En Español – enlace aquí
Date: April 20, 2022
Contact: Jayne Romero
Phone: 541-265-0400
County HHS scheduled opening Waldport clinic in July
(NEWPORT, OR) For those seeking medical and behavioral health services in southern Lincoln County, a more convenient option will open in July, when Lincoln County Health and Human Services (HHS) launches a new clinic in Waldport .
Earlier this month, the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to buy the building at 525 N. Bay Street, which once housed a doctor’s office. The sale is expected to be finalized on April 21, which will officially reinvigorate efforts to prepare the building for the opening of a clinic in July.
“Because this was a doctor’s office, the layout and design is perfect for our operation,” said HHS Director Jayne Romero. “As soon as we looked at the building, we could see the possibilities,” she added.
The next few months will be spent on minor renovations, installing fiber optic cables in the building for internet connectivity and obtaining the various permits required for any clinics in place.
Like the clinics operated in Newport and Lincoln City, the Waldport facility will house a Federal Qualified Health Clinic (FQHC), meaning services are provided regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.
Initially, Romero plans for primary care services to be offered two days a week, behavioral health services two days a week, and a registered nurse on site for two days as well. The building’s layout also lends itself to traveling clinics and services, including a monthly clinic for those using the Women’s, Infants, and Children’s (WIC) nutrition program and gatherings related to the Maternal and Child Health program. . Over time, it is likely that additional programs and services will be offered at the facility.
Currently, HHS operates a school-based health clinic in Waldport, providing primary care and behavioral health services to students. This service will continue and be complemented by additional child and family behavioral health services at the new facility.
Efforts are underway to recruit additional medical providers for HHS staff, which provides care at multiple sites across the county. Officials anticipate that existing providers will see patients in Waldport until new recruits join the staff.
“We are excited for this opportunity to provide greater access to care for those who have already struggled with barriers, whether it’s transportation, inability to pay, or a sense of hopelessness. bullying about going into a bigger office,” Romero said. .
County commission chairwoman Claire Hall was also enthused when the commission voted unanimously to purchase the building for $370,000.
“It will be a wonderful expansion of our health and social services in the south county,” she said.
For updates on the clinic’s July opening in Waldport, visit www.co.lincoln.or.us/hhs or check out the organization’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/LincolnHHS.
To be determined
Comments are closed.