County clinics win funding to expand.

Byline: Susan Palmer The Register-Guard

Lane County's health clinics for financially struggling residents just got a boost from the federal government.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department has awarded the county a $441,667 grant to expand the clinics' services.

The money will go RiverStone Clinic in Springfield and the health clinics in schools to keep them open longer, such as during the evening and on weekends. Staffing will increase by 12 full-time positions, including doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants and outreach workers.

Safe & Sound Homeless Youth health clinics also will benefit from the additional funding.

The programs are designed to make sure more homeless people and migrant farm workers have access to health care, said Katy Bloch, director of fundraising.

One outreach effort - called Pathways to Health - is designed to make sure that migrant and seasonal farm workers know that bilingual health care is available to them, Bloch said.

Those who are homeless face a different set of challenges - making it to scheduled appointments if they don't drive, for example, Bloch said.

"We'll be working with the homeless providers and the shelters, creating links between the shelters and clinics, and helping with transportation," Bloch said.

The grant may even be able to provide meals while people are waiting to see a health practitioner, she said.

The county expects the grant to help them serve 10,000 patients, including 1,000 seasonal farm workers and 1,500 homeless families and individuals.

The new grant augments a $653,202 grant awarded in June. The Community Health Centers of Lane County provide medical and dental care at a reduced fee for financially struggling and uninsured patients.