Having a baby is typically a joyous and exciting time. But now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, going to and spending time in the hospital is worrisome, and the idea of bringing a new life into the world amidst all this can be overwhelming.
Elizabeth Meade is a pediatric hospitalist, and the Medical Director of Patient Safety for Pediatrics at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, and joins Melanie Cold to discuss many common questions about labor during COVID-19 like visitor policies, if breastfeeding is safe, what to expect at the hospital and after delivery.
Selected Podcast
What To Expect When Having A Newborn During A Pandemic
Featuring:
Elizabeth Meade, MD, FAAP
Elizabeth Meade, MD, FAAP moved to Washington state as a child and has lived here for most of her life, completing undergraduate and medical school at the University of Washington before moving to Los Angeles for residency at UCLA. She returned to Seattle in 2010 and has worked as a pediatric hospitalist and Chief of Pediatrics at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle since then. In addition to many other clinical niches and leadership roles, she has found passions in medical education, quality improvement and patient safety, and health journalism. Dr. Meade is the director of the inpatient pediatrics resident rotation at Swedish, chairs the Pediatric Acute Care Quality and Safety Committee, and serves as the Director of Medical Communications for the Swedish system.
“I love pediatric hospital medicine and the extraordinary variety in my daily job – no day is ever the same as another – but I am particularly passionate about quality improvement and patient safety work,” says Dr. Meade. “Within WCAAP, I spend lots of time working on ways to help our members connect with one another and on increasing the diversity of our membership.”
Dr. Meade’s interests extend beyond medicine. She has served several local community organizations including Mary’s Place, Inspire Youth Project, and the Junior League of Seattle, and is an avid globetrotter. “I love to travel the world and find unique experiences and adventures – we are currently planning a trip to Finland to do some igloo-living,” she says.
Dr. Meade stepped into her new role as WCAAP board president on July 1, 2019. “If I listed everything I value as a WCAAP member, it would be pages long,” she says. “There is so much value in the work we do for and with our members, especially in the arenas of legislative advocacy, professional networking, and ensuring that pediatric health care providers across the state have access to information on current best practices. From a purely personal point of view, however, WCAAP membership has given me so much more than that. I have been able to grow and flourish as a leader while surrounded by mentors, trusted colleagues, and some of the smartest people I know. Perhaps more important, deep friendships with other leaders and members have formed over the course of my time in WCAAP that I know will be lifelong.”