The Multnomah County Community Health Council honored the critical role county clinics play in our community and singled out Rep. Carla Piluso for her ongoing support for its patients in need.
The honors came Tuesday, Aug. 15 at a packed gathering at the East County Health Center. Healthcare providers, managers and patients came from across the county to celebrate National Health Center week.
“One of the most important things we do at the County is to offer access to medical care for our residents’’ said Commissioner Lori Stegmann, who represents East County from 148th Avenue in Portland to the Bonneville Dam. The East County Health Center alone cares for more than 22,000 patients.
The Community Health Council is a patient-led council helps oversee the County system that includes eight primary care clinics, six dental clinics and several specialty clinics, said Vanetta Abdellatif, director of Integrated Clinical Health Services.
Harold Odhiambo, Council chairman, declared National Community Health Center week saying Multnomah County:
- Has provided health care for 160 years.
- Currently serves more than 70,000 patients a year.
- Welcomes patients regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation or immigration status.
- Was named a primary care Medical Home by the Joint Commission.
- Partners with more than 200 different community organizations to deliver medical, dental, behavioral and social services to all people.
A champion for vulnerable children and families
Odhiambo particularly thanked Oregon Rep. Piluso, the first woman to become chief of the Gresham Police for her work in the Legislature to improve protections for domestic violence survivors, advocate for schools and children, and tackle poverty.
“Her experience has shaped her work and that is exactly what we need today,’’ Odhiambo said presenting her with the 2017 Community Health Council’s humanitarian award for improving access..
Over 70 percent of the county’s patients have very low incomes, most have unstable housing and 44 percent do not speak English, Odhiambo said. Piluso “sponsored bills that addressed heart of healthcare change, high-quality health care, no matter what country they come from and what their family works with.
A visibly-touched Piluso accepted the award but deflected the credit to the strength of her community.
“That is the spirit of East County, we do it because it is the right thing to do,’’ Rep. Piluso said. “I also have to acknowledge Lori Stegmann, longtime friends, luckily, honor to have representing Gresham, is bringing whole new voice.’’
The celebration also introduced health center patients.
Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, Fabiola Arreola described how she had received excellent care throughout the system. Her treatment inspired her to train to become a medical assistant herself.
“Every time I reached out for medical help, I felt like I was treated like family. The doctor and her assistant worried not only but my health status, but also about other aspects of my life.’’
Celebration comes amid heightened tension over health care
The accolades came after a bitter fight in Washington D.C. this year over access to healthcare. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, in a letter read by his representative Grace Stratton, extended a “heartfelt thanks’’ to the county staff for “providing care regardless of where you live or what you can afford to pay.
Over 350,000 Oregonians receive healthcare through community health centers, he said, “from maternity care to cancer screenings to treating opioid addiction and everything in between.’’
Sen. Wyden particularly thanked the community members who “called, wrote and tweeted and texted everyday,’’ to defend repealing the Affordable Care Act. “We cannot got back to the days when health care only worked for the healthy and the wealthy.’’
John Sawyer, director of federal affairs for the National Health Center Association, said that the celebration was one of 1,500 across the county. About 26 million Americans are served by community health centers at more than 10,000 locations, “probably not as beautiful as this one.’’
Sawyer acknowledged that the overall environment in Washington D.C. “feels very scary right now,’’ but that health centers are “one of the rare places of bipartisan agreement. We are the safety net and there is recognition across the political spectrum that we will be there when no one else will be.’’ Sawyer said people need to stay engaged in the healthcare debate and that staff must continue to offer excellent service.
“East County has such a great need, I am pretty sure you could go somewhere else and make a lot more money, but nowhere are you going to be where your work will be appreciated, as Multnomah County.”
Commissioner Stegmann said that need led her in part to make “one of my top priorities for this year’s County budget was to provide support for two local school districts to build at least one if not two school-based health centers in East County. “I believe that healthcare is the foundation for healthy families and strong communities.”Photo gallery contains a total of 10 images.
