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Broad range of free dental, vision and medical services offered at giant health clinic

People in need of dental, medical and vision services may receive them free of charge at the largest free health clinic ever organized in the State of Washington, Seattle/King County Clinic, Oct. 22 – 25, in KeyArena at Seattle Center.

Now in its second year, Seattle/King County Clinic brings together over 100 healthcare organizations, civic agencies, nonprofit entities, private businesses and thousands of volunteers with a goal of providing over $2.5 million in services to underserved and vulnerable populations. This extraordinary free clinic offers a broad range of medical, dental, and vision care with an expectation of helping as many as 4,000 people in need over the four-day period. Here is how the Clinic works:

· Clinic patients receive treatment on a first-come, first-served basis.

· Patients may park free of charge in Mercer Street Parking Garage at Seattle Center, between 3rd and 4th avenues north, on each day of the Clinic.

· Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, located at 301 Mercer Street, serves as the ticket waiting and distribution area and opens at 12:30 a.m. each day. Organizers distribute admission tickets for the day beginning at 5 a.m., and tickets are limited.

· Doors to KeyArena open at 6:30 a.m. Patients are admitted by ticket number into the Clinic, and it is expected to take three to four hours to admit all ticket holders.

· Patients register as they enter. They do not need to show identification or proof of citizenship.

· Inside KeyArena, all procedures and services are provided free-of-charge, and interpretation services are available for those who need them.

· Patients may seek services in up to two areas per day, but they are not able to seek care in both dental and vision in one day. They may return to the Clinic on other days for additional services.

Seattle/King County Clinic transforms the form and function of KeyArena. The licensed healthcare professionals and general support volunteers who staff it donate their time and expertise. Patients receive real, and in many instances, extensive care including dental fillings and extractions, comprehensive eye exams and free prescription eyeglasses, physical exams, Pap smears, mammograms, EKGs, x-rays, lab tests, flu vaccines, foot care, acupuncture and much more.

The Clinic is made possible through thousands of donated work hours as well as cash and in-kind donations of goods and services. Donations are accepted at:  www.seattecenter.org. Healthcare professionals and general support volunteers may sign up for a variety of work shifts through an online registration system at:   www.seattlecenter.org/volunteers.

Organizing and implementing an event on this scale represents the serious dedication of a caring community to make a difference for the most vulnerable among us. By meeting immediate healthcare needs and providing connections for ongoing care, it is hoped that this event will positively impact the health of the region and raise awareness of the scale of those left out of the current healthcare system. Learn more about Seattle/King County Clinic at:  www.seattlecenter.org or by calling 206-684-7200.

About Seattle/King County Clinic

Partners Include:  Albertsons – Safeway | America’s Dentists Care Foundation | Antioch University | Auston James Photography | Ballmer Family Giving| Bastyr University | Bellevue Dentistry | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation| Brooks Sports, Inc.| Burkhart Dental Supply | California CareForce | Ceres Roasting Company | Committee to End Homelessness – King County | Compassion Games | Compassionate Seattle | Costco Wholesale | DCG One | Dunn Lumber | Essilor Vision Foundation | Experience Dentistry | Group Health | Henry Schein Dental | Hepatitis Education Project | Hispanic Dental Association | Hollywood Lights | HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response | InDemand Interpreting | InterConnection | Jorgenson-Peninsula Optical Supply | King County Nurses Association | The Norcliffe Foundation | Max Technologies | McKibben-Merner Family Foundation | Medical Teams International | Mediterranean Inn | Meisinger USA | Nakanishi Dental Laboratory | New Eyes for the Needy | Optometric Physicians of Washington | Pacific Hospital Preservation & Development Authority | Pacific Office Automation | Patterson Dental |Philips | Providence Health and Services | Public Health – Seattle & King County | Ripe Catering | Seattle Animal Shelter | Seattle Center | Seattle Center Foundation | Seattle Central College School of Opticianry | Seattle Cancer Care Alliance | Seattle City Light | Seattle Department of Information Technology | Seattle Finance & Administrative Services | Seattle Fire Department | Seattle Housing Authority | Seattle Human Services Department | Seattle-King County Dental Society | Seattle Office of Economic Development | Seattle Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs | Seattle Police Department | Seattle Public Utilities | SEIU Healthcare 1199NW | Space Needle | Spectrum Ophthalmics, Inc. | Tulalip Tribes Charitable Contributions | UW Medicine | UW School of Dentistry | UW School of Public Health | Volunteer Retired Providers Program | VOSH International | Vulcan Inc. I WA Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons | WA Academy of General Dentistry | WA Association of Naturopathic Physicians | WA Dental Service Foundation | WA Healthcare Access Alliance | WA State Chiropractic Association | WA State Dental Association | WA State Dental Hygienists’ Association | WA State Department of Health | WA State Nurses Association | WA State Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons