Washington Poison Center

What Washington Poison Center does

Washington Poison Center (WAPC) is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1956 that serves as the designated poison control center for Washington State. It provides immediate, free, and confidential expert treatment guidance via a 24/7/365 telephone helpline (1-800-222-1222), text messaging (206-526-2121), and web-based chat, staffed by specially trained pharmacists, nurses, and the state's six active board-certified medical toxicologists. In 2024, the organization handled more than 120,000 calls, providing direct advice to over 60,000 patients, with nearly 93% of calls from individuals safely resolved at home without an emergency department visit.

WAPC's service portfolio extends beyond reactive helpline support to include professional education (clinical rotations, internships, healthcare facility lectures), public health education programs, an antidote availability database for hospitals, data reporting on poisoning trends, and distribution of prevention materials including the iconic Mr. Yuk stickers. Roughly 30% of calls originate from healthcare professionals seeking toxicology consultation, and the organization partners with EMS systems, hospitals, and 911 dispatch for routing. It operates from a headquarters in Seattle and is governed by a Board of Directors, with Dr. Scott Phillips serving as CEO.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than fee-based. Revenue streams include individual and corporate donations, annual contributions from Washington state hospitals, government funding, and foundation grants. Notable partners include Kaiser Permanente (Presenting Partner for the 70th Anniversary), Seattle Children's, Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, Gesa Credit Union, and Washington Health Alliance. All services are provided free of charge to the public, positioning WAPC as a public health utility rather than a commercial enterprise, and the organization is not engaged in fundraising from equity markets.

Name

Washington Poison Center

Legal name

Washington Poison Center

Website

https://wapc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Washington Poison Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing free, confidential 24/7 poison control guidance to Washington State residents and healthcare professionals via telephone, text, and web chat, staffed by pharmacists, nurses, and all six active medical toxicologists in the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund its operations. The website includes donation functionality and sponsorship opportunities.
2. Hospital Contributions: Washington state hospitals contribute annually to support the poison center services, recognizing the value of having specialized toxicology expertise available for patient care.
3. Government Funding: As a public health service, the organization receives government funding to support its mission of preventing and reducing harm from poisoning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Washington Poison Center operates a 24/7/365 free, confidential poison control service accessible via telephone (1-800-222-1222), text (206-526-2121), and web chat, staffed by specially trained pharmacists, nurses, and board-certified physicians including all six active medical toxicologists in Washington state. The center supplements emergency triage with professional clinical education for healthcare providers, public health education programs, an antidote availability database for hospitals, and aggregated poisoning data reporting.

