April 6, 2023 3:15 a.m. 

On Wednesday, Congresswoman Val Hoyle and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that an additional $1 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development, will help build Lane County’s 6th Federally Qualified Health Center.

A release from the lawmakers said the additional federal funds are an Emergency Rural Health Care grant that will be combined with the $1.5 million in Federal Community Project Funding that was secured by former Congressman Peter DeFazio and both the senators in 2022. In total, the new health clinic will bring in $2.5 million in federal investments.

Hoyle said, “This clinic is bringing taxpayer dollars that we send the federal government directly back into our communities to build healthcare infrastructure for generations”. Hoyle said, “It brings much needed access to primary, physical, mental and dental health into South Lane County, regardless of a person’s ability to pay”. Hoyle said the partnership with Lane Community College will provide education and on the job training for those wanting a career in health care and create jobs in a field where more workers are desperately needed.

Wyden said the project will fulfill a crucial need in south Lane County and northern Douglas County for nearly 10,000 Oregonians. Merkley said the facility will also increase education and career opportunities to help address the shortage of workers in the state.

The new clinic will be located inside Lane Community College at 1275 South River Road in Cottage Grove and will include an 8,000 square foot primary medical clinic with ten exam rooms and a procedure room. The 1,600 square foot dental clinic will have three dental stations, two private operating rooms, and a dental lab. Lane County will operate and provide health services through a long-term lease agreement.