Medical

A note on emergency care

Under the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA), Medicare-participating hospitals that offer emergency services must provide emergency services and stabilizing treatment regardless of an individual's ability to pay. In practice, this means that if you have a genuine medical emergency (including if you are a pregnant woman in labor), you can go to the nearest emergency department and they will give you emergency treatment. The details are at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/emtala/, but quite frankly the content there is far more than anyone facing a medical emergency will want to wade through.

The following "Neighborhood Clinics" mostly serve people in a particular neighborhood. Some have additional mandate to serve the homeless, HIV+, etc. Many Seattle-area neighborhood and school-based clinics operate under the umbrella organization Neighborcare Health.

Phone any neighborhood clinic to find out which is the correct one for your neighborhood. Note that clinic hours are highly subject to change. We strongly recommend that you phone the clinic or check the clinic's own web site to confirm current hours.

If you live in an area (such as South Seattle) not served by a community clinic, your neighborhood may have a public health clinic.

Forty Fifth Street Clinic(Neighborcare Health)
206-633-3350
1629 N. 45th St.; Seattle, WA 98103

Neighborhood clinic for U. District, Wallingford, etc. Unlike other neighborhood clinics, they are not strict about geographic area. Outpatient services. Sliding scale fees and medical coupons.

Clinic hours:

• Mon: 7:30 am - 7:00 pm
• Tue: 7:30 am - 7:00 pm
• Wed: 8:45 am - 5:30 pm
• Thu: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
• Fri: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
• Sat: 9:30 am - 1:45 pm
• Sun: CLOSED

In addition, there is a drop-in clinic, including prenatal care, for homeless youth ages 14-23 only, Wednesday and Thursday evenings 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. No appointment needed for homeless youth clinic only.

Verified 10/2012

Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center (Country Doctor Clinics)
206-299-1900
2101 E. Yesler Way; Seattle, WA 98122

Neighborhood clinic for Central Area, founded by the Seattle Black Panther Party and now a partner with the Country Doctor clinic. Outpatient services. Sliding scale fees and medical coupons. Additional services for Hispanic population.

Clinic hours:

• Mon: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
• Tue: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
• Wed: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm; 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Thu: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
• Fri: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
• Sat: 9:00 am – 12:00 noon
• Sun: CLOSED

Verified 10/2012

Country Doctor Community Clinic
206-299-1600
500 19th Ave. E.; Seattle, WA 98112

Neighborhood clinic for Capitol Hill. Outpatient services. WIC provider. Outreach services for diabetics. Onsite pharmacy. Sliding scale fees and medical coupons. By appointment only.

Clinic hours:

• Mon: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
• Tue: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm; 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Wed: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm; 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Thu: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm; 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Fri: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
• Sat (at Carolyn Downs Clinic, 2101 E. Yesler Way): 9:00 am – 12:00 noon
• Sun: CLOSED

Verified 10/2012

Pike Market Medical Clinic(Neighborcare Health)
206-728-4143
1930 Post Alley; Seattle, WA 98101

Downtown neighborhood clinic for anyone age 18+. Primary care for elderly, homeless, HIV+. Sliding scale fees and medical coupons. Low cost pharmacy.

Clinic hours:

• Mon: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm; walk-in appointments available until 3:00 pm
• Tue: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm; walk-in appointments available until 3:00 pm
• Wed: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm; walk-in appointments available until 3:00 pm
• Thu: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm; walk-in appointments available until 3:00 pm
• Fri: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm; walk-in appointments available until 2:00 pm
• Sat: CLOSED
• Sun: CLOSED

Verified 10/2012

Pioneer Square Clinic (UW Medicine)
206-744-3000
206 Third Ave S; Seattle, WA 98104

Neighborhood clinic for age 18+ for Downtown. Primary care for elderly, homeless, low income. Sliding scale fees and medical coupons. A University of Washington Medical clinic.

• Mon: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Tue: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Wed: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Thu: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Fri: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Sat: CLOSED
• Sun: CLOSED

Verified 10/2012

Hospitals

Extensive services for children. Sliding scale fees and medical coupons. Referral from a primary care provider is required for non-urgent services.

Urgent care (less expensive than an emergency room visit) does not require a referral or appointment. Available at Children’s Hospital clinics in Seattle, Bellevue, and Mill Creek. Urgent care hours only: Monday through Friday: 5 pm to 10:30 pm; Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 11 am to 8 pm.
Verified 10/2012

University of Washington Medical Center
206-598-4000 Emergency Room
206-598-3300 Medical Center Information

24-hour emergency care. Medical coupons accepted.

