Category: CurrentNews

Growing up in Hoquiam, Lisa Nelson witnessed firsthand the struggles of her parents to navigate a healthcare system that seemed designed against them. Her mother’s battle with health issues, exacerbated by the lack of affordable care options, left an indelible mark on Lisa’s life.

“I saw my mom suffer unnecessarily because of lack of health care and how that impacted her. She didn’t have an option, she had to work no matter how sick she was,” Lisa recalls.

Driven by this experience, Lisa pursued a career in pharmacy, earning her Doctor of Pharmacy from Washington State University. However, it was her move to community health that ignited her passion for advocacy and brought her closer to effecting real change in the lives of underserved communities.

“Working in Community Health Centers, we can solve these problems, so people have access regardless of their ability to pay,” Lisa affirms.

As Chief Pharmacy Officer at Unity Care NW, Lisa recognizes the pivotal role that affordable medication plays in ensuring comprehensive healthcare. She became deeply involved in initiatives like the 340B program, which helps low-income and other vulnerable patients access more affordable medicines, leveraging it to bridge the gap between medical care and financial constraints.

“Specifically with the pharmacy and 340B, it’s a mechanism that we at the Community Health Center can utilize to make an impact on affordable medications. Because for many people, maybe they can afford to go to the doctor, but they can’t afford their prescriptions,” Lisa explains.

“With community health centers we can have a pharmacy that, instead of saying no to these patients, can say yes so at the end of the day you walk away with your medication, and you get the health outcomes you deserve,” Lisa says.

Driven by her belief in fairness, Lisa is committed to streamlining processes to ensure that everyone receives the care they need without bureaucratic hurdles.

“I’m such an advocate for treating everyone the same. I want to make a system where everyone can get everything they need and if cost is an issue, we’ll figure that out without you having to fill out 14 pages of forms,” Lisa asserts.

This advocacy extends beyond the walls of Unity Care NW. As a nationally recognized expert on 340B, Lisa works with colleagues and law makers across the country to fight for fair drug pricing. She remains actively involved in various organizations, serving in leadership roles on committees and councils, engaging law makers, strategizing with other community health centers, and drafting model legislation aimed at advancing pharmacy practices and healthcare policies.

Lisa’s tireless efforts and dedication have not gone unnoticed. The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) recently honored her with the Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award during their 2024 Policy and Issues Forum in Washington, D.C. This prestigious award recognizes Lisa’s exceptional advocacy work and her unwavering commitment to expanding access to affordable healthcare.

Lisa Nelson’s journey from witnessing her mother’s struggles to becoming a stalwart advocate for healthcare access for all exemplifies the transformative power of personal experience and unwavering dedication. Her story is echoed across the experiences of many health care advocates in the community health center movement across America. As she continues to champion accessible healthcare, her impact reverberates far beyond the confines of Washington State, resonating with communities across the nation in their pursuit of health and well-being for all.

Advocates at the National Association of Community Health Center Policy and Issues Forum. Courtesy of NACHC. Washington D.C., 1977

More than 40 years ago, Unity Care NW began treating people without access to health care and today we are proud to be one of over 1,400 Federally Qualified Health Centers serving nearly 1 in 10 Americans.

Community Health Centers were born out of the fight for civil rights and the war on poverty in the 1960s. These new health care providers empowered local communities through patient-majority governing boards, using a combination of local resources and federal funding. The National Association of Community Health Centers was later founded and played a crucial role in unifying and advocating for accessible, quality health care.

Our state and federal governments make important decisions that impact your care on a regular basis. Unity Care NW monitors legislation and advocates with our elected officials on behalf of your care but we need your help. As a patient, your voice matters! Sign up for our advocacy mailing list and play an active role in shaping healthcare policies. Receive important action alerts and make your self heard by our elected officials. Together, we can create positive change and ensure better healthcare outcomes for all.

Unity Care NW (UCNW) is proud to announce that it has earned the Gold ACE status from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). This is the highest level of recognition in the NACHC Advocacy Center of Excellence (ACE) Program, which supports and recognizes health centers that achieve specific measures of advocacy success and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to advocacy by making it an organizational priority.

UCNW is one of only three health centers in Washington to have achieved Gold ACE status. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and leadership, who are committed to advocating for health access to care for the patients we serve.

The ACE Program measures advocacy success in four areas:

• Policy impact: The extent to which health centers have influenced policy changes that improve access to care for their patients.
• Public awareness: The extent to which health centers have raised awareness of the importance of community health centers and the challenges they face.
• Workforce development: The extent to which health centers have trained and supported staff to engage in advocacy.
• Organizational capacity: The extent to which health centers have the infrastructure and resources to support advocacy efforts.

We are grateful to NACHC for this recognition of our advocacy efforts. We will continue to work hard to advocate for health access to care for the patients we serve.

Quote from NACHC

“Earning Gold ACE status requires serious dedication and prioritization of advocacy at your health center. Your organization is now part of an elite group that serves as an example to other Community Health Centers striving to achieve advocacy excellence. The amount of effort and time needed to achieve this requires hardworking, engaged staff and supportive leadership—two pieces of the puzzle necessary for a successful and robust advocacy program—both of which you have demonstrated.”

How You Can Help

You can help UCNW continue its advocacy work by:

• Contacting your elected officials and urging them to support policies that improve access to care for low-income families.
• Donating to UCNW to support its advocacy work.
• Signing up to advocate for health centers.

Thank you for your support!

From gas lights to wind power projects, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has a rich history and deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to providing services to over 2 million residents in 10 counties, they are committed to partnering with local groups to create stronger communities for all.

Recently PSE provided a brand-new electric school bus to the Opportunity Council’s East Whatcom Regional Resource Center (EWRRC) for their East Whatcom County Mt. Baker Head Start program. The acquisition of this electric bus is part of PSE’s Up & Go Electric pilot program focused on fairness in transportation electrification, one of PSE and the PSE Foundation’s many grants programs.

This bus, which PSE purchased from Blue Bird, comes with a dual-port level 2 charging station that PSE installed on the resource center property. The charging station will power the electric bus while the extra charging port will be available for other invited guests of the resource center.

PSE is working to advance the adoption of transportation electrification in our region, and partnerships with community-based organizations enable them to build a robust EV network. They want to ensure that everyone, regardless of income and geographic location, can access the benefits of electric mobility.

PSE’s commitment to access extends to a variety of projects and programs throughout the ten counties they serve. They are one of Unity Care NW’s Health Care Champion Sponsors, supporting our work to ensure everyone in our community has access to high-quality care even if they can’t afford it. Thank you, PSE, for your support and your efforts in so many communities across the Pacific Northwest.

Outreach & Enrollment is now located on the first floor at our offices in 1616 Cornwall Avenue in Suite 107.

We’re all still in a pandemic recovery period and getting our lives back on schedule can be chaotic, from preventative healthcare to regular haircuts and beyond. For those with the next generation’s health in their hands, pediatric immunizations are especially important. Lately, many children have fallen behind on their vaccine schedules. Elisabeth Gehringer, D.O. and Associate Medical Director at Unity Care NW, recently sat down with WhatcomTalk to help encourage parents get back into the groove of their kids’ healthcare.

Why We Are Behind

“I’ve been seeing a pattern that kids have been falling behind on immunizations — the main challenge was related to the pandemic due to delay in care, and the result of those challenges was falling behind on their vaccine schedules,” says Dr. Gehringer. “Vaccines are a really important part of the well child check-ups that we have built into our visits.” Read the full article.