10-03-2025
Health services, food banks, baby showers. A new wellness center has opened in Tacoma
Tacoma on Friday marked the opening of a wellness center geared not just toward Medicaid recipients but the community at large.
Wellpoint Washington, which coordinates Medicaid-managed healthcare benefits for a member base of more than 200,000 statewide, launched its new Community Wellness Center at the Tacoma Community House, 1314 S. L St.
The center is designed to help connect members with health services, focusing on addressing physical, behavioral, economic, social and environmental factors.
Wellpoint Washington president and CEO Lisa Bogard spoke to The News Tribune on Thursday ahead of Friday's open house.
She noted that the 'wellness center in Tacoma has been in the works for a few months. ... We have been really focused on making sure we had the right community partner,' which is Tacoma Community House.
Tacoma Community House offers immigration, education and employment services, as well as victim-advocacy support services for immigrants, refugees and longtime South Sound residents.
Operating as a partner, Bogard said, Wellpoint was able 'to manage this program very cost effectively,' funding and spending less than $50,000.
Given the current pressure for cutting billions out of the federal budget, Bogard said, they are watching and waiting.
'We're all waiting to understand what the full impact is going to be on Medicaid,' she said. 'We are focused on trying to make sure that the work we do is sustained, because we believe that the work is important to our communities, and without that, many people will have just greater need.'
When asked how many people potentially could be served, she said it was difficult to offer an immediate estimate.
'We are not limiting this specifically to Wellpoint members because we really want it to be for the residents and community in Pierce County,' Bogard said.
While core program benefits will be limited to Medicaid participants, 'If someone wants to just come in and ask questions, we're happy to help as best we can to steer them toward services,' she added.
Bogard envisions a wide range of services offered at the site.
'We really want to be able to address social determinants of health,' she said. 'That can be anything from literacy to education of benefits, to transportation, or even holding baby showers there.'
'We're going to do food banks,' she added, 'so we're really trying to address those social needs with food insecurity and housing and connecting people to services to make sure that we're meeting their needs during some challenging times.'
This isn't Bogard's first wellness center opening. The Eugene, Oregon, native transferred to the Puget Sound region a year ago after previously working in a similar role in Nevada.
'We opened two wellness centers in Reno and Las Vegas, and they're quite successful,' she added.
'Anyone that walks through the door is going to have access to computers, as well as when they we have events such as baby showers, they'll be able to participate,' she said. 'Oftentimes, with Medicaid ... it's understanding what types of services they are eligible for, and then how to connect with them on an individual basis.'
'If someone comes in for transportation, we can help them with bus passes,' she added. 'If it's food insecurity, we'll have some food that's there so that we can make sure that they don't go away hungry. It establishes hope, and it also provides us with an opportunity to really focus on those individual needs in their most critical times.'
More information is available at Wellpoint Washington's website and Tacoma Community House online.
