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February 13-16: Free Dental, Vision and Medical Services Offered for People in Need

Seattle/King County Clinic to occur at new time of year and facilities during Seattle Center Arena construction.

Seattle/King County Clinic returns for a sixth year to Seattle Center, Feb. 13-16, with free dental, medical and eye care services for those who struggle to access or afford healthcare. With one month to go until the Clinic opens its door, organizers are intently focused on patient outreach to make certain those in need are aware of this substantial opportunity.

Feb. 13-16, with free dental, medical and eye care services for those who struggle to access or afford healthcare. With one month to go until the Clinic opens its door, organizers are intently focused on patient outreach to make certain those in need are aware of this substantial opportunity.

Seattle/King County Clinic transforms the form and function of multiple Seattle Center facilities where services are provided. The licensed healthcare professionals and general support volunteers who staff it donate their time and expertise. Patients receive real, and in many instances, extensive care including dental fillings and extractions, eye examinations, physicals, behavioral healthcare and social work, prescription eyeglasses, immunizations, laboratory tests, mammograms, ultrasounds and x-rays and much more.

Here is how Seattle/King County Clinic works:

  • Clinic patients receive treatment on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Patients may park free of charge at Mercer Street Parking Garage on each day of the Clinic.
  • Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, located at the corner of 2nd Ave North and Thomas St, serves as the ticket waiting and distribution area. Organizers distribute free admission tickets for the day beginning at 5:00 a.m. Tickets are limited.
  • Doors to the Clinic open at 6:30 a.m.
  • Patients are escorted to the service facilities and are admitted by ticket number into the Clinic.
  • Patients register as they enter. They do not need to show identification or proof of immigration status. Services are not limited to residents of Seattle and King County.
  • Inside the Clinic, all procedures and services are provided free of charge, and interpretation services are available for those who need them.
  • Patients cannot receive both dental and eye care in one day. They may return to the Clinic on other days for additional services.
  • Additional information is available at www.seattlecenter.org/patients

The largest event of its kind in the State of Washington, Seattle/King County Clinic brings together over 100 healthcare organizations, civic agencies, nonprofit entities, private businesses and thousands of volunteers with a goal of helping over 3,000 people in need during the four-day period. Over the past five years, the Clinic has cared for 20,000 patients and provided $17 million in services.

“We’re hearing from the community that people of all backgrounds and circumstances have to make choices between housing, food and healthcare,” said Seattle/King County Clinic Director Julia Colson. “Amid the current affordability crisis in our region, the Clinic provides needed support, now more than ever.”

Statistics from previous years show that many patients who come to the Clinic do not have health insurance (49%), are unemployed (31%), and 60% are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. They come from all over the region, representing over 260 unique zip codes and speaking 50 primary languages. Patients are parents, children, elders, veterans, immigrants, refugees, people living homeless and, in large part, wage-earners who struggle with the high cost of living.

As one patient stated, “The financial burden of medical care in America is prohibitive. Even for those of us working full-time with very basic health insurance, there are services I need that I can’t afford.”

Seattle/King County Clinic is made possible through thousands of donated work hours as well as cash and in-kind contributions. Donations are accepted at: www.seattecenter.org. Healthcare professionals and general support volunteers may sign up for a variety of work shifts through an online registration system at: www.seattlecenter.org/volunteers.

“Seattle/King County Clinic is a beacon of caring and generosity,” says Christine Lindquist, Executive Director of Washington Healthcare Access Alliance. “It provides immediate dental, vision and medical care, and connects patients to resources beyond the clinic walls. It also raises awareness about who is left out of the current healthcare system and demonstrates the good we can accomplish when we work together as diverse partners to serve others and affect change.”

Learn more about Seattle/King County Clinic at www.seattlecenter.org/skcclinic or by calling 206-684-7200.

About Clinic Partners

These are just some of the organizations that collaborate to produce Seattle/King County Clinic and contribute needed resources and expertise:

141 Eyewear | Amazon | America’s Dentists Care Foundation | Arcora Foundation | Auburn Dairy | Auston James Photography | The Ballmer Group | Bargreen Ellingson | Benco Dental | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Burkhart Dental Supply | Ceres Roasting Company | City of Seattle | Cornish College of the Arts | Crane Fund for Widows and Children | DCG ONE | Delivery Express | Delta Dental of WA | DentaQuest Foundation | Dentsply Sirona | Dunn Lumber | Essilor Vision Foundation | Expedia Group | Group Health Foundation | HealthPoint | Hepatitis Education Project | Hollywood Lights | HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response | Ivoclar Vivadent Inc. | Jorgenson-Peninsula Optical Supply | Kaiser Permanente | KaVo Kerr | KIND | King County 2-1-1 | King County Metro | King County Nurses Association | KLS Martin LP | Laney Dental | Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization | Medical Teams International | Mediterranean Inn | Microsoft | Mid-Gulf Instruments | Mighty-O Donuts | Moccasin Lake Foundation | MultiCare | The Norcliffe Foundation | Ophthalmic Training Solutions | Opticians Association of WA | Optometric Physicians of WA | Pacific Office Automation | Patterson Dental | Patterson Foundation | Philips Healthcare | Physical Therapy Association of WA | Project Access Northwest | Public Health—Seattle & King County | Seattle Animal Shelter | Seattle Cancer Care Alliance | Seattle Center | Seattle Center Foundation | Seattle City Light | Seattle Department of Neighborhoods | Seattle Fire Department | Seattle Housing Authority | Seattle Human Services Department | Seattle Information Technology | Seattle-King County Dental Foundation | Seattle-King County Dental Society | Seattle Office for Civil Rights | Seattle Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs | Seattle Opera | Seattle Parks & Recreation | Seattle Police Department | Seattle Public Library | Seattle Public Utilities | Septodont | Shofu Dental Corporation | Space Needle | SPARK | Spectra | Swedish | TheraTek USA | UW Medicine | UW School of Dentistry | UW School of Public Health | Virginia Mason | VOSH Northwest | WA Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons | WA Academy of General Dentistry | WA Dental Hygienists’ Association | WA Healthcare Access Alliance | WA State Chiropractic Association | WA State Dental Association | WA State Department of Health | WA State Nurses Association | WA State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | Wells Fargo | Zeiss