Inside a red brick building on Tacoma’s Hilltop, the Neighborhood Clinic opens its doors twice a week, offering free medical care to those in need. It’s here that Cecilia Turetzky ’26 turned a community need into action — launching a mobile blood pressure clinic and earning recognition from Washington’s governor.
Last fall, Turetzky, a double major in molecular and cellular biology and neuro-bioethics, launched a mobile blood pressure clinic to provide hypertension screenings and education across Tacoma. This accomplishment led to her receiving the Student Civic Leadership Award from the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good in March.
Turetzky’s work is rooted in her years of volunteering at the Neighborhood Clinic, where she’s been involved since her first year at the university. With a lean staff of three and a rotating team of medical volunteers, the clinic serves individuals without insurance or those who face significant barriers to accessing medical care.
“We do a lot of vaccines, annual preventive care, blood work, prescription refills — just things that you would normally have to go to a hospital or a doctor's office for,” Turetzky said. “If you don't have a primary care doctor or can’t afford the copay, we're here for you.”
Turetzky first discovered the clinic through the university’s website and was drawn in by a desire to continue her high school volunteering efforts. Her commitment to addressing community needs led her to develop a chronic disease management initiative. The idea sparked during a conversation with a doctor at the clinic about the most prevalent patient needs, such as hypertension and diabetes.
After talking with the clinic’s coordinator, Clarivel Manzueta, and researching the Community Health Needs Assessment for Pierce County, she learned about the area’s higher rates of hypertension and a documented need for mobile screening and education. Armed with this knowledge, she launched the mobile blood pressure clinic.
Turetzky applied for the Hurley Community Service Scholarship to aid in launching the mobile clinic. Established in memory of Declan Hurley by his parents, Mary Ann Fletcher Hurley ’65 and John Hurley, the scholarship supports students who propose forward-thinking, community-centered projects. She worked with clinic staff to secure donors, obtained a Community Engagement Initiative grant through the Office of Experiential Learning, recruited and trained a team of volunteers with help from Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services (CHWS), and started building partnerships with nonprofits across the city.
The mobile clinic pops up at community events, job fairs, and outside churches and homeless shelters — meeting people where they are at. This has provided Turetzky with insights into the significant barriers people face in accessing health care.
“It definitely highlights the importance of meeting the community where they are at and working with them, rather than expecting them to come to us,” she said.
Turetzky emphasized the need to understand patients’ broader challenges, especially those who are low-income or experiencing homelessness. Recognizing that advice like “eat healthier” means little without access to nutritious food, the clinic takes a more holistic approach, such as giving out grocery store gift cards, so patients can purchase food or other essentials to manage hypertension and stress. This practical support helps bridge the gap between medical guidance and real-life challenges.
She says her time volunteering at the Neighborhood Clinic has solidified her career aspirations. Turetzky plans to pursue primary care, blending her love for medicine with bioethics, policy, and advocacy.
Receiving the award was a surprise for Turetzky, who hopes her story will inspire others.
“I hope that people, if they read this story, realize that you don’t need a degree or title in order to make a difference in your community. You just have to be willing to ask, ‘what can I do to help?’”
Her advice to other students or anyone wanting to make a difference is simple: “People want to help you. They’re just waiting for you to ask.”
