Free clinic moves to community center

PORT TOWNSEND — At JC MASH, the doctors and nurses see a little bit of everything.

So said Dr. Kimber Rotchford, the physician who cofounded this free clinic 28 years ago. Every Tuesday evening, he and his staff open the doors of the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St., to patients without appointments and, in many cases, without the funds to pay for a doctor.

Though JC MASH — Jefferson County Medical Advocacy and Service Headquarters — has a long history in Port Townsend, its new location at the community center isn’t well-known, said staff nurse Sarah Haight.

Since moving in a few months ago, Haight has sought to spread the news at places such as Dove House’s Recovery Cafe, Bayside Housing & Services and the Port Townsend Food Co-op.

Rotchford, Haight and nurse Christina Brinch check patients in from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. each Tuesday, in person if the patient is vaccinated and via a telemedicine call if not. The phone number for information is 360-385-4268.

On a recent Tuesday, a senior woman from Port Townsend and a middle-aged man from Quilcene were among Rotchford’s patients; both departed saying they received what they needed from their consultation with the doctor. Another patient came in at around 7:30 p.m., the usual closing time, but Rotchford and crew stayed to see the person.

“There isn’t one single thing people come in for,” Haight said.

“They have sleep issues, or they need a second opinion [on a diagnosis]. It’s really quite diverse, as is the population,” she said, adding the JC MASH team sees retired people, people without insurance and people who have insurance with high deductibles and copays.

Brinch, who staffs the reception desk, said self-employed people also come to the clinic, as well as people who don’t have a primary care provider. In addition to medical attention, JC MASH gives patients referrals to other services across the county, including mental health care providers.

Funded by donations and grants from local foundations, JC MASH’s mission, stated on its new poster, is to “strengthen and broaden the safety net of accessible medical care for all Jefferson County community members.”

The poster, bearing the clinic’s new bandaged-heart logo, adds that this care includes “free needs assessment, treatment and referrals in a comfortable, professional environment.”

Rotchford, who runs his private practice in addition to seeing his Tuesday night patients, said it’s a relief to be free of insurance paperwork at JC MASH.

“Patients come in, we talk, we develop a plan. I don’t have to worry about all the administrative gobbledygook. It’s just taking care of people,” he said, “and it feels really good.”

There are some Tuesdays when he’s fatigued, admitted Rotchford, who has practiced medicine for more than four decades.

“I’m not Superman,” he said. But often, sitting down and problem-solving with a clinic patient is energizing.

“I’m charged,” he said at the end of the evening.

Rotchford and his staff agree: There’s no stereotyping JC MASH patients or their reasons for choosing the clinic.

“What’s surprising is it’s not always because of financial barriers,” he said. He recently saw a woman who just hadn’t hit it off with her primary care provider, and felt she had nowhere else to go.

“More than 50 percent of the time it’s not about money. It’s about the hassle. They may have mental health issues [or] substance use disorders,” Rotchford said, and even if someone has insurance, the deductible makes them fear what the bill will turn out to be.

Haight, who became a registered nurse in her 50s, is new to Jefferson County and relatively new to JC MASH, having joined the staff about a year ago. She’s determined to let more people know about the services at the free clinic.

People who receive care at JC MASH “are so grateful,” Haight added.

“Our clinicians take time and they listen. To me, that is huge.”

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Jefferson County Senior Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3509 or durbanidelapaz @peninsuladailynews.com