3W Medical: An Oasis of Care for Seattle Women

Patient numbers at Wellness for Washington Women have increased from 200 in 2015 to 760 in 2022, even while receiving constant pushback from detractors.

The lobby of 3W Medical for Women clinic in Seattle
The lobby of 3W Medical for Women clinic in Seattle (photo: 3wmedical.org)

While working toward her master’s degree in social studies, with a focus on public policy at the University of Washington in Seattle, Helen Nguyen, a gifted communicator and woman of strong convictions and deep faith, had definite plans following graduation.

“I really wanted to get into politics,” she said during a recent interview. “But God had other plans.” These plans would be made known to Helen and her friend, Melanie Gibbs, while the two were running the Respect Life Group on campus, sponsored by the Newman Center. 

It was while engaging in the annual 40 Days for Life campaign that Helen and Melanie felt a need — “this urge,” as Helen put it — for a clinic to provide a real options and choices for women in Seattle. On Jan. 12, 2012, then, they presented this need before the board at the Newman Center, and the idea for 3W Medical was born. Three years later, following meticulous study and preparations, Helen and Melanie co-founded 3W Medical, where Helen now serves as CEO. The name “3W” stands for Wellness for Washington Women and is located in the heart of the heavily populated area known as the University District. It is the only life-affirming medical clinic in Seattle. 

”In a 20-mile radius of the campus, there are seven abortion clinics, including the UW Medical Clinic,” Helen said as she led me on a tour of the clinic. “So, if we talk about choices, what choices do women really have if there is no option but abortion? The typical patient we see is 25 and has had 10 sexual partners in the last six months. 3W is the only clinic in Seattle providing real compassionate care to women that does not include elective services such as abortion and contraception, which is not healthcare, in my opinion.”

We stopped in the doorway of one of the two consult rooms, and I noted the comfortable chairs and attractive decor on side tables as Helen explained, “Each patient is given an hour-long appointment. ‘Unrushed Patient Care’ is one of our mottos. We take patients into a space like this to build relationships.”

Building relationships with patients, she said, is key, especially in the Seattle proper area where 3W is located, with high numbers of sexual assaults, sex trafficking and prostitution. The consult room time at the beginning of an appointment allows patients to meet with a licensed medical provider who then learns each patient’s back story and can identify the root of her problems.

“It’s all about unrushed care, and is usually free of charge,” explained Helen. “We don’t want to make money off of a woman’s reproductive decisions. We have nothing to gain other than to equip a patient with the education she needs to make an informed consent and decision. Now, down the street, Planned Parenthood doesn’t do that.” 

I asked Helen to describe the difference between Planned Parenthood and 3W.

“When women come here,” she explained, “they are able to gain back their dignity, and are reminded they don’t have to become intimate with someone to gain love, trust and security; they don’t have to engage in a lifestyle that will damage their reproductive health. Planned Parenthood won’t tell her any of that.”

Rather, Planned Parenthood will refrain from such facts, she said, in order to encourage women to continue the same lifestyles so they will return and make more money off of her reproductive decisions.

“So, if you’re not getting the truth about where these practices will lead you,” Helen said, “then that’s not informed consent, because every woman has her own story and why she ended up in our chair. She needs a sister, a mother, someone who can tell her, ‘It’s going to be okay and you can say no.’”

Except for lab fees, I learned that all other services at 3W are donor-funded, including appointments with a medical provider, pelvic exams, breast exams, evidence-based women’s health screening exams and STI/STD treatment and testing for both men and women.

As we walked back into the hallway, I learned more about the remarkable generosity of 3W’s donors.

“Everything you see from the floor to the trash can is 100% donor funded,” Helen explained. “We don’t take any federal grants.”

She gestured toward the framed depictions on the walls, all created and donated by local women artists, then pointed to the ultra-sound room, the door closed due to an appointment in progress. A few steps later she opened the bathroom door, and said, “I’m really proud of the bathrooms, because women judge a place by the cleanliness of the bathroom.” In agreement, I noted the spotless condition, roomy space, large mirror and choice of both paper and cloth napkins, like five-star-hotel quality.

“Some of our patients are homeless,” Helen said. “So, for many, this is the only place to use the facilities and to get feminine products. Just because a woman is here for a difficult issue doesn’t mean her experience has to be subpar."

As proof of 3W’s high standards, since opening its doors, patient numbers have increased from 200 the first year to 760 in 2022, even while receiving constant pushback from detractors. As Helen explained, “Pretty much we get accused of being a ‘fake clinic’ simply because we do not provide contraception and abortion services. Planned Parenthood hasn’t gone after us head-on, but we believe they have provided information to the King County Board of Health and UW, saying we coerce and manipulate women into carrying to term.”

In response to detractors, however, early on, Helen and Melanie provided an irrefutable defense. “We are among only 40 or so women’s sexual health clinics in the country to have accreditation through the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care,” said Helen. “Every day we’re juggling 552 medical policies and have passed our renewal of accreditation twice. You can’t achieve accreditation if you’re a fake clinic, so it’s very hard for detractors to run a smear campaign about us.”

Another feature at 3W is the Advancement Department, located in the building abutting the courtyard, which became available during the height of COVID. As we entered, I was at once struck by the professional set-up as and Helen described separate areas for creating videos and podcasts, each for the purpose of creating educational materials for women and families to use to learn about reproductive health.

“We talk about things like relationship issues,” explained Helen. “What are signs of a healthy relationship. What are the signs of unhealthy ones? I also did a whole series on women and addiction to pornography, which was a huge observation we noticed last year from women coming it.”

After learning about true reproductive health, she continued, “patients will often say things like, ‘Wow, I’ve never heard that, or ‘I had no idea that was what was causing my issues, or ‘Why wasn’t I taught that in sex education? or ‘Why wasn’t I told that when I went to my provider?’” The answer they are told, Helen explained, is because providers are being pressured by large medical systems to make money and drive revenue. Patients then become reliant on a system that is very broken.

I asked Helen to describe her vision for 3W. Full of hope, she said, “When we talk about women’s health in our world these days, it has become very polarizing and political. What we’re trying our best to do at 3W is walk this tightrope to make sure we are not influenced or swayed by what’s trending but focusing on the patient and their needs and their desires, so that no woman out there feels alone, or unheard, or broken. We want to be an extension of love, compassion, and to re-claim/elevate the dignity of the female body.”

Roger Severino speaks at a news conference at the Department of Health and Human Services Jan. 18, 2018, in Washington, DC.

Defending Conscience Rights in Healthcare with Roger Severino (Episode 4)

Healthcare affects every American - whether we are ill or healthy, parents or caretakers for aging relatives, or those who work as medical professionals. Many current issues related to healthcare services and medical procedures implicate religious freedom and conscience rights. Roger Severino is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and director of the Center’s new HHS Accountability Project. He joins Andrea Picciotti-Bayer of the Conscience Project and Matthew Bunson, EWTN News’ executive editor, to discuss the threats to this important civil right and the protections under the law for conscience in healthcare