La Clinica partners with SOU to operate student health center
Medford-based community health center group La Clinica has partnered with Southern Oregon University to operate the on-campus Student Health & Wellness Center starting in September.
The collaboration is aimed at ensuring SOU can continue to provide students with affordable and high quality medical, behavioral health and reproductive health services. La Clinica accepts most insurance, including Oregon Health Plan, and does not turn away patients for inability to pay.
“La Clinica is an outstanding, community-minded organization, and SOU is proud to be partnering with them to ensure our students continue to get high-quality care while keeping their costs affordable,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “We are indebted to everyone at La Clinica for embracing this partnership with compassion, kindness, and a focus on selfless student service.”
La Clinica CEO Brenda Johnson said that providing services at SOU will come naturally for the healthcare organization.
“We’re grateful and excited to be able to step into this role as a partner and support SOU’s vision in providing accessible and affordable health care for their students,” said Johnson. “SOU is an excellent educational home, and La Clinica has a lot of experience running school-based health centers. It’s an ideal collaboration.”
La Clinica operates 29 health centers in Jackson County, including 19 at area schools. It has deep 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 as students return to campus in September for fall term, and will continue to offer students access to low-cost medical, mental health, and contraceptive care, as they’ve had available previously. The Student Health & Wellness Center is at the eastern edge of the SOU campus at 560 Indiana St.
La Clinica provides a host of other services to everyone involved in its care as well, including help signing up for the Oregon Health Plan or understanding other potential community resources; special prescription drug pricing; drop-in care on Saturdays at the Acute 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 wellness-focused medical, dental, mental health, and substance use disorder care at 29 sites: 19 school-based centers, the Acute Care Clinic, the Women’s Health Center, East Medford Dental Clinic, a learning center, and six other community health centers. 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. Visit https://laclinicahealth.org.
About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus 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. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.
