Virginia Garcia to Serve Kids Without Health Coverage Thanks to OHA Grant

HILLSBORO, OR — Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center will act as the lead organization managing an Oregon Health Authority grant to provide health care services to kids in Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill counties, Virginia Garcia officials announced Monday.

Totaling nearly $2 million, the grant will be shared by Virginia Garcia, the National University of Natural Medicine Health Centers (NUNM), and Neighborhood Health Center (NHC). According to a statement from Virginia Garcia spokeswoman Kasi Woidyla, the three organizations will collaborate on the I'm Healthy! / ¡Soy Sano! program to find ways to assist more than 4,000 children and teens who are currently without Oregon Health Plan or Qualified Health Plans medical coverage. For its part, Virginia Garcia received $1.7 million of the $1.9 million grant.

"Virginia Garcia is excited to be the lead agency for this important grant. Children make up 48 percent of (Virginia Garcia's) population and are central to our mission," Serena Cruz, executive director of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation, said in a statement. "This program will help to end a vicious health care cycle for many families. When children don't get care, they get sick and their parents can't work, which means they don't get paid. When kids are healthy, they are set up for school success, their parents can work and families can thrive."

Virginia Garcia officials said they plan to lean on the already-established partnership the organization has with school-based health centers in six school districts in Washington and Yamhill counties to help spread awareness and work toward its goal.

"The goal of I'm healthy! / ¡Soy Sano! is to provide primary and preventive care services at no cost to our uninsurable pediatric patients," I'm Healthy! / ¡Soy Sano! Program Manager Lindsay Verber said. "Our warm and welcoming school-based health clinics provide the optimal environment for children, teens and families to connect with their provider and feel empowered to take charge of their health."

Click here to learn more about Virginia Garcia's I'm Healthy! / ¡Soy Sano! program.

"Children under the age of 18 represent 32 percent of all people in poverty. Approximately one in every five kids live in poor families," said Regina Dehen, NUNM chief medical officer and dean of clinics. "Many children accessing health centers across Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties are uninsured and live in first-generation immigrant homes with caregivers who do not embrace mainstream medicine and have little or no ability to pay.

"We're delighted to join our partners at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center and Neighborhood Health Center to make a difference in the health of the kids in our combined service area."

NUNM received more than $110,000 to assist with its mission to provide free primary and preventive care services to pediatric patients who are otherwise ineligible for health care coverage at NUNM's health centers in Beaverton, Hillsboro and Portland, Woidyla said. And Neighborhood Health Clinic received $92,000 to continue providing services to its school-based health centers in Clackamas and Washington counties.

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