SEATTLE — Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) has been a staple in the community for more than five decades. The clinic is named after an impactful community organizer and mother of four, Odessa Brown.
“She wanted to make sure that not only her children, but other people in the community, could have lesser barriers to receive care,” said Paulene Toussaint, Seattle Children’s director of people operations. “She definitely committed to that, and that’s how we became OBCC.”
In 1970, Seattle Children’s opened OBCC, and the team delivers every day on Odessa Brown’s dream of providing quality care with dignity regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Toussaint herself is a mom of five kids, two with chronic conditions. One of her kids has sickle cell disease, and OBCC allows her to be a part of his care plan.
“There’s a sense of community,” Toussaint said. “There’s a sense of every person is a part of the care that my children receive at OBCC. They help inform my children and empower them to get the care that they need.”
Toussaint recently joined the Seattle Children’s Guild Association, the largest, all-volunteer fundraising network for any children’s hospital in the nation. Since forming in 2017, the Guild has raised more than $1 million for OBCC to help close gaps in health equity, improve health outcomes and build healthier neighborhoods by addressing the community’s needs.
“I like to be a face to show how really impactful it is to families when people really support us,” Toussaint said.
Funds also support programs at OBCC, like lactation services, transportation and eyeglasses, in addition to OBCC’s Marketplace where families can find basic needs like coats, diapers, personal hygiene items, food baskets and more – no questions asked.
You can join the Guild today, or consider giving to the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic. Your contribution helps to ensure quality care with dignity for babies, children and young adults in our community, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
Sponsored by Seattle Children's
Segment Producer Rebecca Perry. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.