PORTLAND, Ore (Feb. 17, 2023) — Multnomah County is celebrating the purchase of the Rockwood Community Health Center, which it has operated in partnership with its original owner, CareOregon, since 2010.
This East Portland health center was established to reduce significant barriers to healthcare access for low-income and underinsured residents in the Rockwood area who previously had to travel outside of their neighborhood to access primary care, pharmacy and dental services.
The Community Health Center is staffed by four family practice providers, one internal medicine provider, two providers specializing in behavioral health, mental health and addictions, and two providers with a community health specialization. This clinic serves more than 8,000 individuals each year. More than 65% of Rockwood patients identify as people of color, and 35% utilize interpretation services.
The ceremonial building transfer, from CareOregon to Multnomah County, is a time to celebrate the success of this long-standing partnership to provide much-needed health care to the Rockwood community.
“I believe in the investments Multnomah County and CareOregon have made in Rockwood and look forward to the future of this successful Community Health Center, where so many families will continue to find the care they need,” said Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson.
“At CareOregon, our goal is to make sure that healthcare works for absolutely everyone,” said Eric C. Hunter, CareOregon CEO. “For communities like Rockwood that have historically been underserved by the healthcare system, that means working to bring new resources to their community. When we purchased this building back in 2009 with the goal of having Multnomah County open a health center here, we had a vision of creating a welcoming, community-centered environment. I could not be more proud of what they’ve been able to achieve. On behalf of everyone at CareOregon, I’d like to say ‘Welcome home Multnomah!’”
About Rockwood Community Health Center:
Multnomah County helped launch CareOregon, a nonprofit organization that works to bring health coverage to low income Oregonians, in the early 1990s. CareOregon was born out of a partnership between the County and OHSU to serve people on the new Oregon Health Plan and began working as an independent nonprofit in 1994.
The Multnomah County Health Department began its Rockwood partnership with CareOregon in 2010 to offer Rockwood residents preventative medical and dental care. CareOregon purchased the building in which the clinic will be housed, and they also funded necessary upgrades for the building.
The Rockwood area of Multnomah County is home to over 40,000 residents, and about 40% of those living there earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), and 20 to 30% do not have health insurance. Additionally, 70% of children living in Rockwood qualify for free or reduced lunch. The Rockwood area also encompasses two of the highest need ZIP codes in Multnomah County.
This neighborhood that has seen drastic changes in demographics in recent years and which previously did not have primary care services in the immediate area will now have access to four medical and two dental providers with the opening of the Rockwood Community Health Center. The clinic will provide health services that aim to fight serious health conditions, like obesity and diabetes.