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Three years after a health clinic in rural eastern Lane County was destroyed by a fire at a vacation ranch, it is finally being rebuilt.
The community of Blue River is home to the only primary health care clinic between Springfield and Sisters. In September 2020, fires swept through the area, destroying that building and much of the surrounding infrastructure.
After the disaster, the clinic found a temporary location in a converted quilt shop. However, organizers said this has limited space and an unreliable internet connection.
This month, construction began on a new clinic for those providers. The project is a partnership between Orchid Health and a local non-profit called McKenzie Valley Wellness.
“I’m excited that our team is able to transition to a new structure that better reflects the commitment they make every day,” said Orion Falvey, CEO of Orchid Health.
Daisy Cruz
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Orchid Health
The plan is to create a modern facility with high-speed Internet for Telehealth services. Project leaders said the space is also large enough to accommodate new programs, such as dental health or physical therapy.
Val Rapp, President of McKenzie Valley Wellness, said rural communities like this need accessible health care.
“It’s at the primary health care level where you can really bend the health care outcomes curve,” she said. “You can help someone change their lifestyle 20 years before they have a heart attack.”
Rapp said the holiday farm fire has traumatized the local community, damaging local mental health. She believes the smoke from the fire will also have ongoing health impacts.
The new clinic is being fortified against future fires. The developers are using flame-resistant building materials and plan to include an air filtration system for smoke.
“It is a matter of when a fire returns, no whether“, Rapp said. “The building has that in mind.”
Construction of the new clinic is supported by $1.8 million in state funding. The project is expected to last about a year.
