In memoriam: Deborah Kippen
Dr. Deborah Kippen passed away this summer at the age of 71. She helped build and was medical director of the Pioneer Square Clinic from 1982-1998.
Pioneer Square Clinic was one of the only places in downtown Seattle where people experiencing homelessness could walk-in for care without having to worry about their ability to pay.
The Pioneer Square Clinic was founded by Dr. James Ogilvie in the 1970s to provide free healthcare to low-income people and those experiencing homelessness in downtown Seattle.
Dr. Kippen grew the clinic to provide both primary and walk-in care, a pharmacy, and wrap-around services for social work, psychiatry, podiatry, and nutrition.
A trailblazer in expanding the rights of women health care providers in the University of Washington medical system, she worked to provide equal opportunities for working mothers and to increase the capacity for nurse practitioners to improve patient access.
She also founded the first homeless medical respite program in Seattle, to provide a safe and clean place for homeless patients who were not sick enough to require overnight care in a hospital to recover from short-term health problems, such as minor trauma, chemotherapy treatments for cancer, and newly diagnosed chronic diseases.
A memorial fund has been set up in honor of Dr. Kippen’s vision, hard work, commitment to health equity, and her service as Medical Director of Pioneer Square Clinic. All proceeds will go to the Pioneer Square Clinic and the care they provide their patients.