Clinic awarded $387,000 to provide services for the Washington County’s uninsured patients
Washington County of Oregon’s Department of Health and Human Services has awarded National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM) a 2-year grant for a total of $387,000 to provide services for the county’s uninsured patients.
The county is closing 2 of its clinics and will instead fund safety-net clinics like NCNM’s Beaverton Clinic to ensure uninterrupted service to county patients. The grant, with an annual award of $193,500, has the potential to be renewed for an additional 3 years for a total of $967,500.
This year, NCNM Beaverton Clinic will receive $141,000 to provide naturopathic primary care services and $52,500 for preventive services for 2,550 of the county’s uninsured patients. Services will include family planning, vaccine immunizations, and sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening and treatments and will be offered at low or no cost to Washington County patients who are uninsured or underinsured and are eligible for financial assistance. In addition to underserved patients, the grant allows NCNM to offer discounted vaccinations and STD testing and treatment to patients at all 13 NCNM teaching clinics throughout greater Portland.
NCNM Beaverton Clinic offers patients naturopathic primary care and Chinese medicine, including acupuncture. It is staffed by bilingual receptionists and medical practitioners. The clinic, which opened in June 2014, will soon provide a full range of laboratory services, including blood draws, specialized tests and laboratory procedures. It also offers a comprehensive selection of supplements, Chinese and Western herbs, and homeopathic remedies. The clinic’s naturopathic physicians are licensed in Oregon to prescribe and review pharmaceutical medications in addition to herbal medications.
Natural Medicine and Vaccinations
While there are a variety of different views within the naturopathic community concerning vaccinations, NCNM has participated in vaccine administration and counseling for more than 15 years. As Dean of Clinics Regina Dehen, ND, LAc, noted, “NCNM students have considered the clinical experience of working with mainstream pharmaceuticals, such as vaccinations or contraceptives, to be of tremendous educational value. . . .Our clinics support vaccinations as a preventive tool to help reduce the prevalence of infectious diseases and believe in educating our patients about their options in considering not only the well-being of family, but of the greater community.”
The Growth of the Beaverton Clinic
NCNM Beaverton Clinic has experienced steady growth since opening its doors in 2014. In addition to retaining a small group of patients from NCNM’s former community clinic at Beaverton’s Elsie Stuhr Senior Center, to date it has attracted more than 600 new patients who have never before visited an NCNM clinic or seen a naturopathic primary care physician. Both naturopathic and Chinese medicine are highly effective for a range of healthcare conditions, from common ailments like allergies, colds, and flu to chronic and acute conditions including diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, and heart disease.
All NCNM patients can schedule appointments with licensed naturopathic primary care physicians or Chinese medicine practitioners. NCNM clinics, which set rates well below the market average for naturopathic and Chinese medicine office visits, also bill insurance. The clinic is empaneled with Oregon Health Plan Open Card and CareOregon and credentialed with many commercial insurance carriers, including LifeWise of Oregon and Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon.
To schedule an appointment at NCNM Beaverton Clinic, call 503.372.9824.
