Peninsula Community Health Services opened the doors to the Key Peninsula Clinic, its eighth site, November 17. The clinic is located in the former Artbeads.com facility on 137th Avenue NW, off KP Highway NW.
The clinic will provide primary care for children and adults. It houses a dental clinic and on-site pharmacy and plans to integrate behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment.
PCHS established its first community clinic in Bremerton in 1987 and became a federally qualified health center in 1995. “That means we will never turn anyone away based on insurance status or ability to pay,” said PCHS Chief Executive Director Jennifer Kreidler-Moss. “Whether you have Apple Health, Medicare, insurance through your employer, or no insurance at all, we’ll work with you to make sure you get the care you need.” A navigator, someone trained to help sort out payment options, will be on staff.
Leah Boyd, who completed her training at the University of Washington as a physician assistant and has worked at a PCHS clinic in Bremerton, will be the clinic’s first provider. “I grew up in the Midwest, but fell in love with the Pacific Northwest,” she said. “When I’m not working, I love to spend my time outdoors hiking and exercising with my husband and our fur-baby, Belle. I also love to travel and enjoy trying new things.”
The medical wing of the clinic includes 10 exam rooms, a minor procedure room, a classroom, offices for behavioral health and substance use disorder counseling, and a lab. The clinic will add providers and services depending on demand and hopes to include obstetrical services. “Everything at PCHS is driven by the needs of our patients and the communities they live in. We’re always looking for new opportunities to help, and if additional services are needed on the Key Peninsula, we’ll find a way to meet that need,” Kreidler-Moss said.
The dental wing has seven seats and a consultation room. A dental hygienist is currently on staff and two dentists should join within a month. PCHS worked with Sen. Emily Randall (D-Bremerton) and Rep. Michelle Caldier (R-Port Orchard) to secure $490,000 from the state capital budget for dental equipment. “We’re very grateful for their help,” Kreidler-Moss said. “There is a lot of unmet need in the area, and this means that more people will be able to get more timely appointments closer to home.”
The impetus for opening a clinic on the Key Peninsula came from one of its board members, Port Orchard resident Beryl Cochran, who died in October. The PCHS board, Kreidler-Moss said, is made up of patients and community members. “They make sure that we stay responsive to our patients and local needs. Beryl spent her whole career in community health and joined our board after she retired. She was a fierce advocate for establishing a clinic on the Key Peninsula, and for well over a year she helped guide and oversee the project.”
PCHS has clinics in Bremerton, Shelton, Belfair, Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Kingston. In addition, they run several school-based clinics and have a mobile medical clinic that travels throughout Kitsap County to provide primary care to patients with transportation or other access issues. Their mobile dental unit and the mobile medical unit both provided services from the new clinic’s parking lot during the remodel period.
Register with PCHS to receive medical care or use the pharmacy. Dental services are available without registration.
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