Bonamici Tours Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in Cornelius

Portland, OR—Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) joined Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center CEO Gil Muñoz, Cornelius Mayor Jef Dalin, and City Manager Rob Drake for a tour and discussion of the role of community health centers in health care transformation in Oregon. Virginia Garcia clinics are an important part of the development of coordinated care organizations (CCOs), the centerpiece of the state’s plan to modernize health care delivery that is part of a $1.9 billion agreement with the federal government.

Bonamici met with executives and staff of the health center to discuss their efforts to create broader access to health services for underrepresented groups. The Affordable Care Act set into motion increased patient protections and greater access to preventative care, but Oregon continues to play a national role in taking action to transform how care is delivered to best serve our communities.

“We must all work together to increase access to health care,” said Bonamici, “And the Virginia Garcia clinics are a critical component of ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our society receive the care they need. I look forward to working with Virginia Garcia staff and state and local partners to build a model system that emphasizes prevention and good health for all Oregonians.”

“I am glad to join with Congresswoman Bonamici and others to draw attention to the increasingly important role that community health clinics have in Oregon,” said Muñoz. “Offering preventative health care services to uninsured and underinsured patients is the first step in reducing costs statewide and promoting good health for all Oregonians.”  

The Cornelius clinic opened in 1975 and serves approximately 6,700 patients annually, with a special emphasis on underserved communities, including migrant and seasonal farmworkers and others with barriers to receiving healthcare.