New facilities and other healthcare news in the South Sound

This list of curated articles highlights significant developments in healthcare across the South Sound, showcasing new facilities, expansions and challenges.

The construction of the new $480 million Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma includes features like a "kitten" scanner and a play area designed to alleviate children's anxieties during medical procedures. Tacoma's homeless healthcare program aims to deliver direct care to unsheltered individuals, although it has faced organizational hurdles in reaching full capacity. Meanwhile, a new $50 million cancer center planned in Tacoma demonstrates ongoing efforts to expand cancer care options, though it might necessitate relocating a temporary housing village. Lastly, the entry of Hart Family Pharmacy into East Pierce County markets a "better way" of pharmacy services amid concurrent major chain closures.

Mount Rainier peaks out of the current Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital as seen from inside the new children’s hospital on Monday, June 16, 2025, in Tacoma, Wash. By Brian Hayes

NO. 1: NEW $480M MARY BRIDGE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL WILL HAVE PLAY AREA, ‘KITTEN’ SCANNER

Dedicated family spaces, playroom and state-of-the-art operating rooms just some of the new features set to debut at new Tacoma facility next year. | Published June 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

The MultiCare Emergency-Parkland is set to be the scene of a strike the first week of July by workers represented by IAM District 160.

NO. 2: MULTICARE EMERGENCY WORKERS TO WALK OFF JOB AT THIS PIERCE COUNTY SITE

They contend the health system is not bargaining in good faith during contract negotiations. | Published June 27, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

A vacant lot at South 19th and South Proctor streets in Tacoma has been the proposed site of a new behavioral health hospital, which has yet to come to fruition years after being granted a Certificate of Need from the state.

NO. 3: IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TACOMA’S 2ND PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. HERE’S ITS STATUS

As plans stall here, the company behind project faces issues elsewhere. | Published July 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

A screenshot of Labcorp’s website seen July 3. The health care entity is no longer operating lab sites that serve within the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health network in Pierce and South King counties, according to VMFH.

NO. 4: SOME PEOPLE SEE BLOOD-WORK DISRUPTIONS AS REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM SWITCHES LABS

Some Labcorp sites in Pierce and King counties closed by mid-June ahead of the planned changeover. | Published July 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

Ketul Patel, VMFH CEO and president, Northwest Region of CommonSpirit Health, will become Georgia-based Wellstar Health System’s next president and CEO.

NO. 5: LOCAL LEADER WHO OVERSAW MAJOR HEALTH SYSTEM MERGER IS LEAVING FOR NEW ROLE

He is expected to take on the new role in late October. | Published July 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

Rendering shows the new outpatient MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Therapy Services – Tacoma, across from MultiCare Allenmore Hospital.

NO. 6: NEW CHILDREN’S THERAPY CENTER TAKING SHAPE IN TACOMA. HERE ARE THE DETAILS

Site is planned to open to patients in late 2026. | Published July 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

Wheelchairs are not uncommon at encampments near Tacoma’s Nativity House shelter. By Cameron Sheppard

NO. 7: TACOMA’S HOMELESS HEALTHCARE PROGRAM IS UP AND RUNNING. IS IT WHAT WAS PROMISED?

The $1 million program has been slow to start. | Published July 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Cameron Sheppard

NO. 8: HUNDREDS EXIT HOSPITALS INTO HOMELESSNESS. WHAT IS PIERCE COUNTY DOING ABOUT IT?

This year hundreds of people have been discharged from Pierce County hospitals directly into homelessness. | Published August 31, 2025 | Read Full Story by Cameron Sheppard

Tacoma General Hospital and Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma shown on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. By Tony Overman

NO. 9: LOCAL PATIENTS TO SEE EFFECTS ‘STARTING NOW’ IN FEDERAL CUTS TO PEDIATRIC BRAIN CANCER CARE

For one Tacoma doctor, the recent news of federal funding cuts and changes to pediatric brain cancer research felt like “the epitome of getting kicked when you’re down.” “We already have so few options for these kids, so few, and now we have less,” said Dr. | Published September 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

A new MRI unit, weighing 4.5 tons, was moved into the new MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital over the weekend.

NO. 10: HOW’D CREWS GET 4.5-TON MRI MACHINE INTO TACOMA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL? TAKE A LOOK

How do you move a multimillion-dollar piece of medical equipment into the second floor of a hospital? | Published October 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

The property at 602 N. Orchard St. is currently home to First Christian Church and the Village at 6th and Orchard, operated by the Low Income Housing Institute.

NO. 11: $50M CANCER CENTER COULD REDEVELOP SITE OF CHURCH, TINY-HOME VILLAGE IN TACOMA

A familiar church and a tiny-home village in Tacoma that’s served as an emergency housing shelter since the pandemic could make way for a proposed new cancer-treatment center. | Published October 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

NO. 12: TACOMA-BASED HEALTH GIANT EXPANDING INTO NEW STATE. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW

Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System is expanding its reach into Oregon for the first time by joining forces with an Oregon-based health network. | Published October 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

Darren Hart, left, owner and pharmacist of Hart Family Pharmacy, stands with Lanette Wilkins, a technician at the pharmacy, on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Graham, Wash. By Liesbeth Powers

NO. 13: INDEPENDENT PHARMACY NOW OPEN IN EAST PIERCE COUNTY TOUTS A ‘BETTER WAY’

With the recent news of pharmacy closures as a result of Rite Aid’s bankruptcy, a local independent pharmacist is going against the grain. | Published October 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

Tellica Imaging center in partnership with MultiCare Health Systems opened a new imaging center for affordable and quick CT and MRI imaging, on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Tacoma, Wash. By Brian Hayes

NO. 14: NEW FLAT-RATE MEDICAL-IMAGING CENTER OPENS IN TACOMA. HAVE A LOOK INSIDE

MultiCare on Thursday cut the ribbon on its newest imaging center in Tacoma, joining forces with a new partner. | Published November 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.