Dermatology

Refer a Patient

For our most current wait times by specialty and location, see our Access Dashboard.

View Seattle Children’s Access Dashboard

How to Refer a Patient

To locate or expedite a referral, please call Clinical Intake Coordinators at 206-987-2080, option 2.

Appointment availability

Updated July 2023.

We are open to new referrals. Due to high demand, beginning March 21, 2022, we will schedule patients only if an appointment is available on the day their referral is received. We do not offer a waitlist. Some restrictions apply:

  • We only accept referrals for children ages 0-15.
  • Conditions not seen by our team include dry skin, keratosis pilaris (chicken skin), burns, suture removals and psoriatic arthritis.
  • Certain conditions such as acne, eczema, molluscum, warts, seborrhea and insect bites require first-line treatments from PCP before we can see the patient.

Many conditions referred to us can be managed in primary care.

  • To support referring providers, we compiled a list of local dermatologists who see pediatric patients. We have many clinical care resources you can find below under “Resources for Families” and “Resources for Providers.”
  • We have improved our referral process so families referred to us will receive a call from our scheduling team to either schedule an appointment or let them know if no appointments are available and direct them to other resources.

We are in the process of recruiting and hiring new providers to improve our capacity and better meet demand. To be alerted when we update our referral policies in future, please subscribe to our hospital newsletter, Provider News.

Referral requirements

All new patients need to have a complete referral to help ensure their first appointment is productive.

Please include:

  • Service/specialty clinic requested
  • Reason for referral: What is the clinical question for the specialist?
  • If the referral is urgent (see within 4 weeks) or routine (next available)
  • ICD-10 diagnosis – required
  • Visit type:
  • New patient consult, transfer of care, second opinion or return visit/ongoing care
  • ALL relevant clinical documents
    • Clinic notes
    • Medication history
  • Growth charts/curves
  • Lab reports
  • Imaging and diagnostic reports
  • Previous specialty evaluations
  • Patient’s full name, DOB, sex, address, guardian contact information and insurance
  • Referring provider’s name, phone, fax and the referral coordinator’s email address so that we may contact you if additional information is needed
  • Preferred clinic location
  • If an interpreter is needed
  • Any known barriers to performing a successful telehealth (video) visit with this family
  • Skin biopsy results and pertinent culture reports, if available
  • Description of treatments or therapies tried

When sending imaging, please send both the reports and disks. You can upload images using PowerShare (preferred), or you may ask your patient to bring it to their appointment or mail it to us directly at Seattle Children’s Dermatology, PO Box 5371, M/S OC.9.835, Seattle, WA 98145-5005.

Please note:

  • Patients who have not been seen by our department in the last 3 years will need a new referral.
  • If your patient has the following conditions, please do not refer them until you have tried primary care management first. For patient management support, please look under “Resources for Families” and “Resources for Providers” below.
    • Acne
    • Eczema
    • Molluscum contagiosum
    • Warts
    • Seborrhea (try a 1-month trial of a medicated shampoo for children ages 2+)
    • Insect bite (unless you have a concern it is something else)

Submit a referral

We’re committed to partnering with you

Due to high demand for Dermatology services, if we evaluate your patient and determine they do not have a condition that requires ongoing evaluation and management in a specialty setting, we will return them to you with an appropriate plan of care. You can find clinical care resources below in “Resources for Families” and “Resources for Providers.”

We are always available to answer questions and support your care of your patients.

  • Diagnosis and treatment options: call 206-987-7777 (Provider-to-Provider Line)
  • Referring or transporting a patient to our Emergency Department or Urgent Care: call 206-987-8899 or toll free 866-987-8899 (ED Communications Center)
  • Questions about scheduling and referrals, including locating or expediting a referral: call 206-987-2080 (Clinical Intake Nurses)

Learn more about managing your patients at Seattle Children's, including viewing your patient’s records.

Meet the Dermatology team.

We see patients at the hospital and our clinics in Bellevue, Everett and Federal Way. See our locations.

What Your Patients Can Expect

  • Once we receive your referral, we will call your patient within 3 business days to either schedule an appointment if one is available, or let them know we are unable to see them and provide alternate resources.
  • Patients who have an appointment scheduled may ask to be added to a waitlist for a sooner appointment (there is no waitlist for unscheduled patients).
  • Wait times are approximately 4 months for new patients.

Resources for families  

Resources for Providers

Additional materials that may be helpful to PCPs can be found above in “Resources for Families.”

To suggest additional resources from Seattle Children’s that would be useful to primary care providers, please email physician.relations@seattlechildrens.org.