68 I Four Days, Three Thousand Lives—Seattle King County Clinic w/ Julia Colson
We sit down with Julia Colson, the founder and executive director of the Seattle King County Clinic, to discuss the incredible journey of establishing a large-scale, volunteer-driven pop-up clinic providing free dental, vision, and medical services to thousands each year. She shares the clinic’s origin story, spurred by a 60-minute episode that highlighted the healthcare struggles of everyday people and her realization of the parallels within her own life. Julia delves into the challenges of building such a unique healthcare initiative from scratch, emphasizing the essential role of openness, humility, and collaboration in shaping the clinic’s success. Through heartfelt anecdotes and insights, we explore the powerful impact of the clinic in transforming both patient experiences and volunteer perspectives while also addressing how the initiative calls attention to the broader issues plaguing our healthcare system.
To Volunteer: Seattle/King County Clinic – Seattle Center Foundation
Overview:
- Transformed from watching “60 Minutes” to founding a clinic that serves 3,000 patients in four days
- Used event planning background rather than healthcare expertise to approach problems differently
- Created a collaborative model where diverse skills complemented each other’s gaps
- Challenged stereotypes by showing diverse patients – teachers, tech workers with insurance, not just unhoused individuals
- Built community between patients and volunteers by midday of each clinic
- Used the clinic as both immediate intervention and platform for advocacy
- Incorporated storytelling through comics and patient narratives to humanize statistics
- Balanced meeting urgent needs while pushing for systemic reform
- Demonstrated how naivete and humility can be assets when creating innovative solutions
- Prioritized listening and supporting patients over rushing through care
- Helped providers reconnect with the human aspects of medicine, free from business metrics
Next Step:
- Visit our website, Healthcare for Humans, and join our community to enjoy exclusive benefits at https://www.healthcareforhumans.org/support/
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