Expanded partnership provides primary care, dental and behavioral health services at one Auburn site for low-income patients
ICHS Lead Medical Assistant, Anh Nguyen, fits a blood pressure cuff on an elderly patient.
Access to integrated health care is expanding in Auburn for 1,400 low-income residents with the addition of International Community Health Services (ICHS) at SOUND Behavioral Health’s Auburn Clinic. Patients can receive primary care and behavioral health services, get referrals for specialty care, and access health resources at the single care site located at 4238 Auburn Wy N. Opening June 16, ICHS at SOUND Auburn is unique because it centralizes health care services at a single site, lowering barriers to care and allowing patients to schedule multiple care services in one visit.
Combining primary care and behavioral health care in one clinic is crucial for delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care. This integrated approach supports whole-person health, improves outcomes through better care coordination, reduces stigma around seeking mental health support, and makes services more accessible and efficient.
“ICHS at SOUND Auburn provides much needed health resources to low income people,” said Kelli Nomura, CEO of ICHS. “By partnering with SOUND Behavioral Health, we are not only expanding access to medical care, we are building a bridge to behavioral health services, right here in Auburn. Together, we are ensuring more families can find trusted, culturally responsive care close to home.”
By teaming up, ICHS and SOUND bring integrated health services—primary care, dental, and behavioral health—to one Auburn clinic location.
As South King County’s population has grown, some ICHS and SOUND Behavioral Health patients have faced long commutes to clinics in Seattle to access affordable, culturally appropriate care in the languages they speak. ICHS is collaborating with SOUND Behavioral Health to meet the needs of the people our organizations serve, in the place where they live.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to making care more accessible for the people who need it most,” said Katrina Egner, President and CEO of SOUND Behavioral Health. “Too many individuals and families in King County still face barriers when trying to access behavioral health and medical care. By working together with ICHS, we’re helping fulfill our goal that more people can find compassionate, lasting care in a convenient way.”
South King County’s growing behavioral health needs — including the impacts of the fentanyl epidemic, rising rates of depression and anxiety, and the challenges of accessing integrated care — make this collaboration especially timely. Additionally, it is common for individuals to experience both mental health conditions and chronic diseases, making it important to access behavioral health and medical care at one location.
ICHS and SOUND Behavioral Health are expanding in Auburn to help address unmet health needs which are prevalent throughout King County. Traditionally marginalized, ethnic, and low-income community members in South King County report higher levels of fair or poor health in comparison to their higher income counterparts elsewhere in King County, according to the 2022 ICHS Community Needs Assessment. Life expectancy is lowest in South King County at 79.1 years, according to the 2024 King County Community Health Needs Assessment.
The focus of ICHS at SOUND Auburn is on in-person, primary and behavioral health care. Services such as immunizations, mental health counseling, well-child services, and voluntary family planning are provided. The ICHS Mobile Dental Clinic will be located at ICHS at Sound Auburn once per month for visits and will expand its schedule for access based on need. Barriers to care access are eased because patients can access free transportation directly to and from the clinic.
About ICHS
For more than 50 years, ICHS has provided accessible, culturally competent primary health and wellness services to nearly 33,000 patients annually from throughout Puget Sound. With four full-service medical and dental clinics in Seattle, Bellevue, and Shoreline and six satellite sites across King County, ICHS offers a full suite of enabling services to help our patients access health care, including language access, health education, and assistance finding and enrolling in health insurance. ICHS provides free interpretation services in more than 70 languages and dialects. ICHS is a top-performing Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) offering comprehensive health services on a sliding scale basis, regardless of ability to pay.
About SOUND Behavioral Health
For nearly 60 years, SOUND Behavioral Health has been committed to ensuring everyone in our community has the support they need to live their best lives. As a leading nonprofit behavioral health services provider, SOUND Behavioral Health supports Seattle and King County’s most vulnerable populations with community mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. SOUND’s mission is to improve lives by providing equitable, recovery-focused behavioral health services for all in our community. From its 16 locations across King County, as well as in homes, on the streets, at shelters, hospitals and schools, SOUND is on track to assist more than 15,000 children, youth and adults in 2025 navigating poverty, disabilities, abuse, addiction, mental illness and homelessness.
For more information, please visit www.sound.health.