La Clinica will reopen the doors of its Phoenix Health Center to patients on Monday, just over a month after the Almeda fire swept through the neighborhood, leaving the building standing amidst the destruction of most of the mobile homes and businesses that surround it.
“We are extremely grateful to the crews who fought this fire and full of love and support for residents as they recover from this tragedy,” said CEO Brenda Johnson. “We are hopeful Phoenix Health Center can serve as a resource for the community in its time of great need.”
About 1,300 patients across La Clinica were displaced in the fire, and about half of those were Phoenix Health Center patients. Employees of the center have been calling patients to understand what support they may need and seeing them at other La Clinica centers or through video visits. Although La Clinica is open to all Jackson County residents, its mission is to serve those living at lower incomes.
While Phoenix Health Center itself was untouched in the fire, flames burned up to the building, melting its fence, consuming landscaping, filling the building with smoke, and ruining data and telecommunication cables.
Under skies smoky from other fires on Friday, employees returned to the structure for the first time since the blaze, some also taking in their first view of the charred landscape that surrounds it. Johnson talked with the group about perseverance, hope, and the future. Their job now is more important than ever, she told them.
“This has been a difficult time,” acknowledged Practice Manager Amy McClung. “We’re concerned about our patients, and many of the employees know people who have been affected or have been affected themselves. But it’s good to be back, and we’re ready to be back in service.”
Phoenix Health Center is open Mondays-Saturdays at 3617 S. Pacific Highway.
接触: Julie Wurth,通讯官,541-512-3153,541-840-6513, jwurth@laclinicahealth.org
关于La Clinica
La Clinica 在 21 个地点提供以健康为中心的医疗、牙科、心理健康和物质使用障碍护理:六个初级保健中心、East Medford Dental Clinic、13 个学校中心和一个流动中心。虽然 La Clinica 的使命是为低收入人群提供服务,但它也向所有人开放。La Clinica 成立于 1989 年,旨在满足杰克逊县流动和季节性农场工人的初级和预防性护理需求。2001 年,为了满足对负担得起的初级保健日益增长的需求,La Clinica 扩大了其范围,为社区的每一位成员提供服务。所有服务均不考虑患者的支付能力,并针对无保险和低收入人群按比例收费。