Public Health Clinic In White Center Saved

One of the public health clinics slated for closure got a reprieve today as King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a partnership that would keep the White Center Public Health Clenter at Greenbridge open through the 2016 fiscal year.

The clinic will continue to operate under a new partnership with the City Of Seattle and Planned Parenthood.

Seattle has pledged $400,000 to keep the maternity support program at Greenbridge. Planned Parenthood will take over the clinic’s family planning services.

Constantine said he hopes to find a similar solution to save three other clinics from closure.

“We are having similar conversations around the county with local governments, with community organizations, even with our own employees about finding ways to keep clinics open,” he said. “It is my hope that I will be able to announce before too long that we’ll be able to keep at least one other clinic open.”

The Greenbridge clinic serves low income families who are mostly refugees or immigrants. The center offers services for new mothers and children. It also provides contraception, counseling and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

Greenbridge was one of four public health clinics slated for shutdown. Population growth and inflation have risen over the years, but federal and state funds that support the clinics have sharply declined.

While the clinic’s services remain intact, 10 King County employees at Greenbridge have still received layoff notices.