COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — A primary care clinic and career technical education program are set to be established in Cottage Grove, South Lane County, thanks to a collaborative effort by the Community Health Centers of Lane County (CHCLC), Lane Community College (LCC), and various community partners. Lane County's Federal delegation and a $1.5 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture have played crucial roles in making this project possible. A ceremony marking the grant's receipt took place on April 5th at the future clinic site, featuring speeches from U.S. Representative Val Hoyle, USDA Under Secretary of Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small, LCC President Stephanie Bulger, and Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch.
The upcoming CHCLC site is particularly noteworthy as the first to be situated in a rural area of Lane County. It also signifies a unique partnership among CHCLC, LCC, South Lane School District, and PeaceHealth to not only address health disparities in South Lane but also provide career technical education opportunities. This collaboration aims to tackle the unmet primary care service needs identified by the Oregon Office of Rural Health.
Located at 1275 South River Road within Lane Community College’s Cottage Grove Center, the new clinic will be conveniently accessible to Cottage Grove High School and Bohemia Elementary School students. The facility will serve as a health and dental care training site for both South Lane School District and LCC students.
Dr. Stephanie Bulger, President of LCC, expressed her excitement for the partnership, stating, "I am thrilled to see this collaboration come to life and to witness the profound impact it will have on the health and well-being of the South Lane community. This joint effort will not only address health disparities but also provide career technical education opportunities, creating a brighter future for our students and community."
The South Lane Clinic, like all CHCLC sites, will provide a wide range of services to approximately 5,000 community members, encompassing medical, behavioral, reproductive, alternative, and oral healthcare. As a division of Lane County Health & Human Services, the clinic will also offer assistance in areas such as transportation, housing, medication, and care coordination.
Services at the South Lane Clinic are expected to commence between mid to late 2024.
Lane Community College educates over 15,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $850 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 13,000 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.