Comprehensive healthcare offered at Washington state’s largest free clinic

Seattle/King County Clinic returns to Seattle Center February 15-18, 2024, offering free dental, vision, and medical care to people in need. Services are extensive, and include dental fillings and extractions, eye examinations and prescription eyeglasses, physical exams, behavioral healthcare, social work, immunizations, laboratory tests, mammograms, ultrasounds, x-rays and much more.

As healthcare costs continue to rise and public services dwindle, the Clinic fills a growing and vital need for low-barrier, patient-centered care. Committed to providing profoundly accessible healthcare, services are available to people in need regardless of insurance, income, or immigration status. For many patients, the Clinic is a long-overdue chance to get care for chronic health conditions or to receive treatments that they could not otherwise afford.

"This is a nationally unique event, both in scale and accessibility. In a time of increasing costs and for-profit healthcare, Seattle/King County Clinic asks: what if we simply provided people the care they need?" said Rick Arnold, Seattle/King County Clinic Medical Director, "Patients are not asked for identification of any kind, and there are no requirements for treatment. All we ask is that they wait their turn in line."

This one-of-a-kind event brings together over 3,000 volunteers and nearly 100 cross-sector partners over four days to provide comprehensive services to thousands of people who are otherwise unable to access and/or afford healthcare. Since its inception in 2014, the Clinic has saved 27,000 patients more than $23 million in what would have otherwise been unaffordable, out-of-pocket costs.

"We primarily serve what we refer to as the "missing-middle': those who are increasingly left out of our healthcare systems and safety nets." said Julia Colson, Clinic Founder and Project Executive, "The elderly, immigrants and refugees, the un- and underinsured, those who may make too much to qualify for assistance but not enough to afford the care they need; this is who we most often see walk through our doors looking for help."

A limited number of tickets are distributed at Fisher Pavilion starting at 5:30am each morning on a first come, first served basis. Services are open to all, and not limited to residents of Seattle or King County. Patients cannot receive dental and vision care on the same day but may return to wait for another ticket to get additional care on subsequent days. Interpreters are available, and all onsite services are provided free of charge. For additional patient information go to seattlecenter.org/patients or call 206-684-7200.