By the time Sherryl Kennedy crossed paths with Dawn Greene, a nurse manager with Providence Street Medicine and the Providence Swedish Mobile Clinic team, she was carrying the weight of profound loss. Losing her home had pushed her into a cycle of shelters and nights on the streets of downtown Olympia. Her health was declining, and she could no longer see a way forward.
“Dawn saved my life,” Kennedy said. “I couldn’t go on anymore in that environment, and I was in bad shape. If it wasn’t for Dawn, I truly believe I would be dead.”
The Providence Swedish Mobile Health Clinic is a lifeline for many who struggle to access traditional medical services. Parked at multiple locations in downtown Olympia throughout the week, it offers walk-up care services, including primary care management, lab work, imaging, prescription refills and referrals to community partners, with no appointment needed.
Its purpose is simple: meet people where they are, both physically and emotionally.
“The unhoused community is very uncomfortable with going to a brick-and-mortar,” Greene said. “It allows us to build relationships when they say, ‘Can you meet us on the corner of this street?’ and we are able to do that.”
When Greene met Kennedy, she recognized immediately that the shelter environment was taking a serious toll on her mental and physical well-being. Through the clinic’s care and advocacy, Kennedy was sent to the hospital for treatment and ultimately transitioned into a supportive family group home – somewhere she could begin healing.
“The interesting thing is that I was born at a Providence in Seattle,” Kennedy reflected. “I’ve come full circle. I was born at Providence and now I am being saved by Providence.”
