Sea Mar Community Health Centers Background In 2009, Sea Mar Community Health Centers provided in excess of 482,000 individual services to more than 116,000 people in ten counties in Washington State. More than 78 percent of Sea Mar s clients had incomes below the federal poverty level, and nearly 90 percent had either public insurance (Medicaid, Medicare, Basic Health, or SCHIP), or were uninsured. Sea Mar was founded in 1978 with a single clinic in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. Today, Sea Mar is one of Washington State s largest providers of community-based, comprehensive health care. Sea Mar health care services are available in 21 medical clinics, 13 dental clinics, and 16 behavioral health and/or substance abuse treatment centers in western Washington. This includes the only Spanish-only inpatient behavioral health treatment program in Washington State. While Sea Mar continues to specialize in providing bilingual and culturally appropriate services to Latinos, people of all races, ethnicities, and income levels are served. Recently, the fastest growing immigrant populations served by Sea Mar are Russians and Ukrainians. In addition to providing services at 50 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics and centers, Sea Mar offers health and social services for all ages, including maternity and nutrition support for women and children, health education, home care, programs for seniors and immigrants, citizenship and ESL classes, child development, nursing and assisted-living, low-income housing, homeless and migrant outreach and support, education and youth leadership, service learning, boxing club, radio program, and more. Sea Mar s long-term 24-hour residential nursing center is unique in the nation. Offered in conjunction with a child development center, the Community Care Center is an intergenerational care model that benefits the young and the elderly. Sea Mar continues to expand. In 2009, Sea Mar became the owner and manager of Cannon House, a 120-unit assisted-living residence located in Seattle s Central District, and established César Cházez Village, a low-income rental housing complex in South Park. In 2010, Sea Mar will renovate or add to its medical, dental and behavioral health facilities, and will open two farm-worker housing facilities in the Tri-Cities area in eastern Washington. Click here for year-by-year historical evolution of Sea Mar.
Sea Mar Community Health Centers History and Evolution Year-by-Year 1976-2010 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1982 1985 A group of Latino community leaders begins to look at how best to address the health care needs of the Spanish-speaking community in western Washington, particularly in terms of accessibility and cost. They establish a free clinic, staffed by volunteers, in the Rainier Valley area of Seattle. Sea Mar incorporates as a non-profit organization. With approximately $300,000 in funding from the federal government, Sea Mar purchases a clinic in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle from a retiring private-practice physician. The Seattle Medical Clinic was established, offering primary medical care, x-ray, laboratory, WIC, and nutrition services. Sea Mar continues to care for the retiring doctor s clients, many of whom are elderly and in need of long-term care. Sea Mar begins to offer social services and health education programs in its South Park location. Sea Mar becomes a Chore Services contractor for the Washington Department of Social and Health Services Division on Aging and begins providing home-care services to low-income elderly and disabled persons. Seattle Dental Clinic opens in South Park. Sea Mar obtains a Certificate of Need from the State of Washington for a licensed Medicareand Medicaid-certified Home Health Agency in South Park, and begins to provide skilled nursing care, home health aides, and rehabilitative services. Seattle Medical Clinic opens a pharmacy in South Park. Seattle Medical Clinic adds an OB/GYN program. Mount Vernon Medical Clinic opens to serve the growing Hispanic community in Skagit County, realizing Sea Mar s founders dream of offering health services to migrant farm workers. Sea Mar History Revised March 15, 2010 Page 2 of 7
