Aurora Clinic care team with some of our Aurora Commons staff on Monday, November 22, first day of clinic!
November marks the launch of The Aurora Clinic, a complement to our existing SHE Clinic. This month is also a time of year that we reflect on the people and things in our lives that we are grateful for. At the Commons, we are grateful for the opening of The Aurora Clinic AND the many people whose work has made it possible:
Our unhoused neighbors who have trusted us to listen to their experiences, and in some cases accompany them, in traditional healthcare settings.
Our founders, Ben Katt, Sparrow Etter-Carlson, and Karen Curilli, who understood that the work of change requires an ecosystem of support rather than the support of any one friend, agency, church or organization, and who were committed to offering the stability of presence and hospitality over professionalized care to our neighbors.
Our partners whose work paved the way and supported the opening of our on-site medical clinics:
LAHAI (fka Puget Sound Christian Clinic) whose team offered foot care inside the Commons and visits with a physician and nurse in their mobile unit. Their faithful and consistent presence was one of the first steps towards offering on-site medical care to our neighbors. LAHAI also shared their medical mobile unit with our SHE Clinic staff when that clinic opened in 2018.
Giana Davidson, MD MPH, who has served on our board since 2017 and been instrumental in the development of our needs assessments as well as the implementation of offering on site medical services.
Lauren D. Hamman, BSN, RN, DNP, who developed and partnered with us to conduct needs assessments with our female-identifying neighbors to document their healthcare needs as well as the barriers to accessing services in traditional healthcare settings.
Dr. Janell Stewart, who has served as consultant in the development of and administration of needs assessments at the Commons, and who will support the Aurora Clinic as a primary care physician.
Drs. Shireesha Dhanireddy and Margaret Green, nurses Monica Brown and Jessica Carrico, and medical social worker Sherice Arnold from Harborview and Northwest Hospitals, who have provided medical and supportive services to our female-identifying neighbors visiting the SHE Clinic since July 2018.
Sound Mental Health who partnered with us to offer the Low Barrier Buprenorphine Clinic. Buprenorphine is used in medication-assisted treatment to treat opioid use disorder. From May 2019 through May 2020, this program operated in our drop-in space every Wednesday. It was full almost every week; often there were more patients that wanted to be seen than there was time available. The demand for this clinic was clear, as was the desire for more comprehensive care.
Dr. John Olson, our Buprenorphine Clinic physician, who partnered with Aurora Commons to conduct needs assessments with our male-identifying neighbors to document the barriers they’ve experienced in traditional healthcare settings, as well as the things they’d seek care for if it wasn’t so difficult to access.
In these assessments the most common barriers to healthcare we heard were fear of being stigmatized or treated badly, or a history of being treated poorly in the past. Specifically we heard: “As a patient, I do not feel respected or heard,” and “They just think I am a drug addict”. We also heard transportation was a big issue, as was navigating the system. As one neighbor shared, “I go one place, they send me another”.Andy Carlson, who dedicated much time to creating a physical space for our on-site clinics. Andy not only did much of the work himself, but he also helped us envision the new space in the planning stages and coordinated with subcontractors and suppliers during the construction phase. We are grateful for Andy’s imagination, commitment and faithfulness to creating a beautiful physical space for the community at Aurora Commons.
Dr. Maria Cocorran, nurse Stacey, medical social worker Ashley Smith from the Aurora Clinic
Our Aurora Clinic care team: Dr. Maria Corcorran, nurse Stacey Jones, social worker Ashley Smith, and patient care coordinator Colette Weese, for their commitment to offer kind, non judgemental care to our unhoused neighbors at Aurora Commons.
In addition to these individuals we are grateful for our funders: Harborview Medical Center, Seattle King County Public Health, & Pacific Hospital Preservation & Development Authority (PHPDA), and their commitment to offering accessible medical services to our unhoused neighbors at Aurora Commons.
Over the past 10 years of being a presence and physical space for our unhoused neighbors there were many more individuals and partners who’ve helped us cultivate a safe, welcoming space. We are grateful for all of you and the time and care you’ve offered to the community at the Commons.
It can not be said enough we are grateful for our unhoused neighbors. They have trusted us with their stories and experiences. We are grateful for the opportunity to honor those voices by offering our male-identifying and gender nonconforming neighbors on-site comprehensive medical care at The Aurora Clinic.