Wendy Sue Swanson

Pediatrician, Chief of Digital Innovation and author of the Seattle Mama Doc Blog for Seattle Children’s Hospital. She works to bridge the gap between parents and doctors using digital media. As the first physician blogger for a US hospital, Dr. Swanson helped lead the way for novel use of social and digital media in health care. She speaks in the U.S. and internationally on the intersections among health, healthcare, and communication with patients through digital media. Her career focus has been around the design and development of digital tools that 1) empower patients, 2) help healthcare providers do their jobs well, and 3) strengthen communication between these two groups.

Dr. Swanson founded Digital Health at Seattle Children’s in 2013, leading a team in innovation by testing and creating new digital tools to leverage the wisdom of patients, families and providers for the benefit of all. A few of their accomplishments are listed below.

• Amazon Echo Flu Doctor Skill Voiced and written by Dr. Swanson and co-created with Seattle & Boston Children’s Hospital for families across the U.S. to help answer questions about the influenza virus and immunization.
• Virtual Handshake™ provides patients & families information about the doctors & care team they’ll meet during visits, as well as education & tips to help before, during and after their appointment or hospital stay.
• PRISM is a digitally-presented curriculum designed to help patients manage stress through mindfulness and resiliency.
• P.O.P. Care (post-operative care) is an app that provides tonsillectomy patients a mobile tool to track & record pain medication, give reminders, and education regarding what to expect post-surgery.
• Solid Organ Transplant Digital Education: iPad-based education and training for patients and families following solid organ transplantation. It features interactive teaching, peer-to-peer videos (parents, children, teens), teach-backs, and experience measures. It is now standard care at Seattle Children’s.

Other Professional Roles:
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Official Spokesperson, Influenza Digital Thought Leader, and member, Council on Communications and Media
• Parents magazine: Board of Advisors, contributing author
• Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media: Platinum fellow & Board Member
• NBC affiliate KING 5 News, Seattle: Weekly medical contributor
• Children’s Hospital Association: Editorial Advisory Council Member
• Consumer Healthcare Products Association: Medical Advisor and blogger
• BeforeBrands: Chief Medical Officer

She has been recognized as the CDC 2017 Flu Fighter, CDC Childhood Immunization Champion (2012), TIME Magazine's Best Twitter Feeds of 2013, and a Gold Award Recipient (Mom’s Choice Awards) for her first book, Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting, Child Health, and Work-Life Balance (published by the American Academy of Pediatrics).

Dr. Swanson graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with Honors in Psychology from Kenyon College. She earned an MD and MBE (Master's in Bioethics) from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and completed residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

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