1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Mount Vernon Clinic adds dental care services. Bellingham Medical Clinic opens to serve clients in Whatcom County. Mount Vernon Medical Clinic adds mental health and homeless support services, and an emergency food and clothing bank. Marysville Medical Clinic opens, realizing the dream of Sea Mar s founders to serve the Latino populations of both Seattle and Marysville. (Sea Mar stands for Seattle Marysville.) Bellingham Clinic begins providing state-licensed, bilingual/bicultural outpatient behavioral health services, primarily to Latinos, seasonal farm workers, and homeless people. Sea Mar purchases another building in South Park and expands the Seattle Dental Clinic s services to include pediatric dentistry. Lynden Medical Clinic opens, providing primary medical care to this small farming community in rural Whatcom County. In response to the need for substance-abuse treatment services for Latinos and migrant/seasonal farm workers, Sea Mar adds state-licensed, county-funded bilingual/bicultural outpatient substance abuse treatment to its behavioral health services in Bellingham. Marysville Medical Clinic moves to a larger facility in the Smokey Point area of Arlington. Sea Mar begins providing state-licensed, bilingual/bicultural outpatient behavioral health services in Everett, in Snohomish County, primarily to Latino and indigent clients. Lynden Medical Clinic adds dental services. Seattle Medical Clinic adds behavioral health services. Burlington Dental Clinic opens, expanding dental services in Skagit County. Sea Mar opens an inpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment facility in Tacoma, adding Pierce County to the list of counties receiving services. Realizing another dream of its founders, Sea Mar opens an intergenerational Community Care Center on Catholic Hill in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. It consists of two new buildings and includes a one-hundred-bed skilled-nursing facility with a nineteen-bed Alzheimer s unit, and a child development center with the capacity to care for 120 children from infants to age 12. Tacoma Medical Clinic opens, expanding services in Pierce County to include primary medical care. Mount Vernon Dental Clinic expands to include pediatric dentistry. Sea Mar History Revised March 15, 2010 Page 3 of 7
1996 The dental program in Lynden moves to the Bellingham Clinic. Nooksak Dental Clinic opens to serve members of the Nooksak Indian Tribe and migrant farm workers, as well as the general population in this rural part of Whatcom County. Sea Mar begins providing state-licensed, bilingual/bicultural outpatient behavioral health services in Tacoma, primarily to Latino and indigent clients. With the opening of a clinic in Monroe, Sea Mar adds state-licensed, county-funded, bilingual/bicultural outpatient substance abuse treatment services in eastern Snohomish County. Sea Mar opens an inpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment center for youth and adolescents in north Seattle, and shifts the focus of the Tacoma inpatient treatment center to adults only. Sea Mar begins holding its annual charity golf tournaments, the proceeds of which fund college scholarships for the children of migrant and seasonal farm worker families, as well as community Christmas parties and the annual Fiestas Patrias celebration. The Bellingham WIC office opens. 1997 1998 Seattle s inpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment center for youth and adolescents relocates to a newly remodeled building in Des Moines. Monroe Outreach Clinic opens, offering limited medical services. Tacoma Medical Clinic adds dental services. Sea Mar adds state-licensed, bilingual/bicultural outpatient mental health services to its services in King County, primarily to serve Latino and indigent clients. Seattle Medical Clinic adds MRI services. Tacoma WIC office opens 1999 Sea Mar opens a WIC/Nutrition program office in Normandy Park to serve more than 800 clients, mostly women and children. Sea Mar purchases a private medical practice in Bonney Lake, establishing a second medical clinic in Pierce County. Visions Youth Treatment Center opens in Bellingham, providing Level II secure inpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment for teenage girls. Monroe Outreach Clinic closes. Lynden Medical Clinic moves to a newer, larger facility in Everson. 2000 Sea Mar purchases a medical clinic in Vancouver, Washington, and begins providing primary medical and dental services in Clark County. Sea Mar Motel, a migrant farm-worker family housing facility, opens in a former Pasco hotel in Franklin County. Sea Mar now provides services in seven Washington counties. Sea Mar History Revised March 15, 2010 Page 4 of 7
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Sea Mar takes over operation of the Community Care Clinic in Olympia, providing medical, dental, and behavioral health services in Thurston County. Sea Mar now provides services in eight Washington counties. Marysville medical and dental clinics move to a new, larger facility in Marysville. Sea Mar adds state-licensed, county-funded, bilingual/bicultural outpatient substance abuse treatment services in Tumwater, in Thurston County. The Nooksak Dental Clinic closes. Bellingham medical and dental clinics move to a new, larger facility. The inpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment center for youth in Des Moines, which had closed in 2001, reopens as an adult recovery house. Sea Mar begins the Youth Boxing mentoring program in Seattle. Sea Mar opens an OB/GYN Clinic in Mt. Vernon. Vancouver Medical Clinic moves to a new facility, expanding the space available for both medical and dental services in Clark County. Bonney Lake Medical Clinic closes. Puyallup Medical Clinic opens, expanding services in Pierce County. Renacer Youth Treatment Center opens in Seattle, providing Level II Secure inpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment for teenage boys. Seattle s outpatient behavioral health program moves into the lower level of the Renacer facility. Sea Mar opens a dental clinic at the SeaTac Occupational Skills Center to provide primary dental care to adults and children while training dental assistants. Puyallup Dental Clinic opens in the same facility as the Puyallup Medical Clinic. The Sea Mar Community Center opens in Wapato, providing recreational and educational activities to children, youth, and adults. Sea Mar opens WIC offices in Fife and Milton. Sea Mar opens an outpatient substance abuse counseling office in Monroe, expanding outpatient substance abuse services in Snohomish County. Vancouver Medical Clinic moves to a newly renovated larger facility. Burien Urgent Care Clinic opens as Sea Mar s first specialty care clinic. Oak Harbor Dental Clinic opens, expanding Sea Mar s service area to Island County. Sea Mar assumes operation of Aberdeen Medical, Dental, and Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic and Copalis Beach Medical Clinic, formerly operated by Peninsula Community Health Services, expanding Sea Mar s service area to Grays Harbor County. Sea Mar History Revised March 15, 2010 Page 5 of 7
2007 2008 2009 2010 Burien Urgent Care Clinic becomes Burien Medical Clinic as Sea Mar adds a family practice provider in that location. White Center Medical and Dental Clinic opens, increasing access to primary care services in south King County. Sea Mar adds outpatient behavioral health services in its Vancouver and Puyallup clinics, and opens an outpatient behavioral health clinic in Bellevue. Sea Mar open three WIC offices in Grays Harbor County. Bellevue Medical Clinic, Monroe Medical Clinic, and Lynnwood Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic open, expanding Sea Mar s range of services in north King and south Snohomish Counties. Sea Mar moves the Normandy Park WIC office to the Burien Medical Clinic, and adds outpatient behavioral health screening to the services available there, facilitating access to these services for south King County patients. Vancouver Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic opens in its own facility, expanding behavioral health services in Clark County. Sea Mar opens its second medical clinic in Vancouver, in the Clark County Public Health building. Construction begins on a low-income housing project in South Park. Sea Mar opens a medical clinic in the Metropolitan Development Council facility in Tacoma to provide primary care to homeless people in Pierce County. Sea Mar s Child Development Center achieves accreditation by the National Association for the Education of the Young Child (NAEYC). Sea Mar opens its third medical clinic in Mt. Vernon, inside Skagit Valley Hospital. Sea Mar opens Cesar Chavez Village, a low-income family rental housing project in South Park. Mt. Vernon Outpatient and Mt. Vernon Homeless Services relocate into a single building, integrating these services and improving continuity of care, especially for homeless patients. Sea Mar assumes operation of Cannon House in Seattle, extending long-term care services to include assisted-living as well as skilled-nursing care. Sea Mar opens WIC offices in Battle Ground, Olympia, Tenino, Vancouver, Washougal, and Yelm, expanding these services to Clark and Thurston Counties. Sea Mar opens a new outpatient behavioral health clinic in Anacortes, expanding services in Skagit County. Sea Mar opens a medical clinic in the Community Youth Services facility in Olympia to provide primary care to homeless youth in Thurston County. Sea Mar opens the Lacey Medical Clinic to serve families in Thurston County. Sea Mar History Revised March 15, 2010 Page 6 of 7
Sea Mar builds low-income housing for farm workers, La Posada East and La Posada West, in Pasco, Washington, located in the Tri-Cities area of the state. More to follow Sea Mar History Revised March 15, 2010 Page 7 of 7