Providence Everett to close autism bridging program

Published 1:05 pm Thursday, August 13, 2026

EVERETT — Providence Regional Medical Center Everett will end part of its autism program in October, Providence Swedish announced in a press release Thursday.

On Oct. 30, the medical groups will discontinue the Bridging Program, which provides up to one year of intensive day treatment to children with autism who are waiting for longer-term care. The program has operated at the Providence Boyden Family Autism Center at Providence Everett’s Pacific campus since 2021. It’s the only autism-specific bridging program in the state, according to Providence leadership.

The Bridging Program has a capacity of 20 children, and each child can stay in the program for up to one year. Currently, 12 children are enrolled in the program. The other services the autism center offers — including its Diagnostic Clinic and a 12-week intensive day treatment program — serve up to 390 children per year, the release said. The Bridging Program requires 70% of the autism center’s operating resources, according to the release.

With Providence Swedish facing financial challenges — including federal reductions to Medicare and Medicaid and delayed insurance reimbursements — the closure will allow Providence to continue its other autism services, said Kristy Carrington, CEO of Providence Swedish North Puget Sound, in an exclusive interview Tuesday before the announcement.

“If we didn’t change anything, what we were in fact doing was placing the entire autism program at risk,” Carrington said.

The Bridging Program provides individualized applied behavior analysis therapy to children who graduated from the autism center’s 12-week intensive day treatment program, which serves children from 2 years old to 5 years and 11 months. After graduating from the program, children are often placed on a waitlist for longer-term care, such as a community or school-based program.

Providence started the program in 2021 because it saw many children going without treatment after graduating from the intensive program, Carrington said.

“I don’t think that any of us could have predicted what we’re experiencing today in healthcare,” she said. “The reason why the program was started really was because of the fact that there was a recognized gap.”

Families were notified of the closure Wednesday, Carrington said. Of the 12 children currently enrolled in the program, four will graduate before the closure date, she added. The other eight families will be offered individualized transition plans before the program ends.

“Having that long runway allows us to ensure that we have more than enough time to ensure we can have a smooth transition and a smooth handoff for them,” Carrington said.

Nine caregivers will lose their jobs as a result of the closure, Carrington said. All employees will be provided with a list of jobs they’re eligible for within Providence, she added.

Alex Lundy, vice president of programs at Wonderland Child & Family Services, which serves north King and south Snohomish counties, said she has seen several services for children and families close recently because of decreased reimbursement rates and state and federal funding cuts.

“Early childhood is a very critical window for children with autism or other neurodiversities, and making it harder for families to access services or having kids wait longer to access services can have a huge detriment on their future potential and progress and ability,” she said in an interview Thursday. “It’s really vital that we have these services available for families so that we can prevent any future delays or disabilities,” Lundy said.

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.