Rotacare Tacoma is providing free chronic healthcare at our location on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University. We have a close relationship with the PLU School of Nursing, so this is a really good fit. Our home at PLU offers easy access via Pierce Transit from major areas within Pierce County.
Our mission is to provide free chronic medical care to Tacoma and Pierce County residents who have no insurance or no access to medical care. RotaCare® is a coalition of volunteers: Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, Medical Technicians, Social Workers, Translators, Clerical Workers and Rotarians who provide free medical care in a collaborative effort with hospitals, clinics, community service organizations and service groups.
September 28, 2011 was our second birthday. At any one time we have about 150 patients. We have helped about 120 people a year. We try to place our patients with other medical treatment venues. Referral is strictly from neighborhood health clinics in Tacoma, and Pierce County. 95% of our patients are from the city of Tacoma. We are only open one night a week, where we see about 15 people. There is generally a waiting list of about fifty people. We have a great community partnership of people and organizations who help Rotacare Tacoma.
DIRECTIONS:
Heading south on Pacific Avenue, turn right on 125th. Continue three blocks and turn right again on Yakima Avenue. Yakima will jog around and turn curve left and become 124th St. South. 124th will curve and on the SW corner of the 124th/123rd corner is the Facilities Management Building where the clinic is located. Parking is in the rear. Click Here is you would like to see a map of the PLU campus.
RotaCare International, Inc. is the parent corporation for regional RotaCare corporations that oversee the individual clinics. International's duties are to encourage growth of new clinics. Regional boards are made up of past Rotary District Governors, Club Presidents, Rotarians with selected expertise, community activists, clinic administrators and medical professionals. Regional corporations are directly responsible to state licensing agencies for the provision of quality medical care. They provide legal governance for clinics within their geographical area.
We operate with three other Rotacare clinics as part of Rotacare Puget Sound. The other Rotacare clinics offer urgent care only in Lake City, Bellevue, and Renton.
Our Rotacare Clinic provides diagnosis for chronic problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. We do not provide healthcare for emergencies. We are not an urgent care facility. We stock no drugs or narcotics. For chronic problems we write prescriptions, which may be purchased at the reduced fee of $4.00 from Walmart Pharmacies.
In addition to our diagnosis and chronic care, we hope to stage nutritional classes in the future to help our patients control diabetes, and take ownership of wellness for themselves and their families.
NEWS - American Public Health Association Presentation
On October 31, our director, Jan Runbeck will present a paper at the 139th Annual Meeting of the American Public Halth Association in Washington, D.C. (Washington, D.C. Convention Center)Jan's paper is entitled, Rotacare: Community Partnership. This is quite an honor. About 17,000 members are expected to attend. With help from The Exchange Club of Tacoma, Jan and her husband Mike will fly to the event and stay four days in nearby Arlington.
NEWS - StoryCorps - NW Public Radio Interview
Northwest Public Radio was proud to present their StoryCorps mobile recording booth in Tacoma during September at the Museum of Glass. StoryCorps' mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, preserve, and share their stories. Jan Runbeck and Rotacare Tacoma was chosen to participate. Board chair Don Doman interviewed Jan on September 19th. A copy of the interview will be kept in the national archives, our Library of Congress. Selections of those recorded will also be played over the airways in the Pacific Northwest.
NEWS - We Would Like to Speak to Your Organization
Please, let us know if you would like a program for your organization. One of our speakers on behalf of Rotacare Tacoma would be happy to present our story.
Rotacare Tacoma is a project of The Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 and The Rotary Clubs of Pierce County.
