Dr. Ben Danielson was once a child of the foster care system, but grew up to become one of Seattle's top doctors. His background pushes him to help those less fortunate. That's exactly what he does at the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic.
"It's an incredible honor to have the slightest bit of shared experience. Commonality with the families you get to serve, and sort of say, 'I believe in you. I really have faith in you," said Dr. Danielson.
He says the attachment to Seattle Children's Hospital has helped the clinic stand out above the rest.
"It's allowed our clinic to think a little more, to dream a little more, to imagine doing something better," Danielson said, "to say the status for healthcare is not satisfactory."
Dr. Ben wants us to know that the everyone and everyone is welcomed and supported in the clinic. It's got a diverse array of people and families just looking for affordable, adequate care.
"If you spend any time in the waiting room, you feel like you are in the lobby of the United Nations. You just see colors and clothing and family structures and skin colors and languages. And just different ways of celebrating that just feel kind of inspiring."
Despite it's name, Odessa Brown is not just a medical clinic, and does not only serve children. It serves families, and the community at large.
Their mission is this: "We grow wellness."
Dr. Ben said, "Somebody once told me, this adage that sounds corny but is actually really real to me, 'You can't educate an unhealthy child and you can't keep an uneducated child healthy.' And that means that education and health, education and healthcare practices those are interlinked, those are intertwined. There's a single garment there."
The focus on children is still there.
"The things that you do to support their futures are the kinds of things that are going to pay back to the whole community," Dr. Ben said, "a healther whole community is healther for everybody throughout the wide expanse of that community."
To donate now, visit: https://giveto.seattlechildrens.org/OBCCspecial
