative problem?solving. These stories underscore how crucial it is for families to feel heard and for clinicians to partner with parents when questions about safety and care arise, especially during ongoing or urgent treatment decisions.

Amid the frustrations, there is a complementary and powerful set of testimonials about the humane, attentive care provided by nurses, technicians, and some physicians. Several reviewers point to nurses as the bright spot, noting kindness, patience, and a willingness to explain what is happening. One parent singled out "Alleia, RN," for taking time to describe how an IV works to a curious child, reinforcing calm and reducing fear. In another case, a 5-year-old was treated with respect and direct communication from the care team, with staff explaining the treatment steps so the child didn't feel blindsided by an IV or the oxygen mask. The care team is often described as capable and comforting, with specific names - Dr. Krebs and a resident; Dr. Cheung for an eye injury; Annie and Natalia the nurses; Drs. Heferbecker and Fichadia - cited for their competence and the reassurance they offered during scary moments. The presence of a "gaming guy" who visits to entertain hospitalized kids is mentioned as a small but meaningful gesture that helps reduce anxiety during long hospital stays.

Yet even when care is technically sound and staff are kind, families report systemic gaps that can undermine trust. Scheduling glitches, long waits for appointments, and miscommunication about follow-up plans appear repeatedly. A hematology visit originally arranged through Kaiser is described as dragging on - an extended wait for a doctor, with a later experience where the staff required a child to be present for a video visit to discuss test results, something that seemed impractical for a five-year-old. The frustration is amplified by impressions that some staff perceived parents as obstacles rather than partners, including a moment when a parent felt they were dismissed with dismissive language or "sass," and a staff member referred to the parent as "doctor mom." These anecdotes highlight the need for more consistent, patient?centered communication and for clinicians to actively validate parental concerns rather than retreat into formality or sarcasm.

Practical, nonclinical challenges also color the stories. Some reviews mention logistics and accessibility hurdles, such as a lack of wheelchairs and confusion about where equipment might be found or returned, with a suggestion that "somebody stole their two wheelchairs" and that replacements were slow to arrive. The hospital's policies on gender-affirming care for transgender youth are also cited as a contentious issue, with one writer calling the decision to end such care a "coward's decision," signaling that policy changes can have deep, personal resonance for patients and families who rely on consistent and affirming care. Taken together, these details reveal that, while the hospital can deliver excellent care, it also faces public perception challenges when policies or resource gaps appear to limit access or to create fear or confusion for families.

Ultimately, many reviews celebrate a hospital where attentive care, clear explanations, and warm interactions are possible and tangible. A family praised the "A+ care, snacks, and timeline" in a discharge from a 5-year-old, and another noted excellent bedside manner and patient education that reduced anxiety during a scary moment. The positive experiences often center on the human connection - the nurses taking the time to explain, the doctors acknowledging worries, and the whole team treating the child with respect and dignity as a patient in their own right. The contrast with the more stressful episodes offers a candid snapshot of a complex institution navigating medicine, policy, and the emotional realities of families at their most vulnerable moments.

In the end, these voices point to a hospital that is capable of extraordinary kindness and clinical competence, even as it grapples with communication gaps, safety concerns, and the pressure of balancing policy with compassionate, individualized care. Families want to see longer-term improvements: more consistent bedside manner, better listening to parents, fewer unnecessary delays, clearer explanations of treatment plans, and a collaborative approach when parents voice concerns. They also call for attention to accessibility issues - enough wheelchairs, consistent scheduling reliability, and transparent processes for follow-up care and urgent decisions. If the hospital can translate the goodwill of its dedicated nurses and specialists into uniformly patient-centered practices, it will better honor the trust families place in it during some of their most frightening and fragile moments.

This part of Tacoma, Washington, offers a range of amenities and services that cater to senior living. With proximity to medical facilities such as Tacoma/Valley Radiation Oncology Centers, Mary Bridge Pulmonary Clinic, and several hospitals including MultiCare Regional Cancer Center and Group Health Cooperative, residents can access quality healthcare easily. There are also a variety of dining options nearby, from fast food chains like McDonald's to more upscale restaurants like The Matador and Twokoi Japanese Cuisine. Additionally, there are places of worship like Christ Episcopal Church for spiritual nourishment. For leisure and recreation, seniors can enjoy parks like Sheridan Park and Kandle Park or catch a movie at Grand Cinema. Several cafes such as Starbucks and Panera Bread provide gathering spots for socializing with friends. Overall, this area offers convenience and accessibility for seniors looking for a comfortable and vibrant community in Tacoma.

Physicians

• Tacoma/Valley Radiation Oncology Centers (0.1 miles)
• Mary Bridhe Pulmonary Clinic (0.1 miles)
• Joelene J. Werden, DO (0.1 miles)
• Kevin P. Kolostyak, MD (0.1 miles)
• Andrew B Kopstein (0.2 miles)
• Gyft Clinic (0.2 miles)
• Pacific Northwest Maternal Fetal Medicine (1 miles)

Hospitals

• MultiCare Regional Cancer Center - Tacoma (0.1 miles)
• Group Health Cooperative (0.1 miles)
• MultiCare (1.8 miles)

Restaurants

• Frisko Freeze (0.1 miles)
• McDonald's (0.5 miles)
• The Matador (0.7 miles)
• Dirty Oscar's Annex (0.7 miles)
• Twokoi Japanese Cuisine (1.1 miles)
• E9 Brewing (1.6 miles)
• Peaks and Pints (1.8 miles)

Places of Worship

• Christ Episcopal Church (0.2 miles)
• Bethlehem Baptist Church (3.8 miles)
• St Theresa's Church (4.5 miles)

Theaters

• Grand Cinema (0.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.6 miles)
• Hilltop Pharmacy (0.6 miles)
• Bartell Drugs (1.5 miles)
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.2 miles)
• Alfred's Cafe (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (2.7 miles)
• Starbucks (3 miles)
• Panera Bread (3 miles)
• Starbucks (4.3 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (4.6 miles)

Parks

• Sheridan Park (1.5 miles)
• Kandle Park (2.7 miles)
• Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park (3.9 miles)
• Point Defiance Park (4.5 miles)
• Dash Point State Park (4.6 miles)
• Titlow Park (4.7 miles)
• Five Mile Drive (5 miles)