In an effort to break down barriers to health and to help overcome vaccine hesitancy among the Black population, two Seattle-based nonprofits held a free clinic in Kent.
The Tubman Center for Health and Freedom and Medical Teams International offered dental care and COVID-19 vaccinations on Aug. 6 at Morrill Meadows Park, 1600 SE 248th St., on the East Hill near the Kent YMCA. The clinic, called Blaxinate, is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.
The groups have offered similar clinics in Seattle and will return to Morrill Meadows Park on Aug. 27. They offer a VIP lounge environment to the local Black community.
At the Kent event, the group had 17 patient encounters, including eight dental patients. Five adults and four children were immunized. The value of the dental procedures was $2,385.
A homeless man was among those who showed up and received dental care.
The Tubman Center for Health & Freedom is a community organization committed to the principles of healing and people’s liberation from systems that make us unwell. It works to advance health justice, culturally appropriate care and integrative medicine. It is a collective of community members laying the groundwork for an innovative community health clinic that specializes in meeting the needs of marginalized communities in Seattle’s Puget Sound region.
Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as survivors of natural disasters and refugees.
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The teeth of a homeless man prior to his treatment at a temporary Kent clinic. COURTESY PHOTO, Tubman Center
Two people show that they have been vaccinated at a free clinic in Kent. COURTESY PHOTO, Tubman Center
