Seattle/King County Clinic returned to Seattle Center to fill growing healthcare gaps
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Seattle, WA – Seattle/King County Clinic has concluded its annual four-day run (February 15-18), providing more than $2.6 million in comprehensive healthcare to over 2,900 people. In its nine years of operation, the Clinic has provided free healthcare to more than 30,000 patients who have fallen through the region’s healthcare gaps.
As in previous years, more than 95% of patients who sought care at the Clinic were housed, and upward of one-third had insurance. All were unable to afford or access the care they were seeking elsewhere. “Each year I am humbled and inspired by what we are able to accomplish as a community,” says Julia Colson, Clinic Founder, and Project Executive. “While the services we provide here are undoubtedly life-changing, we also know that we were only able to treat a fraction of those who are in desperate need of healthcare in this region. We hope that our scale will help to shine a light on the systemic inequities that exist for a growing number of our neighbors.”
More than 3,000 volunteers donated their time to provide free dental cleanings, fillings, extractions, eye examinations, physical exams, behavioral healthcare, immunizations, laboratory tests, mammograms, ultrasounds, x-rays, and more. About 1,000 patients will receive custom made-to-order prescription eyeglasses in the coming weeks, over 1,100 sought a wide range of medical services including specialized care like dermatology and acupuncture, while more than 1,500 had substantive dental work done. Hundreds of patients were connected to social services or received assistance signing up for health insurance.
Nearly half of patients reported that it has been getting harder to access healthcare in the last five years, a 9% increase from 2023. The uninsured rate also spiked by 10%, with 62% reporting they were living without health insurance. 30% reported they had been worried their food would run out before they got the money to buy more, and more than 40% had been waiting more than a year to receive the care they were seeking at the Clinic.
Seattle/King County Clinic is a community project that brings together healthcare organizations, civic agencies, nonprofits, and private businesses to transform Seattle Center facilities into a healthcare operation. Led by Seattle Center and Seattle Center Foundation, it is made possible through thousands of donated work hours as well as cash and in-kind contributions. Learn more at seattlecenter.org/skcclinic
About Clinic Partners
Several community organizations collaborate to produce Seattle/King County Clinic and contribute needed resources and expertise, including:
141 Eyewear · Align Technology · Amazon · America’s Dentists Care Foundation · AMN Healthcare · APTA Washington · Arcora Foundation · Auston James Photography · Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · Burkhart Dental Supply · Cisco Systems · Climate Pledge Arena · Core Endodontics · Cornish College of the Arts · DCG ONE · Delta Dental of WA · DentistLink · Dentsply Sirona · Envista · Essilor Vision Foundation · Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · Friends of Seattle Public Library · Grousemont Foundation · Gull Industries · HealthierHere · Heidelberg Engineering · Henry Schein, Inc. · Hepatitis Education Project · HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response · International Community Health Services · Jorgenson-Peninsula Optical Supply · Kaiser Permanente · King County 211 · King County Medical Society · King County Nurses Association · KLS Martin LP · Labcorp · Lucky Seven Foundation · Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization · Medical Teams International · Mediterranean Inn · Meta · Microsoft · Mid-Gulf Instruments · Nakanishi Dental Laboratory · Nashi Immigrants Health Board · National Association of Social Workers – WA Chapter · Neighborcare Health · The Norcliffe Foundation · Oak View Group Hospitality · Opticians Association of Washington · Optometric Physicians of WA · Optum Washington · Pacific Office Automation · Pacific Islander Community Association of WA · Patterson Dental · PhenoPath · Philips Healthcare · Project Access Northwest · Providence Swedish · Public Health – Seattle & King County · Sea Mar Community Health Centers · Seattle Center · Seattle Center Foundation · Seattle Fire Department · Seattle Housing Authority · Seattle Indian Health Board · Seattle Information Technology · Seattle-King County Dental Society & Foundation · Seattle Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs · Seattle Opera · Seattle Police Department · Snohomish County Dental Society & Foundation · SPARK · Underwood Gartland Development · Unite Us · UW Medicine / UW School of Medicine · UW School of Dentistry · Virginia Mason Franciscan Health · Vitalogy Foundation · VOSH Northwest · WA Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons · WA Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Association · WA Association of Naturopathic Physicians · WA Dental Hygienists’ Association · WA Healthcare Access Alliance · WA State Dental Association · WA State Dental Laboratory Association · WA State Department of Health · WA State Nurses Association · WA State Radiological Society · WA State Society for Clinical Social Workers · WA State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
