Press Releases

La Clinica launches education and support service

May 31, 2022

Building on its dedication to helping individuals and communities thrive, La Clinica has brought its educational and support services together under a new name, The Learning Well. The new service offers personal and professional development workshops, health-education classes and groups, and workforce training available to the entire community.

“We recognize that traditional health care is just one of many factors contributing to a person’s health and well-being,” said Margie McNabb, who heads the new service for La Clinica. “This inclusive learning community can supply tools and coaching to help address other factors such as social connections, education, and employment. The Learning Well is here to support anyone in creating wellness in every part of life.”

The Learning Well aims to harness the transformative power of education to improve whole-person well-being and build healthy communities. It uses a wellness wheel to illustrate key parts of overall wellness—body, mind, spirit, emotions, relationships, career, and environment—and guide people in focusing on the parts of their life that matter most to them as they learn how to craft their healthiest and most satisfying life. Each course touches on one or more of these areas.
For example, people who want to work on their physical health might enroll in online or in-person exercise classes. Those focused on building a career will find workshops in communication, leadership, and equity, as well as classes on becoming a healthcare interpreter or learning CPR and other basic life-saving skills.

For years, La Clinica has offered movement, mindfulness, and healthy cooking and eating classes for patients for free or a low cost. In 2016, La Clinica bought Wings Seminars, a Eugene-based organization offering personal growth workshops, with the aim of expanding that learning and development opportunity to patients while continuing to serve people across the region. This spring, La Clinica is integrating the grief and loss support and education programs of WinterSpring, a longtime Rogue Valley nonprofit. The Learning Well unites all these focuses in one service.
The Learning Well is open to anyone in the community. An income-based sliding scale, payment plans, discounts, and scholarships strive to make all courses affordable to all. Learn more about the service and see a complete list of classes, workshops, and support groups at www.thelearningwell.org.

About La Clinica
La Clinica offers wellness-focused medical, dental, mental health, and substance use disorder care at 26 sites: six primary health centers, an Acute Care Clinic, East Medford Dental Clinic, 17 school-based centers, and a mobile center. Although its mission focuses on providing access to low-income people, La Clinica is open to everyone. La Clinica was founded in 1989 to serve the primary and preventive care needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers in Jackson County. In 2001, in response to an increasing need for affordable primary health, La Clinica expanded its scope to serve every member of the community. All services are offered regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, and on a sliding-scale basis for the uninsured and low income.

WinterSpring finds home at La Clinica

March 17, 2022

WinterSpring’s grief and loss support programs will be integrated into La Clinica’s health and wellness classes it offers patients and the wider community by summer.

Leaders of the Rogue Valley nonprofit, in operation since 1989, approached La Clinica leaders last year as they sought stability for the small organization and to place it in a traditional healthcare setting. The boards of both organizations recently approved WinterSpring’s integration into La Clinica.

“La Clinica will benefit from the deep expertise, wisdom, and program design that WinterSpring holds in the work of grief and loss,” said CEO Brenda Johnson. “We see the importance of this work in the community and believe we can help carry it wholeheartedly long into the future. Ongoing grief and loss services are often absent from traditional healthcare models, and it’s time we rectify that.”

“We view this as a particularly innovative integration, one that will provide WinterSpring programs with the infrastructure they have so desperately needed while centering grief-informed care and education in the traditional healthcare model, where it has been missing for so long,” said WinterSpring Board President Janine Twining. “This type of partnership is not only innovative and timely, it is absolutely necessary.”

La Clinica plans to continue all WinterSpring programs and hopes to add new programs to support people’s continuing recovery from the 2020 Almeda fires, she noted. It also hopes to expand courses available in Spanish.

Leaders’ goal is to complete the transition by June. WinterSpring will continue to use its name in connection with grief loss and support programs in the community.

About WinterSpring
WinterSpring is a community-based bereavement-services organization serving Jackson County since 1989. To carry out its mission, it offers compassionate phone support and resources for grieving people. This often results in people attending a peer-to-peer bereavement support group facilitated by trained volunteers using the companioning model of Dr. Alan Wolfelt. The groups include a children’s program, school-based teen grief support, and a variety of adult groups based on the type of loss, such as spouse/partner loss, bereaved parents and sudden death. It’s through sharing stories and feeling connected to others suffering similar losses that people find healing and glean the wisdom that comes from better understanding their own experience of loss. WinterSpring also provides training, information and education to professionals and other community members on how to help others during times of grief and loss.

WinterSpring peer support groups are offered at no charge. The death of a loved one is not only emotionally overwhelming, it can be financially devastating as well. WinterSpring wants nothing to be a barrier to finding vital support at a time of great need.

About La Clinica
La Clinica offers wellness-focused medical, dental, mental health, and substance use disorder care at 26 sites: six primary health centers, an Acute Care Clinic, East Medford Dental Clinic, 17 school-based centers, and via a mobile center. Although its mission focuses on providing access to low-income people, La Clinica is open to everyone. La Clinica was founded in 1989 to serve the primary and preventive care needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers in Jackson County. In 2001, in response to an increasing need for affordable primary health, La Clinica expanded its scope to serve every member of the community. All services are offered regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, and on a sliding-scale basis for the uninsured and low income.

La Clinica gets funding for dental outreach program

February 2, 2022

The Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation has given $15,000 to La Clinica’s Happy Smiles dental outreach program that provides basic dental care in local schools.

