For the first time, hundreds of low-income adults in South Everett who lack health insurance will have access to primary care at no cost. This breakthrough is thanks to a novel partnership between two Snohomish County service agencies.
On September 6, Connect Casino Road and Lahai Health are launching a new collaboration to bring a free primary care clinic to the Casino Road neighborhood. Twice per month at first – though quickly scaling to weekly – Lahai will bring its mobile medical unit to Connect Casino Road’s community center (The Village on Casino Road). The organizations expect to serve 300-400 patients in the first year, all of whom are uninsured and low-income.
Between 10 and 15 community members will be seen at each clinic. Completely free to patients, the initial primary care visits will be comprehensive, lasting up to an hour.
Connect Casino Road’s case management team and Community Resource Navigator will help patients schedule their appointments. The Lahai clinic model is almost entirely run by volunteers, including doctors and nurses who donate their time to provide life-changing medical attention for low-income patients. After their visit with Lahai, a nurse case manager will then arrange free specialty care offsite as needed so that patients can continue to manage their health.
This partnership removes several barriers for marginalized families:
- Cost: Around 3,000 Casino Road residents do not have health insurance coverage. This figure is likely an undercount due to the high number of undocumented community
members who do not respond to the U.S. Census and excludes those who are underinsured.Despite the expansion making it possible for undocumented residents to purchase health insurance, it remains prohibitively expensive for many families to access. This program is completely free. - Transportation: Around 10% of the Casino Road community does not own a car, making it more difficult to access care outside the neighborhood.The community center hosting the clinic is within walking distance of the many apartment complexes along Casino Road.
- Cultural relevance: Nearly 1/3 of Casino Road residents are foreign-born.A combination of bilingual staff and volunteers and interpreter services will make it possible for patients to schedule and receive care in their first language. The nurse case manager will complete all the necessary forms for the patients to access offsite specialty care, reducing the administrative burden on families who are unfamiliar with the language and health system here in the US.
“From community listening sessions to individual case management appointments, we kept hearing that preventative health care was a priority for Casino Road neighbors,” says Alvaro Guillen, Director of Connect Casino Road. “After months of coordination and hard work, we are thrilled to partner with Lahai on this community-guided initiative.”
Lahai Health Executive Director Dave Eller was similarly enthusiastic about the new collaboration with Connect Casino Road. “For several years, we’ve recognized the need for affordable medical care in the Casino Road neighborhood,” Eller says. “In joining forces with Connect Casino Road, we feel we’ve found a collaborator who knows the community and shares our passion for seeing communities thrive. We couldn’t have asked for a better partnership.”
The Casino Road neighborhood in South Everett is distinct; it is known for its high levels of community engagement, but also for a history of marginalization. The poverty rate is more than double the Snohomish County rate and reaches as high as 58% for youth (5-17 years old) in certain census tracts.
Readers who are interested in getting involved can volunteer in a variety of capacities, regardless of whether they have a medical background. Contact volunteer@lahai.org
About Connect Casino Road: Launched in 2017, Connect Casino Road is the backbone organization of a 24+ partner collaborative that is working with residents of the Casino Road neighborhood to achieve their vision for thriving families and a resilient community. CCR operates the Village on Casino Road community center as well as the “All Families Are Ready” culturally relevant case management program.
About Lahai: Lahai Health has provided primary medical care at no cost to people who are uninsured and living on low incomes in the Puget Sound region since 2003. Lahai’s small staff is augmented by a network of over 400 healthcare professionals who volunteer their time and talents to care for our neighbors, many of whom have encountered a wide range of barriers to care. Lahai is one of the largest health care providers of its kind in the state and one of the few that receives no insurance reimbursement of any kind for the coverage they provide.
September 3, 2024
Everett Economy, Everett Jobs