Submitted by Providence Swedish
By the time Sherryl Kennedy met Dawn Greene, nurse manager with Providence Street Medicine, she was carrying the weight of profound loss.
After losing her home, Sherryl found herself in a cycle of shelters and nights on the streets of downtown Olympia. The instability was taking a serious toll on her physical and mental health, and she could no longer see a path forward.
“Dawn saved my life,” Sherryl said. “I couldn’t go on anymore in that environment, and I was in bad shape. If it wasn’t for Dawn, I truly believe I would be dead.”
Sherryl’s story is one of many that highlights the critical role of the Providence Swedish Mobile Health Clinic, which brings care directly to people experiencing homelessness and others who face significant barriers to accessing traditional health services.
Throughout the week, the clinic parks at multiple downtown Olympia locations, offering walk-up care with no appointment required. Services include primary care management, lab work, imaging, prescription refills and referrals to community resources.
Its mission is simple: meet people where they are, both physically and emotionally.
“The unhoused community is very uncomfortable with going to a brick-and-mortar,” Dawn explained. “It allows us to build relationships when they say, ‘Can you meet us on the corner of this street?’ and we are able to do that.”
When Dawn first met Sherryl, she immediately recognized that the shelter environment was worsening her condition. Through persistent advocacy and coordinated care, the Providence Street Medicine team connected Sherryl with the services she needed. She was admitted to the hospital for treatment and eventually transitioned into a supportive family-group home – somewhere she could begin to heal.
Looking back on her journey, Sherryl finds meaning in an unexpected connection.
“The interesting thing is that I was born at a Providence in Seattle,” she said. “I’ve come full circle. I was born at Providence and now I am being saved by Providence.”
Stories like Sherryl’s demonstrate the growing need for mobile and street-based health care services in our communities. In 2024, the Providence Swedish Mobile Health Clinic served 750 individuals. By 2025, that number had grown to more than 1,100 people – each with their own unique challenges, needs and hopes for the future.
Behind every number is a person like Sherryl: someone facing difficult circumstances who deserves compassionate, high-quality care. Through Providence Street Medicine and the Mobile Health Clinic, caregivers are helping ensure that some of our most vulnerable neighbors are not forgotten, bringing healing, dignity and hope directly to those who need it most.
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