Non-profit clinic adds space

Providence Everett Healthcare Clinic, a nonprofit clinic that opened in 2004 to serve low income and uninsured patients, is expanding its medical and mental health services.

With donations that just topped out at more than $600,000, the clinic is adding 1,200 square feet of medical space. That means more rooms for medical treatment and mental health counseling, a larger waiting room and more space to speed up patient check-ins.

The clinic operates out of converted storefront office space at 1001 Broadway near Everett Community College.

Counseling for children and families, now provided two days a week, will be increased to five days a week by the end of next year, said Dr. Tony Roon, who oversees the clinic.

That means that the number of counseling appointments will increase from 1,000 to 3,000 in 2008, he said.

“We believe mental health and physical health are so intertwined, you shouldn’t be treating these things in isolation,” Roon said. Up to 30 percent of primary care appointments involves some mental health issue, he said.

Space for medical appointments at the clinic will be increased by 50 percent, from eight to 12 exam rooms, when construction is completed next month, he said.

When the clinic opened in 2004, it could handle 5,700 medical appointments a year. That number is expected to hit 10,000 this year and 12,000 next year.

“We’re getting new patients all the time,” he said.

Providence Everett Healthcare Clinic opened in January 2004, the result of a nine-month fundraising drive that raised more than $1 million in private donations.

The clinic began offering dental service to its patients in 2004 through volunteers from Northwest Medical Teams International.

This year’s expansion project is the first since the clinic opened. The improvements were paid for through a fund drive that kicked off a year ago with an initial goal of $500,000. Late last month, the donations exceeded that goal, totaling $653,509.

Nearly $55,000 came from individual donors. Other organizations that made contributions included: United Way of Snohomish County, The Everett Clinic Foundation, EverTrust Foundation, Providence General Children’s Association, Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound, Frontier Bank and Butler Trust.

“You can’t run a clinic for people in need unless you get people from the community who can help you with these things,” Roon said. “It’s a wonderful thing.”

Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.

Providence Everett Healthcare Clinic

The Providence Everett Healthcare Clinic, at 1001 Broadway Suite A-3, provides primary medical care, dental care and mental health services.

The clinic is open to any patient, but it focuses on medical services for low income and uninsured patients, including those covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Services are provided on a sliding fee scale based on household income.

The clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Its weekend hours are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. Hours will vary slightly during the next month as construction on the waiting room and check-in areas is completed.

Call 425-317-0300 for an appointment.

Patient statistics

AGE

Infant to age 18: 42 percent 19-64: 53 percent Over 65: 5 percent

GENDER

Male: 35 percent

Female: 65 percent

RACE

Caucasian: 70 percent Hispanic: 10 percent African American: 6 percent Asian: 4 percent American Indian: 1 percent Other: 3 percent Unknown: 6 percent

The most common reasons for coming to the clinic include routine child checks, upper respiratory infections, mental health issues, high blood pressure, vaccinations and diabetes checks.

Source: Provident Everett Healthcare Clinic