Community Partnerships

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health believes in contributing to the communities where our patients and staff work and live. We act on this belief by contributing time, energy and money to efforts that benefit the community in the areas of improving health, providing free and subsidized care, and supporting health professionals’ education and research.

Every community needs certain health care services that typically cost more to deliver than the provider of the services receives. We provide these subsidized health services as part of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s mission. They include:

• Emergency Services open to all
• Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS
• Support of Edward Thomas House Medical Respite for homeless adults in King County
• Support of Project Access Northwest to provide specialty care services to people in need

Improving health and quality of life extends beyond diagnosis and treatment. It also requires community health education and outreach services. Health improvement and outreach services provided by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health include:

• Community health education, such as our Nutrition and Fitness for Life pediatric program, and diabetes classes
• Free vaccinations and health screenings for people who are uninsured or underinsured
• Support of the Washington State Firearm Tragedy Prevention Network and safe gun storage giveaway events, hosted by Seattle Children’s
• Bereavement support through our Grief Services

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health strongly supports medical education to ensure our patients and the community benefit from advances in medical care:

• Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is a premier teaching hospital that offers postgraduate education programs through our Graduate Medical Education Department (GME). All GME postgraduate training programs are fully approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Virginia Mason Franciscan Health trains more than 100 residents and fellows annually.
• Numerous medical center doctors have faculty appointments at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
• We serve as an internship site for students in a variety of other health programs, such as nursing and pharmacy.
• Our GME program partners with Public Health—Seattle & King County Health Services Division, providing 12-15 residents for the Eastgate Public Health Center.

As a nonprofit organization, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is committed to serving patients who are uninsured, underinsured or otherwise unable to pay for their medical care.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health provides support for medical research at Benaroya Research Institute (BRI). BRI is committed to finding causes and cures for autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and immune system diseases such as allergies and asthma. BRI's world-renowned scientists are dedicated to predicting, preventing, treating and ultimately eliminating these lifelong, chronic diseases. BRI also oversees all clinical research at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, supporting clinical investigators in studies across a wide variety of diseases and conditions that help advance medicine for our patients and many others. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health also assists with BRI’s support of key patient advocacy organizations that help people live with autoimmune diseases, allergies and asthma. Together, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and BRI work to improve people’s lives through remarkable care and exciting medical advances.

Community benefit work is accomplished through various partnerships with an array of nonprofit organizations throughout King, Kitsap and Snohomish counties, including:

• Alliance for Gun Responsibility: Works to end the gun violence crisis in our community and to promote a culture of gun ownership that balances rights with responsibilities
• International Rescue Committee: Provides opportunities for refugees, asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrants to thrive in America
• Mary’s Place: Provides safe, inclusive shelter and services that support women, children and families on their journey out of homelessness
• Plymouth Housing: Works to eliminate homelessness and address its causes by preserving, developing and operating safe, quality, supportive housing and by providing adults experiencing homelessness with opportunities to stabilize and improve their lives
• Red Cross: Prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors
• Refugees Northwest: Supports refugees and asylum seekers move toward health, seeking justice and finding hope
• Seattle/King County Clinic: An annual, four-day, volunteer-driven clinic that provides free dental, vision and medical care to people who struggle to access and/or afford health care. Note: The clinic was canceled in 2021 due to the pandemic. 
• Solid Ground: Works to end poverty and undo racism and other oppressions that are root causes of poverty

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is committed to providing the highest quality health care while preserving the natural environment for our community–now and for future generations. This important work, which is done through our organization-wide EnviroMason program, includes:

• Meeting or exceeding all environmental laws and regulations
• Conserving energy, water, materials and other resources
• Minimizing waste through source reduction, reuse and recycling programs
• Continually increasing our purchases of environmentally preferable and/or local products and services
• Empowering our employees to innovate in ways that reduce our environmental impact
• Educating our patients, team members and community on the environmental and health benefits of sustainability Information

To learn more about community benefit at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, contact:
Doug Baxter-Jenkins
Community Integration Program Manager
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
[email protected]