Historical Systemic Racism in Health Care Archives

by Sally James

People who provide health care at a variety of clinics around South Seattle are getting vaccines against COVID-19, including some of the staff at International Community Health Services (ICHS), Neighborcare Health, HealthPoint, and Country Doctor.

Last February, ICHS was the first community health center in the United States to see a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. However, despite being early hit by the pandemic, the center managed to avoid an outbreak the entire year. Since then, the nonprofit has helped set best practices guiding the response of the nation’s nearly 1,400 federally qualified health centers.

In December, ICHS became one of the first Seattle-area health centers to receive doses of the Moderna vaccine. The center immediately began vaccinating its frontline health workers and then residents of the ICHS Legacy House Assisted Living facility. Once Legacy House residents are vaccinated, the center will begin vaccinating non-clinical ICHS staff, eventually moving to high-risk patients with multiple comorbidities.

Continue reading →

by Sally James

In all the excitement over the new COVID-19 vaccines, it’s easy to forget that the disease will strike thousands of people before the pandemic is over and we still don’t have reliable treatments for the disease.

Physician Rachel Bender Ignacio wants to change that by conducting studies of four different treatment methods in Seattle — all of which are open to volunteers from the community. Bender’s team calls people who have tested positive and offers them information about the studies. It is essential that people sign up within four days of receiving a nasal swab to test for the virus.

Bender Ignacio spoke to the Emerald about the research taking place at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Continue reading →