Social Justice
Program Areas
One Community Health’s mission is to advance health and social justice for all members of our community.
Social justice work is intrinsically intertwined with health care. Research shows that racism, poverty, discrimination, trauma, and many other social determinants of health can lead to poor health outcomes. Even the zip code where you were born can impact your risk for developing certain conditions. Our clinicians see this impact every day as they care for the most vulnerable people in our community. We believe strongly that working to shift systems of oppression for marginalized communities is an essential part of improving people’s health.
In 2022 One Community Health launched “La Clínica”, a mobile medical clinic serving the Columbia River Gorge. Medical care, virtual behavioral health, and several other services are offered from the mobile clinic at a variety of locations throughout the Gorge. Barriers such as lack of transportation, work, and child care schedules, and trouble navigating the health care system can make it hard to access health care services at our main clinics. OCH is working to provide access to needed care where people live and work! Communities served include Native American in-lieu sites, Cascade Locks, Odell, Parkdale, the Pallet Shelter, and St. Vincent de Paul in The Dalles. The name “La Clínica” holds a special place in the hearts of our staff, patients, and community. One Community Health’s name from 1986 to 2013, we know that it still carries the spirit of our origins.
In 2020 OCH partnered with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and received the CDC’s Supporting Tribal Public Health Capacity in Coronavirus Preparedness and Response grant. This grant has allowed OCH to dedicate staff and resources to the historically underserved Native American communities who live and fish along the Columbia River. In the past, this community has had to travel 1-2 hours to Portland, Yakima, or Warm Springs to receive health care. OCH now has a dedicated nurse, Community Health Worker, and mobile healthcare unit to provide healthcare and COVID support to this resilient community.
The Oregon Law Center (OLC) is a non-profit law firm that provides FREE legal aid to low-income people (People under 125% of the Federal Poverty Level). Help is available every 1st and 3rd Wednesday from 10:00am - 3:00pm at One Community Health Hood River Clinic. Virtual/phone visits are available for patients in The Dalles. Learn more about the program here or schedule an appointment by calling 541.386.6380
One Community Health is committed to supporting and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. OCH is taking many steps to provide thoughtful health care and advocate for the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. This includes staff receiving regular and up-to-date training, as well as the continued expansion of gender-affirming and LGBTQ+ supportive care.
Bridges to Health (B2H) is a cross-sector, collaborative approach to providing community care coordination. Bridges to Health is the regional implementation of the Pathways model serving Hood River and Wasco Counties. Pathways is a model that enables a centralized HUB to coordinate, track and measure both the process and the resources to provide distributed community care coordination to people served. Pathways ties payments to milestones that improve clients’ health and well-being.
For some people, access to high quality medical care is beyond their reach. The OHSU Casey Community Outreach Program brings eye care into focus by providing free vision screenings to adults that identify common preventable and treatable eye conditions that often cause blindness. Participants are examined at no cost, and OCH assists with follow-up for individuals in need of assistance in purchasing glasses or access to further medical support. This strong community partnership model links people with high quality vision health services through existing agencies and resources in their community.
OCH worked with many community partners to create the ‘Esencial’ campaign. Esencial is a celebration of farmworkers in the Gorge, who are an essential part of our local economy. Their hard work often goes unacknowledged, and they have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. You will see #esencial banners around town, which were graciously funded through a grant from the United Way. The Esencial campaign is a partnership between : The Next Door, Inc., Comunidades Amplifying Voices for Environmental and Social Justice, Hood River County Health Department, North Central Public Health District, Gorge Ecumenical Ministries, Matthew 25 The Gorge, Radio Tierra, Hood River Prevents, Mid-Columbia Medical Center, Gorge Grown Food Network, Oregon Health Authority, Hood River County School District, Tina Castanares, MD, Health Gorge Initiative, Oregon State University Extension Service, Alas de Aguila Four Square Church, Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, and Northwest Regional Primary Care Association. You can follow the Esencial campaign on Facebook or Instagram at @esencialgorge
Since OCH received our first COVID vaccine doses in January 2021, we have worked hard to equitably distribute vaccines to the most vulnerable and hardest hit communities. 75% of vaccine doses have gone to people who identify as Latinx, Hispanic, Native American, LGBTQ+, or whose income level is below 200% of the federal poverty line. The majority of vaccine doses have gone to people who identify as Hispanic and/or Latinx. A fifth of all vaccine doses at OCH have gone to migrant and/or seasonal farmworkers. OCH holds vaccine clinics in locations that are convenient to vulnerable communities, including in-lieu treaty fishing sites, packing houses, and orchards. This helps eliminate barriers to vaccination such as transportation. We partner with employers of communities most impacted by COVID to distribute vaccines, testing, and personal protective equipment. Employees are able to get the COVID services they need without having to take time off of work. OCH works closely with organizations trusted by vulnerable communities to provide vaccines. Some of our amazing partners include the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, The Next Door, Inc., and Radio Tierra.
Join Our Team
One Community Health is a vibrant, growing organization. Many people choose to work for us because they appreciate our focus on whole-person health and their values align with our patient-centered, mission-driven care. In our rural health care setting, we offer the best in terms of modern services and an integrated approach to whole-person care.