The University of Washington has a network of neighborhood clinics, but insurance is required.
Verified 10/2012

Harborview Medical Center
206-744-3000 Main Number
206-744-3074 Emergency Department
206-744-5867 Urgent Care Walk-in [24 hours]
1-800-852-8546 Toll Free General Line (appointment info)
206-744-2500 24-hour Community Care Line
325 Ninth Ave.; Seattle, WA 98104

Emergency: 24-hour emergency care, including psychiatric emergency service.

Urgent Care Walk-in: via the Emergency Department. No check-ups.

The 24-hour Community Care Line with consulting nurse is best reached after work hours and on the weekend. This is a busy line.
Verified 10/2012

Harborview Madison Clinic
New patients: 206-744-5155
Other: 206-520-5000
physical address: Harborview Medical Center ; 2nd Floor, West Clinic ; 325 Ninth Avenue; Seattle
mail: Harborview Medical Center ; Box 359930; 325 Ninth Ave.; Seattle, WA 98104

Medical care and social services for persons living with HIV/AIDS regardless of sexual orientation, race, or ability to pay. New patients: call 206-744-5155 to schedule first appointment. Routine appointments: 206-520-5000. Established patients may be seen on an urgent walk-in basis by calling the clinic and speaking with a triage nurse.
Verified 10/2012

Urban Rest Stop
206-332-0110
1924 Ninth Ave; Seattle, WA 98101

Besides the showers, laundry facilities, and hygiene supplies for which they are generally known, Urban Rest Stop also has a Health Room offering free health care. Services: emergency first aid, preventative health care, prenatal care, referrals to other community health services. On the fourth Monday of every month, foot care is also available. Health Room: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:30 am to 11:30 pm.
Needs verification 10/2012

Odessa Brown Children's Clinic (operated by Children's Hospital)
206-987-7200
2101 E. Yesler Way Suite 100; Seattle, WA 98122

Outpatient medical, dental, and Mental Health services for youth (newborn to 18 years). Medical coupons and insurance accepted. WIC provider. No child will be refused services.
Verified 10/2012

Cedar River Clinics
425-255-0471
1-800-572-4223
4300 Talbot Road South, Suite 403; Renton, WA 98055

Pregnancy testing, pregnancy options counseling, all methods of birth control (Take Charge provider), STD and HIV testing and counseling, first and second trimester abortion. Teens welcome. Medical interpreters arranged for limited English clients. Payment options for abortion include insurance, Alaska Medicaid, Oregon Health Plan, WA DSHS Medical Coupons. Phones are answered Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00pm and Saturday 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Also operates similar clinics in Tacoma and Yakima.
Verified 10/2012

Country Doctor Free Teen Clinic
206-299-1600 ext. 7

No appointments: drop-in medical services only. Serves homeless youth ages 12-23. No money, no insurance, no coupons necessary. No cost for medicine or lab work. STD, anonymous HIV testing, pregnancy tests, general physicals, and sick care. Licensed Acupuncturist, and Licensed Massage Therapist available Tuesdays only.

Monday & Tuesday only, 6:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m. at Country Doctor Clinic, 500 19th Ave. E.
Verified 10/2012.

Seattle Indian Health Board
206-324-9360
611 12th Ave. S., Seattle 98144 (The Leschi Center)

Health services (including dental, in- and out-patient alcohol/drug counseling) targeting Native Americans but available to all. WIC provider. Sliding scale fee and medical coupons.

Clinic hours:

• Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m - 6:00 p.m.
• Sat 9:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. (limited services)
• Sun CLOSED

Verified 10/2012

University of Washington Hall Health Primary Care Center
206-616-2495 for initial registration and appointments
206-685-1081 for administration

Outpatient clinic on E. Stevens Circle on the UW campus, mainly (but not exclusively) for the UW community (students, their dependents, short-course enrollees, etc.). UW Students are subsidized by the activity fees for one visit per quarter. Also accept medical coupons. Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm except Tues 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Closed state holidays.

Clinic hours:

• Mon 8:30 a.m - 6:00 p.m.
• Tue 9:00 a.m - 6:00 p.m.
• Wed 8:30 a.m - 6:00 p.m.
• Thu 8:30 a.m - 6:00 p.m.
• Fri 8:30 a.m - 6:00 p.m.
• Sat 9:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. (limited services)
• Sun CLOSED

Verified 10/2012

School-Based Clinics

Neighborcare Health directs a number of Seattle school-based health centers. In addition, a number of other health agencies and hospitals are also partnered with the Seattle School District to provide health care. The school-based health centers offer primary care, wellness activities and counseling in Seattle middle and high schools: sports physicals; preventive health care; evaluation and treatment of common health problems; immunizations; individual and group therapy; counseling for depression, trauma, stress, and problem-solving.
Verified 10/2012

