The Trinity Neighborhood Clinic is open every Tuesday night, from 5-7 PM. Below, find the 2017 Annual Report, detailing the good work of the organization over the last year.
Our Patients
The Trinity Neighborhood Clinic offered high-quality medical care for over 322 individuals in the greater Tacoma area last year. We provide care to a culturally diverse population representing over nine languages, with Spanish being the most predominant non-English language spoken.
Our patients include people experiencing homelessness, people unable to qualify for Medicaid or subsidized coverage, people insured but unable to afford visit copays or prescription refills, and people who have experienced recent incarceration.
Our Services
Our services include acute medical visits, sports physicals, medication refills, and community referrals. Total patient visits increased from 308 in 2016 to 322 in 2017. Sports physicals continue to be our largest service offering. Fifty percent of sports physicals in 2017 were given to students that attend Lincoln, Jason Lee, Wilson, Foss and Stadium; more youth were seen for sports physicals from schools outside the Hilltop/Bryant neighborhood than in previous years.
The Clinic continues to prioritize prescription refills and health education as primary methods to address chronic disease. The pharmacy coverage program the Clinic budgets annual provides patients free prescriptions for needed medicines dispensed at Tacoma General Hospital. In 2017, the Clinic encouraged patients that had the financials to fill prescriptions at commercial pharmacies taht offered a low-cost prescription program.
Funding
In 2017 the Clinic received generation grants and in-kind donations from faithful and new supporters, including:
- The Dimmer Foundation
- Pierce County Medical Society
- The Milgard Foundation
- MultiCare
- CHI Franciscan
- Anderson Island Community CHurch
- Bartell Drugs Foundation
- The Florence B. Kilworth Foundation
These donations pay for patient prescriptions, Clinic insurance, facility and assistive support from the Trinity House, and the Director's stipend. In addition to the above monetary donations, we receive many hours of donated time by providers, nurses and front desk support from members of our community. We could not operate without our generous volunteers.
Volunteers
In 2017 we were excited to welcome new clinic volunteers to our team. We are joined by a new provider, Dr. Norman Gosch, a retired family physician, and two retired nurses, Laura Gruse and Joann Smith. Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) students have also supported the Clinic by supporting the assessment and development of needed community resources for our patients.
Staff
Staff changes that occurred in 2017 included a change in Clinic leadership. R'Lene Brobak, the Clinic Director since 2014, turned in her hat to spend more time with her grandchildren and pursue new adventures. In her place, the Clinic welcomed Sarah Stacy. Sarah located to the South Sound this year to complete her master's degree in nursing at PLU. Prior to joining the Clinic, Sarah worked in various capacities to improve healthcare access in community health center settings.
Trinity's 2017 B2SN
Community Partnerships
Community partnerships and services are an integral part to the Clinic. Community partnerships maintained in 2017 included connecting with Pierce County's Project Access for specialist and dental care referrals, as well as additional support from MultiCare. Patient community referrals in 2017 coordinated by the Clinic included Pierce County Project Acces, Sea Mar Community Health Center, Community Health Care, and the Mary Bridge Mobile Immunization van.
In September, Clinic volunteers provided free sports physicals as part of Trinity Presbyterian's Annual Back-to-School Night. At this event, families in the Hilltop/Bryant Neighborhood are given backpacks filled with school supplies, hot dogs and snacks to celebrate the start of a new school year. One parent, so happy with the care their child received, donated the little money they had on hand to support the Clinic.
Communications
The Clinic Directory launched a weekly email newsletter communication for donors, community partners, and volunteers. This has been a successful method in coordinating Clinic workflow updates, supply and donation needs and volunteer opportunities. Providing consistent communication is also improving current and interested volunteer engagement at the Clinic.
The Trinity Neighborhood Clinic is an investment in the health of our friends, family, neighbors, and community. There is no greater method to improve healthcare access than by making medical services free of charge. There is no better time to make a difference in our community than now.
Sincerely,
-Sarah M. Stacy
Clinic Director