Providence Community Clinic
Our Approach
Providence Community Clinic (formerly the House of Charity Clinic) embodies the Providence Mission in action with service to Spokane community members who are experiencing chronic homelessness. Our philosophy is to gain trust and develop lasting relationships with those we serve, with the recognition that the only common denominator in all of homelessness is lost relationships.
And this rich tradition has continued since the clinic was established as the first of its kind in the State of Washington in 1976.
Sister Peter Claver partnered with Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington to establish a medical clinic at the House of Charity as an outreach of Sacred Heart Medical Center in order to serve homeless persons in our community. Over the years, the need for primary care for this population increased as well as the need for improved access and care coordination.
In 2017, the clinic moved into a new facility just one block from the shelter and next to the Donna Hanson Haven for those transitioning from homeless to housed. The new clinic consists of six exam rooms, one consultative services room, point of care testing and lab draw with nine workstations for staff and providers. The clinic offers longer hours and has the capacity to care for more underserved patients than ever before.
Treatments and Services
Providence Community Clinic is a team of physicians, nurse practitioners, patient care coordinators, medical social workers, chaplains, nurses, medical assistants and community partners. Each role is integral in the care planning for each patient served.
Walk-in appointments are encouraged. No appointment is necessary. Please be prepared for COVID screening and potentially completing forms related to insurance coverage.
- Cold, flu, and allergies
- Ear infections, nose issues and sore throats
- Migraines
- Fever
- Cough, congestion and asthma
- Eye irritations
- Skin conditions
- Sprains and strains
- Minor injuries, including cuts and scrapes and stitches
- Urinary tract infections
Providence Community clinic provides a variety of walk-in health services, including:
- Wellness exams
- Vaccinations
- Influenza (flu) shot
- Behavioral health services
- Women’s health services
- Testing services:
- COVID
- Strep
- Flu
- Glucose urinalysis
- Pregnancy
- STD
- Pap smear
- Screenings and Evaluations:
- Cholesterol
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Mental health
- Diabetes
- Short-term/bridge medication refills for chronic conditions
In addition to health services, Providence Community Clinic collaborates with several community organizations to connect patients to needed resources such as:
- Health insurance enrollment
- Housing and shelter resources
- Transportation and bus passes to scheduled appointments
- Legal consultation
- Substance abuse treatment
- Mental health services
- Psychiatric evaluations
- Victims of sexual assault
- Domestic violence
- Meal and shower locations
- Community employment services
- Grief and loss
About us
Providence continues to support medical outreach operations within the Providence Community Clinic by providing medical supplies, volunteers and monetary support so that homeless persons receive the basic health care they need while saving unnecessary emergency room visits.
Funding for the new clinical space was provided by the Providence Foundation and Providence Community Benefit fund.
Please consider supporting the services provided at Providence Community Clinic by making a donation to the Providence Foundation. Call 509-474-4917 or email us.
Sister Peter Claver, the famous leader and builder of the current Sacred Heart Medical Center, Providence Health Care and Catholic Charities Eastern Washington always shared a desire to provide people experiencing homelessness in our community access to health care. In 1976, this dream became a reality when Sr. Peter Claver and Catholic Charities opened the House of Charity Medical Clinic.
Initially housed inside the shelter itself, the House of Charity Clinic was the first free medical clinic in the State of Washington. It has served thousands of patients for over forty years with volunteer doctors and nurses. The success of the clinic grew through the years, and in 2017 Providence and Catholic Charities once again partnered to build a larger, more modern, easily-accessible stand-alone House of Charity clinic for the most vulnerable members of our community located in a building across the street from the House of Charity. That clinic has continued to be successful and is now able to evolve to its next exciting phase, as it becomes the Providence Community Clinic.
The House of Charity Clinic has moved back into its original home inside the House of Charity shelter, however it will now be mostly a site for nursing and med school students to have service learning experiences and will be an intentional referral/gateway point to gently help homeless clients access the Providence Community Clinic across the street.
