Seattle Children’s Hospital

Since its founding more than 100 years ago, Seattle Children’s has provided the highest level of care for all children, no matter their financial circumstances. The organization offers the most generous assistance program of any pediatric hospital in the Northwest, which is more important than ever: The need for financial assistance grew by 36% last year.

The organization’s Uncompensated Care Fund helps cover the expenses of treatments for children like Aisley, whose family turned to Seattle Children when she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumor. Aisley has had no evidence of cancer since her treatment ended in April 2021 and continues to receive exceptional follow-up care at Seattle Children’s —made possible in part by Microsoft donors. 

Over the last five years, 8,500 employees have donated to more than 100 funds at the hospital. They bring their passion and creativity to the cause by inventing new ways to include their communities in fundraising, from karaoke jams and Diwali parties to soccer tournaments and potlucks where attendees make craft kits for kids.

Some employees are driven to honor a family member or their own health battles; others are moved by stories like Aisley’s.

Seattle Children’s research labs identify new discoveries and treatments for childhood diseases and conditions, from autoimmune disorders to pediatric cancer. “Microsoft champions this work by bringing its expertise to the table,” says Jana Wardell, Manager of Foundation and Guild Marketing at Seattle Children’s.

Medical research is inherently data-heavy, yet manually sifting through millions of data points is time-consuming and resource-intensive, if not impossible. Microsoft data scientists and Azure cloud credits boost these efforts, especially in the early stages of research. Azure experts help researchers build ways to efficiently analyze vast amounts of data. “Technical support and cloud credits move the research needle so much further, allowing us to get important projects off the ground—so we can eventually reach a patient in their bed with a new breakthrough,” Wardell says.

Sometimes this support springs from a personal history. Former Microsoft executive John Kahan dove into SIDS research when his infant son suddenly passed away. He and his wife began the Aaron Matthew SIDS Research Guild, named after their son, which has since collaborated with Microsoft and Seattle Children’s on researching genetic profiles of impacted families, investigating behavioral factors that increase risk, and convening an annual research summit.

A current partnership with Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab leverages AI to perform whole-genome sequencing and analyze a genomic database to pinpoint risky gene variants, bringing the medical community closer to identifying at-risk babies and preventing tragedy. 

“Microsoft's support enables our researchers to ask big, bold questions,” Wardell says. “These collaborations improve the lives of kids in our community and the world.”

As the largest, independent nonprofit children’s hospital in the region, Seattle Children’s is not only committed to providing the highest-quality outcomes for children and families, it also works to develop better treatments and uncover cures to create better futures for patients. Similarly, the Microsoft-Seattle Children’s partnership improves children’s outcomes through innovation.  

Microsoft volunteers pack excitement and energy when they visit the hospital for teen nights and other events.  The Xbox Accessibility Team collaborates with Seattle Children’s philanthropy-funded therapeutic gaming program to give children access to the latest technology and video games, tools that can ease the discomfort of treatments and reduce the stress of a hospital stay.  It’s a virtuous circle. In some cases, children in treatment have shared their feedback on the accessibility of devices and games, enabling developers to improve next generation products and games.

Microsoft volunteers and others joined forces with a Seattle Children’s doctor to build a Minecraft server that mirrors the entire hospital. The world-first replica provides a secure, safe place for patients to play with peers and explore the hospital, even if they cannot leave their rooms. The immersive experience debuted in 2024 and enables children to visit potentially scary places, like operating rooms, virtually to help decrease anxiety before an upcoming surgery or appointment, in what one young patient called “the funnest game ever.”

“These programs enhance patient experiences, serve as a pain distraction, and provide opportunities for socialization, education and rehabilitation while also helping kids achieve a sense of normalcy during an otherwise difficult time in their lives.” says Ashley Speller, Communications Manager of Public Relations at Seattle Children’s.

Microsoft support also helps Seattle Children’s expand what healthcare looks like in the wider community. Whether patients engage with Seattle Children’s in school, a mobile clinic, a satellite location in rural Washington, or the main hospital, they receive the care and compassion they need. Kopp says, “This partnership with Microsoft helps Seattle Children’s be a safety net for families throughout the Northwest.”