Medford-based community health center group La Clinica is partnering with Southern Oregon University to operate the campus’ student health and wellness center, which opens in September.
The collaboration aims to ensure that SOU can continue to provide students with affordable and high-quality medical, behavioral and reproductive health services. La Clinica accepts most insurances, including Oregon Health Plan, and does not turn away patients due to inability to pay.
“La Clinica is an outstanding community-oriented organization, and SOU is proud to partner with them to ensure our students continue to receive high-quality care while keeping costs affordable,” said SOU President Rick Bailey. “We are indebted to everyone at La Clinica for embracing this partnership with compassion, kindness and a focus on selfless service to students.”
La Clinica CEO Brenda Johnson said providing services at SOU will come naturally for the healthcare organization.
“We are grateful and excited to step into this role as a partner and support SOU’s vision of providing accessible and affordable health care for their students,” Johnson said. “SOU is an excellent educational home and La Clinica has a lot of experience in running school health centers. It’s a perfect collaboration.”
La Clinica operates 29 health centers in Jackson County, including 19 in area schools. He has extensive experience in providing the services offered at the Student Health Center. The organization serves about 30,000 patients annually.
La Clinica will begin operations at SOU when students return to campus in September for the fall term and will continue to offer students access to the low-cost medical, mental health and contraceptive care they have had before. The Student Health and Wellness Center is on the east end of SOU’s campus at 560 Indiana St.
La Clinica provides numerous other services to all involved in her care, including assistance with enrolling in the Oregon Health Plan or understanding other potential community resources; pricing of specialty prescription drugs; drop-in care on Saturdays at the Urgent Care Clinic; dental care; education and training services through The Learning Well (https://thelearningwell.org); and grief education and support services through WinterSpring.
About La Clinica
La Clinica offers medical, dental, mental health and substance use disorder care focused on wellness at 29 locations: 19 school centers, the Urgent Care Clinic, the Women’s Health Center, East Medford Dental Clinic, a teaching center and six other municipal health centers. Although its mission is focused on providing access to low-income people, La Clinica is open to all. La Clinica was founded in 1989 to serve the primary and preventive care needs of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers in Jackson County. In 2001, in response to the growing need for affordable primary health care, La Clinica expanded its reach to serve every member of the community. All services are offered regardless of a patient’s ability to pay and on a sliding scale for the uninsured and low-income. Visit https://laclinicahealth.org.
For Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong emphasis on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. The connected learning programs, taught by a host of outstanding faculty, provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.
