In King County, 6.4 percent of children under the age of 18 are uninsured. That means that over 25,000 kids don’t have access to regular check-ups to help them stay healthy.
One of the few places where they can get medical and dental care is from the International Community Health Services (ICHS), a non-profit community health center that provides affordable healthcare services to Seattle and King County's Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, as well as other underserved communities. ICHS has two locations, the Holly Park Medical & Dental Clinic located in south Seattle and the International District Medical & Dental Clinic located in Seattle's Chinatown/International District.
Trivia Question: Which ethnic group has the highest incidence of untreated tooth decay in King County?
Answer: Asian and Pacific Islanders have the highest incidence of untreated tooth decay out of all ethnic groups in King County. Lack of insurance and limited proficiency in English are some of the barriers this group faces in getting regular dental care. ICHS provides affordable dental care at their clinics, even to those who are uninsured. Their friendly, multi-lingual staff can also provide services in many different languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Korean.
For more information about ICHS, visit www.ichs.com. You can also meet representatives from ICHS at Wedgwood's Annual Lunar New Year celebration on Friday, February 12, and have a chance to make a contribution to this worthy cause!