BY ANGELICA RELENTE of the Tacoma News Tribune
SEPTEMBER 04, 2022 5:00 AM
Puyallup residents will have access to a new healthcare facility as soon as 2024.
Community Health Care will open a location at 201 W. Main in downtown Puyallup, in what used to be a state Department of Social and Health Services office. The plan is to open it to the public sometime in 2024, dental director Dr. Jeff Reynolds said.
The facility will have dental, medical and behavioral health services.
“We’re designing that clinic to have more integrated care,” Reynolds said.
Patrons can expect to find a pharmacy onsite. Comprehensive Life Resources will also be available. The organization offers free counseling and substance use services, among other things.
The facility will serve south and east Pierce County residents, according to a news release. It will offer a sliding-fee scale based on income and family size for those who are uninsured or under-insured.
The closest Community Health Care location to Puyallup is at 134 188th St. S. in Spanaway, which has a medical center, dental clinic and pharmacy. Other locations include Tacoma and Lakewood.
“There are people there that see patients, but there are very few that are accepting Medicare, Medicaid and those kinds of things,” Reynolds said about Puyallup. “The need is there.”
Money for the new project stems from a $250,000 grant awarded by Arcora Foundation. The foundation aims to “bend the arc of oral health toward equity” through grants and sponsorships, according to the foundation’s website.
The grant will help serve more residents, including low-income families, Black, Indigenous, people of color, seniors with fixed incomes, veterans and rural residents, according to the news release.
Community Health Care had to apply to receive the grant, said Vanetta Abdellatif, president and CEO of Arcora Foundation. The Community Health Center of Snohomish County also received the same grant.
“It’s important for us to work with nonprofits, community health centers — those people have a history and a track record of engaging with underserved communities,” Abdellatif said.
Community Health Care has been serving Pierce County residents since 1969. In 2021, a total of 46,337 patients received care from the organization, which has six medical clinics, four dental clinics, one school-based clinic, and a mobile unit.
Puyallup Health Center | Community Health Care (commhealth.org)
