Reflections from the frontlines: A look inside the local ICU that treated the nation's first COVID-19 outbreak Reflections from the frontlines: A look inside the local ICU that treated the nation’s first COVID outbreak EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland was one of the first hospitals called on to care for a sudden wave of patients in the first reported COVID-19 outbreaks in the country. KIRKLAND, Wash. - We are nearly 14 months into the pandemic, which has challenged all of us in ways we never imagined. For the medical workers treating COVID-19 patients, and losing some of them, it has been a grueling and emotional journey.