Happy Smiles provides dental screenings and education, fluoride treatments, sealants to help prevent tooth decay, and dental care kits with toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, along with referrals to local dentists for those needing more comprehensive care. It serves 28 schools in Jackson County including elementary and middle schools in partnership with Medford, Phoenix-Talent, and Central Point school districts, and the Oregon Child Development Coalition.

The dental care La Clinica provides in schools reaches about 15,000 children annually, helping set youngsters on a path to a lifetime of healthy teeth. Getting dental care at school helps reduce absences and prevent pain that can make it hard for kids to concentrate and learn. It’s also convenient for parents and guardians, who can get their children’s basic dental care done without having to take time off work for appointments. The care is free for children in low-income households that don’t have dental insurance.

Since its start in 2005, Happy Smiles has relied on community support to pay for its services at schools and other locations. Learn more about Happy Smiles at https://laclinicahealth.org/services/school-based/dental/.

Since 1998, the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation has supported nonprofits dedicated to improving lives in seven southwestern Oregon counties, granting more than $20 million over the decades. Its most recent round of giving in January 2022 awarded $625,692 to 62 nonprofits in Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, and Lane counties.

About La Clinica

La Clinica offers wellness-focused medical, dental, mental health, and substance use disorder care at 26 sites: six primary health centers, an Acute Care Clinic, East Medford Dental Clinic, 17 school-based centers, and a mobile center. Although its mission focuses on providing access to low-income people, La Clinica is open to everyone. La Clinica was founded in 1989 to serve the primary and preventive care needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers in Jackson County. In 2001, in response to an increasing need for affordable primary health, La Clinica expanded its scope to serve every member of the community. All services are offered regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, and on a sliding-scale basis for the uninsured and low income.

Contact: Julie Wurth, communications officer
541-512-3153
jwurth@laclinicahealth.org

Pandemic-ready acute care clinic planned

November 16, 2020

La Clinica’s efforts to provide safe and quick evaluation of possible COVID-19 symptoms have evolved into plans for an acute care clinic designed to respond to infectious disease outbreaks as well as common illnesses and injuries that need urgent care.

La Clinica is developing a roughly 1,500-square-foot acute care clinic at 616 Market St., around the corner from its Wellness Center. The new clinic is expected to open in January.

Initially it will house the organization’s respiratory triage clinic, which provides COVID-19 screening and testing. In March, La Clinica set up its respiratory triage clinic at the Wellness Center, blocking off space and using a separate entrance to keep patients with a cough, fever, and related symptoms safely away from others.

Within a year, La Clinica expects to add a variety of acute care services for the quick treatment of infectious diseases and minor injuries. Eventually, the plan is to expand the building and offer wound care, sports physicals, well-child checks, initial visits for substance use care, and imaging.

“This innovative project brings together best practices in public health and clinical care to meet community needs every day in a flexible and cost-effective way,” Chief Operations Officer Tara Kirk said.

The new clinic will be in a concrete-block building La Clinica has used for storage. It will have six exam rooms and incorporate multiple features designed to protect patients and employees from contagious illnesses. For example, the pharmacy, lab, and reception desk will have walk-up or drive-up service windows. A rolling overhead door will open the waiting area to the outdoors. Space for staff to put on and take off protective gear and an upgraded ventilation system will help limit exposure to potential dangers.

Remodeling, permits, and equipping the clinic will push the initial investment in the project to nearly $900,000. Vitus Construction Inc. is the general contractor. La Clinica is raising money for the project and will rely on community support, including government and foundation grants. Visit www.laclinicahealth.org/donate to support the acute care center, La Clinica’s COVID-19 emergency response, or general operations.

La Clinica takes preventive care outside

October 20, 2020

La Clinica is stepping up to protect people of all ages from the flu and oral disease in a pair of parking lot clinics that will offer flu shots and dental screenings.

One clinic is set for 1-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at La Clinica’s Central Point Health Center, 4940 Hamrick Road. Another is set for 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Phoenix Health Center, 3617 S. Pacific Highway. No appointments are needed.

La Clinica moved its annual flu shot clinics for patients into health center parking lots this fall so people can get important vaccine protection from influenza while limiting potential exposure to coronavirus. Providing flu shots outside means people don’t even have to go into a clinic and makes it easy for people to keep a safe distance from others.

The organization’s Happy Smiles team, which provides dental screenings, education, and fluoride treatments in schools, decided to bring their services to these safe outdoor clinics while schools teach remotely. Happy Smiles usually serves students at 27 Jackson County schools and also visits other community sites.

With coronavirus spreading in the community, Happy Smiles hasn’t been able to provide care on campuses and dental care has at times been restricted around the state. The team will offer dental screening and fluoride varnish for kids and adults. Services are provided at no cost, but dental insurance will be billed if people have it.

Flu vaccine is available at no cost to most insured patients, including people on the Oregon Health Plan. Cost for uninsured patients is $20 to $42.

Contact: Julie Wurth, communications officer, 541-512-3153, 541-840-6513, jwurth@laclinicahealth.org

About La Clinica

La Clinica offers wellness-focused medical, dental, mental health, and substance use disorder care at 21 sites: six primary health centers, East Medford Dental Clinic, 13 school-based centers, and in a mobile center. Although its mission focuses on providing access to low-income people, La Clinica is open to everyone. La Clinica was founded in 1989 to serve the primary and preventive care needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers in Jackson County. In 2001, in response to an increasing need for affordable primary health, La Clinica expanded its scope to serve every member of the community. All services are offered regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, and on a sliding-scale basis for the uninsured and low income.

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