New facility will help enhance services at community health clinic
By Maileen Hamto, Communications Writer, CareOregon

Ly Nguyen, left, CareOregon provider relations representative, with Linda Shan, director of the Nurse Practitioner Community Health Clinic.

Staff members at the Nurse Practitioner Community Health Clinic have a lot to smile about. The clinic recently moved to a more spacious facility that will allow better service for the community they serve.

The Nurse Practitioner Community Health Clinic has provided affordable, high-quality pediatric care to low-income, uninsured children and support services to families for 25 years. Its new space at 27 N.E. Killingsworth St., is nearly twice as large as its old facility.

Linda Shan, clinic director, says that a new facility has been on the clinic’s wish list for a number of years. The clinic board and staff have discussed moving to a larger facility, to accommodate its growing practice. In March of this year, one of the clinic’s board members located a facility that was available and meets all of the clinic’s needs. 

“We wanted to stay in the area, and our new location is only a few blocks away from our previous home,” she said.

Many families and children served by the clinic are on the Oregon Health Plan. In addition, the clinic serves a number of families who are uninsured as well as undocumented immigrants.

“We serve a variety of health care needs, from kids needing well-child check ups and immunizations to children with chronic conditions, such as asthma and diabetes,” Linda said. “We’re very happy to be serving this community, because it’s great to know that we’re making a difference in the lives of families and children. We’re motivated by the knowledge that if we’re not here, many people in this community would not have access to quality health care.”

Several CareOregon staff members helped the clinic with the move in early June. Ly Nguyen, provider relations representative, served as the liaison between the clinic and volunteers Jennifer Koons, Gloria Hughes and Sharon Madara.

“The staff and providers at the clinic have been a joy to work with,” said Ly Nguyen, provider relations representative. “I am very excited on their move to a much needed, bigger clinic space.  The move shows their commitment to their patients and to the community.  The clinic has been and will continue to be a wonderful addition to CareOregon's provider panel.”