Submitted by Unity Care NW
As the nation marks the 60th anniversary of the community health center movement during this year’s National Community Health Center Week (August 3–9), Unity Care NW is honoring one of its own: Muriel Handschy, a longtime provider and leader whose three-decade career helped shape the organization into the vital community resource it is today.
Handschy joined Unity Care NW — then known as Interfaith Family Health Center — as a student intern in 1991. She became the organization’s tenth employee in 1992, hired as the clinic’s third provider after earning her Master of Nursing from the University of Washington.
“I loved it from the very beginning,” she said. “Every patient is treated with the maximum amount of respect.”
Over the next 33 years, she served in multiple leadership roles and her dedication helped shape Unity Care NW’s commitment to providing whole-person care to everyone, regardless of income or insurance status.
Back in 1992, when Muriel was hired, Unity Care NW had just ten full-time employees. Today, the organization provides care to 1 in 10 Whatcom County residents annually, with more than 111,000 patient visits in 2024 alone.
Throughout her career, Muriel remained committed to whole-person care, ensuring patients had access to not just medical services, but dental, pharmacy, and behavioral health support. Her impact is seen in the thousands of lives she’s touched — especially those who came to Unity Care NW on Medicaid or without insurance. Today, nearly 60% of Unity Care NW patients are covered by Medicaid, known as Apple Health in Washington, and 16% are uninsured.
One of her first patients, she recalled, had recently completed an inpatient recovery program and was rebuilding his life.
“He did so well — started a business, met someone, got married, had two kids who both went to college,” she said. “I still get Christmas cards from him.”
Handschy retired earlier this year, capping off an extraordinary career that left a lasting mark on the organization and the thousands of patients she cared for.
“I have so much faith in our staff, in our senior leadership, in figuring out new, innovative ways to address whatever those challenges are that come,” she said.
What Is a Community Health Center?
Across the country, more than 1,500 community health centers serve over 32.5 million patients in nearly 16,000 communities — the highest number in the program’s 60-year history.
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), like Unity Care NW, were created to care for everyone, regardless of ability to pay. More than 50% of patients served by FQHCs nationwide are on Medicaid and more than 90% live below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line, and 1 in 8 children in the U.S. receives care through a community health center.
These centers provide far more than basic medical services. They offer immunizations, HIV testing, mental health care, chronic disease management, and connection to community resources. They serve children, seniors, rural families, people experiencing homelessness, and others who often face barriers to care.
True to their name, community health centers are embedded in the communities they serve — helping people live healthier, stronger, and more supported lives.
Readers can learn more about Unity Care NW’s work and impact in Whatcom County by viewing the organization’s Annual Report. The report highlights the care provided, the challenges patients face, and the measurable difference Unity Care NW is making in the community. Join Unity Care NW’s mailing list to stay informed and find out how you can support efforts to make quality health care accessible to everyone in Whatcom County.
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