Bastyr Center for Natural Health
206-834-4100
3670 Stone Way N.; Seattle, WA 98103

Holistic/naturopathic medical services, acupuncture and oriental medicine and counseling services. Limited reduced fees for students currently enrolled in a university or college, low income or age 65+.
Verified 10/2012

CommuniChi Community Acupuncture Clinic
206-860-5009
(top floor of El Centro de la Raza)
2524 16th Avenue South #301; Seattle, WA 98144

Community-based acupuncture center. $10 one-time paperwork fee for first visit. Sliding scale $15 to $35 per treatment, no income verification required. Appointments can be scheduled through their website. Cash or checks only.
Verified 10/2012

The Pin Cushion
206-324-3650
1716 E. Olive Way; Seattle, WA 98102

Community-based acupuncture center. Sliding payment scale ($20-$40). Schedule varies, call them or see their web site. Appointments can be scheduled through their website. Accepts cash, checks, credit cards. 
Verified 10/2012

North Seattle Community Acupuncture
206-524-6428
11329 Pinehurst Way NE; Seattle, WA 98125

Community-based acupuncture center. Sliding payment scale ($15-$40). Call them or see their web site for schedule.
Verified 10/2012

Wu Hsing Tao School of Five Element Acupuncture
206-729-2598
4000 NE 41st St, Building D West; Seattle, WA 98105 (Talaris campus)

Free Five-Element acupuncture clinic for people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Call for hours.
Verified 10/2012

Seattle/King County Public Health Dep't
206-296-4600
1-800-325-6165

Call for nearest location of a public health clinic. This is particularly useful in the South End, where there are few community clinics.

Immunization, pregnancy, infant, STD detection and ongoing treatment, and community services available. This department works closely with Harborview Medical Center in emergency situations. Also other referrals for low-income medical or dental.
Verified 10/2012

Full Life Care (formerly ElderHealth Northwest) 
206-528-5315 for more information

Non-profit adult day health care agency. Provides an alternative to placement into a nursing home, helps adults of all ages with chronic illnesses, physical or developmental disabilities. Services include adult day health, memory care homes, care consultation,mental health, in-home care and volunteer companionship.
Verified 10/2012

CannabisMD.org

Provides public education and legal assistance for medical marijuana patients in Washington State. Contact them through their web site.
Verified 10/2012

THC-Foundation
1-800-723-0188

Clinic for medical marijuana recommendations for qualifying patients. Call for information, leave name, area code, and phone number for call back.
Verified 10/2012

• STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) Testing
• AIDS Resources
• Chemical Dependency
• Counseling
• Parenting/Pregnancy

• If you do not have insurance or a government program that pays for your outpatient prescription medicines, and if the high cost of your medicine causes you financial hardship, The Medicine Program may be able to help you qualify for free medicine.
• The American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse ''Self-Help Group Sourcebook Online'' provides a truly amazing database of self-help groups of all kinds. Not all of these are available in the Seattle area, but many of them look like they could be very useful contacts. This may be especially useful to those with an unusual illness who are seeking out others who face a similar situation.
• Ethnomedical information, especially strong on Southeast Asia and the Horn of Africa.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has tons of information about Medicare and Medicaid, among other things.
• The Office of Minority Health Resource Guide is a wealth of information.
• List of links to Washington State abortion providers. This list appears rather incomplete. If you know a better one, please email us with the information.
• An effective way of getting rid of head lice.
• The Hepatitis B foundation has a lot of useful links, but their site is quite slow to load, and may not do well on older browsers.
• Another excellent site on Hepatitis is the Seattle-based Hepatitis Education Project. They have a very good set of links to both hepatitis-specific sites and other related medical sites (e.g. chemical dependency).
• Spine-health.com has extensive information on topics such as back and neck pain. The site is non-commercial, although practitioners listed on the website pay a membership fee.
• Managebackpain.com, another back pain site. This site carries ads, which should no more be trusted than any other ad, but the general content looks decent.
• We'd sure like to have additional appropriate listings here! Know of any? Send us mail!.
• Please be aware that virtually any site you find online about mesothelioma is actually an affiliate marketing site, making money from providing your information to lawyers. Many of these sites contain useful information, but understand that they are built around getting paid about $500 by a lawyer for each mesothelioma sufferer referred. See http://www.mesothelium.com/affiliate-signup.jsp for a typical example of such an affiliate marketing scheme. If you believe you may have mesothelioma, we strongly urge you to start with your doctor, not with a lawyer, and certainly not with a lawyer who is paying to be put in touch with you.

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