King County public health clinics receive temporary funding

King County public health clinics will receive funding to keep them open for another year while lawmakers seek a permanent funding solution, according to a vote by councilmembers Nov. 19.

The 13 clinics were facing closure in January 2025 without a funding solution.

WSNA is part of a coalition of unions and community partners who got together to start a campaign, “Save Public Health,” when the closures were announced in early 2024. Coalition partners include OPEIU 8 and PROTEC17, a union representing hundreds of public health workers at Public Health - Seattle & King County.

A WSNA nurse working in one of the clinics said she wasn’t worried just about her job, it was her patients.

"Where are they going to go? We work with medically complex, undocumented, and disadvantaged patients. They know they won't be turned away,” she said.

“The trust and connection between vulnerable King County residents and the public health nurses and staff cannot be overstated, nor can it be overlooked,” said WSNA nurse representative Linda Burbank. “These relationships are vital and undoubtedly save and improve valuable lives each and every day.”

The council approved a tax of 10 cents per $1,000 assessed property value. The tax would raise an estimated $87 million in 2025, according to the county. About $28 million of this money would go to the public health clinics, the rest to Harborview Medical Center — both have a mission of helping underserved populations. The average homeowner would pay $85 a year.

In a public statement Nov. 21, Dr. Faisal Khan, director of Public Health – Seattle & King County, said he was confident a permanent funding solution for public health clinics would be found:

“The work done to create a hospital tax will result in improved outcomes for patients who are traditionally underserved by our health care systems. We know public health care clinics and services are crucial to meeting these needs as well. Negotiations are continuing, and [the King County Council] has set the groundwork for adequate funding for our public health clinics as we look for ways to modernize and make clinic operations more efficient and impactful to health care needs. There will be continued engagement through the legislative session in 2025 and we are confident the 2026/2027 budget will provide stable funding for our public health clinics.”   
 
The public health clinics see around 80,000 people a year at clinics in Auburn, Eastgate, Columbia City, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Kirkland, Lake City, North Seattle, Seattle, and White Center.

See the Seattle Times story Dec. 10, “Tax hike approved for Harborview; public health clinics still in doubt.

In related news:

• The King County Council approved a plan to use opioid lawsuit settlement funds to expand treatment, distribute overdose reversal medications, and address overdose disparities in underserved populations.

• King County’s Family Ways Program will expand to provide culturally relevant, participant-centered pregnancy and parenting support for Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native people.

For more information on the budget, see the Nov. 20 release from King County.