What do you do if you don’t have insurance and need healthcare? The Swedish Community Specialty Clinic is here to help – and it is designed exclusively to treat low-income uninsured or underinsured patients. We provide advanced medical care at no cost by volunteer specialists from Swedish and several other physician groups.
At Swedish Community Specialty Clinic, we:
- Provide another resource for those who have no other options for specialized care.
- Combine several existing and new services under one roof and improve care through innovations such as electronic health records.
- Server as a dedicated space for volunteer physicians to meet with patients.
- Include a support staff to help maintain physician schedules and set initial visits and follow-ups.
“The Specialty Clinic is a testament to Swedish’s commitment to serve the entire community,” says Swedish CEO Dr. Rod Hochman. “We want to set a new standard in community health and clearly demonstrate that charity care is a core part of our non-profit mission, which continues even in a down economy.”
The clinic, which cares for patients with appointments on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., is located near advanced medical imaging facilities and other specialty-care professionals. We estimate more than 2,000 patients will be seen at the facility each year for dermatology, general surgery, hand surgery, orthopedics and podiatric surgery services.
Patients likely to use the new clinic come through the Swedish system, or through a variety of the low-income community clinics authorized to refer patients. Some may come through emergency rooms, and others through family medicine residency clinics that address the health-care needs of many low-income populations.
The Swedish Community Specialty Clinic (SCSC) and its partner King County Project Access (KCPA) are recipients of major funding that will enable the clinic to open three operatories for Specialty Care Dental Services in late summer, 2011. Volunteer Oral Surgeons and Dentists will staff the clinic. A Dental Residency Program is in development.
These generous gifts not only underwrite the clinic’s equipment and staffing needs, but also has resulted in the formation of partnerships that are poised to fill gaps in specialty dental needs for years to come.
Key components include:
- Washington Dental Service Foundation awarded a grant totaling $182,103. Washington Dental Service (WDS) Foundation is a non-profit funded by Washington Dental Service, dedicated to significant, long-lasting improvements in oral health and overall health.
- Seattle-King County Dental Foundation has provided funds totaling $51,149 to further support dental equipment for the site.
- Burkhart Dental Supply has provided an in kind donation exceeding $12,000 and has donated the space planning, contractor layout, coordination of the job-site, selection of the equipment, installation of the equipment, training and maintenance of the equipment
- The Pacific Hospital Preservation & Development Authority has provided funding of $51,000 for staffing at KCPA. PHPDA will support a Case Manager/Dental Assistant who will triage patients to the clinic and support Volunteer Dentists and Oral Surgeons as needed.
Thank you to these organizations, our volunteers, and the community for supporting this valuable initiative.
To get a referral to the Swedish Community Specialty Clinic, please contact King County Project Access at 206-788-4559.