Product overview

Washington Poison Center is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) healthcare organization serving Washington State since 1956. It operates a unified poison control platform offering multiple access channels: a 24/7/365 telephone helpline (1-800-222-1222), text messaging (206-526-2121), and web-based chat. The core offering is supplemented by professional education services (healthcare facility lectures, clinical rotations, internships), public health education programs, an antidote availability database for hospitals, data reporting services, and educational resources including fact sheets and prevention materials. The organization handles approximately 125,000 calls annually, with nearly 93% of public calls from home being safely addressed without emergency department visits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Poison Center Helpline Free, confidential, 24/7/365 telephone helpline at 1-800-222-1222 providing expert guidance from specially trained pharmacists, nurses, and physicians on poisonings, medication mistakes, overdoses, accidental ingestions, and toxic exposures. Available to the general public across Washington State.
• Text Messaging Poison Consultation SMS-based poison control consultation available at 206-526-2121 for poison exposures and emergencies, designed to provide an alternative to voice calls for those who prefer text-based access.
• Web-Based Live Chat Real-time web-based chat platform providing direct access to specially trained pharmacists and nurses for poison-related consultations via the wapc.org website.
• Professional Education Clinical education services including expert-led toxicology healthcare facility lectures, clinical rotations, and summer internships targeted at healthcare professionals and first responders, available online or in person.
• Public Health Education Educational presentations and trainings on drug safety, mental health, and poisoning prevention delivered to communities, schools, and partner organizations across Washington State.
• Antidote Availability Database Up-to-date web database listing which Washington hospitals stock specific poison antidotes, used by healthcare providers and emergency responders for emergency preparedness and patient triage.
• Poisoning Data and Reporting Service Collection and reporting of aggregate poisoning data from incoming calls — including exposures, substances, medical outcomes, and trends — to inform public health responses and prevention strategies across Washington.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of callers from home are treated without needing to leave, avoiding unnecessary ER visits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Kaiser PermanenteflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2026Kaiser Permanente is the Presenting Partner for Washington Poison Center's 70th Anniversary celebration. As a major healthcare provider in Washington, Kaiser Permanente's support aligns with WAPC's mission to prevent and reduce harm from poisoning through expertise, collaboration, and education.
• Gesa Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGesa Credit Union serves as a Prevention Partner for WAPC's 70th Anniversary, supporting life-saving poison prevention services in the community.
• North Sound Emergency MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Sound Emergency Medicine is an Engagement Partner supporting WAPC's mission and community health initiatives.
• We Work for Health WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWe Work for Health Washington is an Engagement Partner supporting WAPC's community health efforts.
• Puget Sound Mycological SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPuget Sound Mycological Society is a Community Partner that collaborated with WAPC to develop mushroom safety guidance during spring and summer seasons when mushroom poisonings increase. This partnership provides expert identification resources for the public.
• Seattle Children'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeattle Children's, funded by Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation with a $40,000 donation, is expanding access to lead screening and bringing testing into more clinics and neighborhoods in partnership with WAPC's lead poisoning prevention efforts.
• Washington Health AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington Health Alliance collaborates with WAPC on efforts to bring expertise and education that drive change in the healthcare system to improve outcomes and deliver high-value care. WAPC is recognized as strengthening the Alliance's collective efforts to make healthcare more affordable and accessible.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crisis Text Line: 24/7 text-based crisis support service with volunteer-staffed chat and SMS triage — operationally analogous to WAPC's newer text and web chat channels for a different but adjacent health crisis.
• Florida Poison Information Center Network: Statewide network of poison information centers providing 24/7 helpline services to Florida residents. Directly comparable public-health, telephone-based toxicology triage model.
• California Poison Control System: University of California-affiliated network providing 24/7 poison hotline services across California. Comparable mission, delivery model, and public-health funding structure at larger scale.
• Pittsburgh Poison Center: UPMC-operated regional poison center serving Pennsylvania with 24/7 toxicology consultation. Comparable clinical-call-center model integrated with a major academic health system.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: National 24/7 crisis call/text line with an operational model closely paralleling WAPC's multi-channel helpline, language coverage, and government-funded nonprofit structure. Closest analogue in adjacent crisis-response space.
• America's Poison Centers: National coordinating organization for the 55 accredited US poison centers; WAPC is a member and operates under the same poison-help helpline number (1-800-222-1222). Direct counterpart at the network level.
• Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety: Multi-state poison center serving Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and others; provides 24/7 toxicology and drug information helpline services with a comparable staffing and funding mix.
• Banner Poison & Drug Information Center: Arizona-based poison center operated by Banner Health providing 24/7 toxicology helpline services. Comparable model with hospital-system affiliation similar to how WAPC partners with Washington hospitals.
• Minnesota Regional Poison Center: State-level poison center providing 24/7 telephone triage and toxicology consultation across Minnesota. Operates with the same specialist-staffed call-center model as WAPC.
• Oregon Poison Center: Operated by OHSU, serves Oregon with the same 24/7 telephone toxicology consultation model. Closest geographic peer with near-identical scope, staffing model, and funding profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MrYukWA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-poison-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/mryuk_wa
• Xx.com/mryukwa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Washington Poison Center