SOUTH PUGET SOUND -- The Providence Swedish Mobile Health Clinic is a lifeline for many who struggle to access traditional medical services. Parked at multiple locations throughout the week, it offers walk-up care, 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 brick-and-mortar," said Dawn Greene, Nurse Manager with Providence Street Medicine. "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."
The clinic's reach is constantly growing. In 2024, the team served 750 individuals. In 2025, that number rose to more than 1,100. To support this growth and ensure long-term sustainability, the Mobile Health Clinic will transition under Providence Medical Group and fully integrate with St. Peter Family Medicine. This change enables Medicaid billing and closer alignment with residency training, allowing SPFM physicians and residents to participate more frequently in caring for the unhoused population. Residents will now be on site weekly, expanding clinic capacity, and a second outreach day every other week will allow for billing resident-provided services.
This integration also enhances continuity and quality of care for patients with complex medical needs. Improved access to medications, follow-up appointments and consistent providers will help address one of the population's greatest challenges: reliable access to care. The clinic will remain mobile throughout Thurston County, now strengthened by deeper clinical integration and expertise. Dr. Lima, SPFM residency preceptor and the only addiction specilalist for Providence South Puget Sound, will join the clinic part-time.
"This is going to allow us to have a higher level of care," said Greene. "To have an addiction specialist embedded in what we're doing takes us in to places we haven't had the opportunity to go before."
The integration of the Providence Swedish Mobile Health Clinic with St. Peter Family Medicine represents a meaningful step towards caring for our most vulnerable patients while strengthening education for the next generation of physicians. Through expanded residency involvement, new billing opportunities and specialized addiction care, this collaboration advances our Mission to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to those who need it most – wherever they are.
