UW Medicine

10/07/2026

Katy Grainger survived sepsis in 2018, but that was just the beginning of her story. While she became critically ill in Hawaii, she decided to return to Seattle for surgery and rehabilitation, which is where she met Dr. Janna Friedly, a physiatrist at Harborview Medical Center and the chair of the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Friedly, along with specialists across UW Medicine, including Dr. Menaka Prakasam, a family medicine physician at UW Medicine Primary Care at Factoria, helped Grainger rebuild her strength and independence.

Read the full article to learn more about Grainger's road to recovery and how she's using her voice to make a difference in the world of sepsis.

But That Was Only the Start.

10/06/2026

Congratulations to more than 100 UW Medicine medical professionals named to Seattle Met Magazine's Top Doctors list. This list features doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners across over 90 specialties.

Find the full list from Seattle Met at the link below.

Smart. Authoritative. Entertaining. With a bold design, eye-catching photography, and an editorial voice that’s at once witty and in-the-know, Seattle Metropolitan is our city’s indispensable news, culture, and lifestyle magazine.

10/05/2026

Merkel cell carcinoma is rare, serious, often recurrent and difficult to diagnose. Since 2025, the Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MC3) Institute at UW Medicine and Fred Hutch Cancer Center helped advance tests and treatments for patients with the disease.

Sue, a patient at the MC3 Institute, wasn't aware of Merkel cell carcinoma until her diagnosis. Thanks to the research and treatment she received there, Sue is now cancer-free.

“Continuing this research allows us to learn the broader principles of cancer and immunity that could also benefit patients with more common types of cancer,” says Dr. Paul Nghiem, a dermatologist and the founder of the MC3 Institute. “This could help us design treatments that not only control cancers, but ideally prevent them from coming back."

Read the full article to learn more about Sue's story, the facts about Merkel cell carcinoma and the research Dr. Nghiem and his team conduct at the MC3 Institute.

Research saved her life.

10/03/2026

For people with dementia and their caregivers, a memory café serves as a safe, inclusive, judgment-free place to socialize. Social isolation is one of 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia, and cognitive struggles may tilt individuals with dementia toward social withdrawal. Memory cafés aim to make them feel included.

“It’s about people connecting, finding new friends, and feeling heard instead of feeling invisible,” says memory café host Glenn Harper. “If you are telling a story and lose your train of thought, or if there’s a non sequitur, nobody cares. We’re here to be kind and understanding, to make each other feel seen.”

There are now 32 memory cafés statewide, and Katie Zeitler, a program manager with UW Medicine's Memory & Brain Wellness Center, is looking to grow that number.

Read the full story to learn more about memory cafés and how to get involved.

News and information for journalists

10/02/2026

Physical therapist Jenny Chang shares what parents and students should know about fitting and wearing a backpack.

An improperly fitted or overloaded backpack can cause pain or poor posture in school-age kids. Chang recommends shoulder straps sit no more than 2 inches below the shoulders and no more than 4 inches below the waistline so the backpack fits snugly against a child’s back.

“If it's too heavy, if it's pulling them back, if they're leaning back or if it's so heavy that they're hunching forward or leaning forward to counteract the weight, those are red flags,” Chang said.

10/02/2026

Getting screened for breast cancer is an important way to catch it early, when it’s easier to treat. But many people have questions about when to start getting mammograms and how often to get screened.

UW Medicine and Fred Hutch Cancer Center, recommend that women at average risk have a screening mammogram every one to two years beginning at age 40.

A screening mammogram “is an X-ray-based imaging test that can identify breast cancer before it is clinically apparent, meaning before a patient can feel it or before it causes other symptoms,” says Dr. Brian Dontchos, a diagnostic radiologist, associate professor of radiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine - WWAMI and chief of breast imaging at UW Medicine and Fred Hutch.

Read the full article to learn more about mammograms, breast cancer risk and current screening recommendations.

Here's what you need to know.

10/01/2026

This Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, we're highlighting the contributions and cultures of some UW Medicine's Hispanic and Latinx team members in a multi-part series. This year’s theme, “Unidos, Somos Más. Together, We Are More,” celebrates the diverse stories, perspectives and experiences that strengthen the UW Medicine community. Today, October 1st, is also National Latino Physician Day.

This week's feature includes Dr. Lorena Fernandez (she/her/ella), Psychiatry Resident, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UW School of Medicine; and Christopher Leyva Vera, MSW, MPH, LICSW (he/him), Social Worker/Medical Case Manager, Max Clinic, Madison Clinic, Harborview Medical Center.

We asked participants why they chose a career in healthcare and what they would like the UW Medicine community to know about their heritage and culture.

Lorena: "'Unidos, Somos Más' reminds me of the warmth I feel when I hear someone speaking Spanish on the streets or when a familiar scent takes me back to my mother’s kitchen. These moments remind me of the sense of belonging that comes from shared culture and community, and of how healing that connection can be. I carry this with me into healthcare, where I strive to create meaningful connections with my patients and make them feel supported. To me, healing extends beyond the care we provide, as it also comes from the relationships and sense of community we build with one another."

Christopher: "My perspectives, experiences and professional skills have been shaped by my professors, peers and co-workers/collaborators who all come from diverse backgrounds as well as my own experience as a gay Mexican immigrant in this country. From my q***r immigrant and trans professors at UW's School of Social Work and School of Public Health to BIPOC collaborators at various organizations in this city (special shoutout to Bailey-Boushay House and Entre Hermanos) who we're fortunate to partner with to provide the best care for our patients."

09/30/2026

Adam Visokay's longtime love of running hit a hurdle after a 2022 case of COVID left him with long-haul symptoms. Now, thanks to UW Medicine's Long COVID Clinic at Harborview Medical Center, Visokay plans to run the Seattle Marathon this year.

Learn more about the Long COVID Clinic, the Seattle Marathon and Visokay's road to get there in this video from Seattle Refined.

09/29/2026

Packing a healthy school lunch can be challenging, especially for picky eaters. It's all about finding a balance between nutritious foods and foods kids will actually eat, rather than trade, avoid or throw away.

Robyn Burnside, a registered dietitian nutritionist at UW Medical Center, shares tips to help your child form a healthy relationship with food and develop habits that carry over into the school lunchroom.

09/29/2026

UW Medical Center has been recognized by Becker's Hospital Review as a hospital patients would highly recommend.

The list is based on questions in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, in which patients indicate whether they would recommend a healthcare system to their friends and family. Each hospital on the list received a five-star patient recommendation rating.

Thank you to the teams and staff who helped make this achievement possible.