15 Oregon Community Health Centers Receive $7,000 Each to Fund COVID-19 Programs

Portland, OR – The Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA) is pleased to announce it has awarded $105,000 in mini-grants to 15 Oregon Community Health Centers (CHCs) helping fund programs addressing COVID-19 in their communities.

OPCA awarded $7,000 each to La Clinica, La Pine Community Health Center, Community Health Centers of Lane County, Mosaic Medical, Multnomah County Community Health Centers, Neighborhood Health Center, Northwest Human Services, Prism Health, Rogue Community Health, Adapt Integrated Health Care (formerly known as SouthRiver Community Health Center), Tillamook County Health Department, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, Wallace, White Bird Clinic, and Winding Waters Clinic.

“Oregon’s health centers have stepped up to meet the needs of the communities they serve to care for patients in response to the COVID-19 crisis, and in doing so, face huge financial losses,” said Joan Watson-Patko, OPCA’s Executive Director. “Funding through the Cambia Health Foundation supports efforts to decrease COVID-19 related health disparities, aid in prevention and testing, support the financial viability of health centers to ensure access for all in need of care, and assist health centers throughout recovery of this public health crisis.”
Below are the voices of two CHCs talking about their mini-grant programs captured by AmeriCorps member, Maya Roe-Bauer:
• Winding Water’s Hotspots and Hotpots program connected diabetes patients with cooking supplies and Internet access when cooking classes became virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• La Clinica used its mobile health center to provide COVID-19 testing, counseling, vaccination, and social services support.

Other mini-grant projects include:
• Wallace sent care packages with soap, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper to 236 of its patients disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
• Multnomah County Community Health Centers began holding listening sessions to better understand the equity issues of their community.

“Community health centers prove time and again their ability to be innovative and pivot quickly to meet the needs of their communities” Watson-Patko said. “We are pleased to be able to help support health centers in caring for communities most impacted by COVID-19.”

Mini-grants were made possible as part of a $300,000 Cambia Health Foundation grant OPCA received in 2020/2021 to address immediate impacts of COVID-19, help combat emerging health and safety issues, and play a vital role in the state’s recovery. OPCA is one of four community health center associations to receive a combined $1 million in grant funding as part of Cambia Health Foundation’s Community Health Center Crisis Response and Recovery Initiative.

About Oregon’s CHCs
Oregon’s community health centers deliver integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services at over 270 locations to the communities made vulnerable across the state. Over 466,000 Oregonians receive their care at a community health center, including one in four people on the Oregon Health Plan. Over 73% of patients live below the poverty line, and 94% live at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Over 75% of community health centers have clinic sites serving rural communities, 30% of Oregon’s community health centers are federally recognized as Health Care for the Homeless locations, and 33% are designated as Migrant Health Centers. Find out more about Oregon’s CHCs here.
About OPCA
OPCA is a non-profit membership association of Oregon’s 34 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including two FQHC Look-Alikes. FQHCs are also known as community health centers (CHCs). The organization’s mission is to lead the transformation of primary care to achieve health equity for all.

OPCA believes all people, in Oregon and beyond, should have the chance to lead their healthiest lives and have access to equitable health care. Oregon Primary Care Association supports a network of community health centers that deliver exceptional health care to people in urban, rural and frontier communities who may otherwise not have access to services. By helping health centers apply innovative approaches to health care delivery and system challenges, OPCA is transforming primary care in Oregon and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @OregonPCA or on Facebook

About AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.

About Cambia Health Foundation
Cambia Health Foundation is the corporate foundation of Cambia Health Solutions, a total health solutions company dedicated to making health care more person-focused and economically sustainable. Founded in 2007, the foundation has funded over $80 million in grants to advance whole person care models at every stage of life and build a just and inclusive health care system for all. Learn more at www.cambiahealthfoundation.org and follow on Twitter @CambiaHealthFdn