On Saturday, the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic hosted their fall homecoming event and open house welcoming community to the site of the planned Central District location to learn about the resources available through the clinic and hear from guests and speakers.

“I’m honored to be able to represent my family,” Odessa Brown's Granddaughter Sophia Richardson said. “To be able to welcome this new clinic is truly an honor.”

Odessa Brown, the clinic’s namesake, was an advocate for children’s healthcare and pushed for affordable access to healthcare for Seattle’s communities.

“She was a fighter and felt that every child deserved to be treated with dignity and have access to healthcare,” OBCC Senior Medical Director Shaquita Bell said.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was at the event to welcome community members and speak on the importance of creating access to high quality healthcare for all.

“Our youth are walking around traumatized,” Harrell said. “This work that’s being done at Odessa Brown is important. We’re in this fight together.”

The new clinic will feature a heavy focus on behavioral and mental health, allowing Seattle Childrens to increase their capacity for care and push for more sustainable solutions.

“As most people know, we are in a crisis of youth mental health. We’ve tried solutions for the last several decades, but we’ve never been able to fully focus on it. This space will allow us to do that,” Bell said.

You’ll be able to visit the new location at 1711 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144 when it opens in 2024 and find out more online at https://www.seattlechildrens.org/clinics/odessa-brown/.