1986
In the late 1970s, farmers and child advocates in the Columbia River Gorge founded the Migrant and Indian Coalition (now called the Oregon Child Development Coalition) to provide much-needed daycare for preschool children. Ten years later, the same group recognized that farmworkers and their families often had trouble accessing medical care. In response, these advocates teamed up to create a new nonprofit migrant health center, originally called La Clínica del Cariño/The Caring Clinic, or “La Clínica” for short. The clinic first opened its doors in Hood River, Ore., in 1986.

1986
Thanks to a federal grant, La Clínica immediately began providing farmworkers and others with medical care in a small, rented office on Rand and May Streets. Manuel de Anda Gutierrez chaired La Clínica’s first board of directors, and Colin Wood was the organization’s first executive director. Both were exceptional leaders who carried La Clínica into a period of rapid change and growth.

1986
By 1988, nearly 50 percent of the patients who came through the door weren’t farmworkers or Latinos but other community members who also needed affordable health care. Our doctors were delivering almost half of all the babies born in Hood River County. As a result, the federal government designated La Clínica more broadly as a community health center and awarded additional grant funding.

1988
La Clínica was a pioneer in using community health workers, formerly known as health promoters, to help patients get the health education and care they needed. In 1988, we began our first health promotion program: El Niño Sano/The Healthy Child.

1990
In just four years, La Clínica grew quickly and needed a new facility.

1991
In 1990, property was purchased on Pacific Avenue in Hood River, using a combination of grants, loans, donations and payments for care. Our new, permanent two-story building opened there in 1991.

1995
El Niño Sano demonstrated a huge unmet need for dental care for children and their families, so a new dental facility was added to our Hood River location in 1995.

2004
Medical and dental care flourished at La Clínica. Our various health promoter programs received national awards. Although we had always provided services to people from Hood River and Wasco counties in Oregon and in Klickitat and Skamania counties in Washington, our only location was in Hood River. We needed to expand to ensure greater access of care. Fortunately, in late 2004, special funding and planning allowed us to launch a new medical and dental center on 7th Street in The Dalles.

2013
In 2013, the Board of Directors renamed the organization “One Community Health” to better reflect the fact that we serve everyone in the community. Despite the name change, farmworkers and their families continue to be a special focus of our mission and programs.

2013
This fully accredited Rural Training Program launched in 2013 and is a partnership between Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, One Community Health and the Providence Oregon Family Medicine Residency. Learn more about the residency program here.

2013
In April 2013, a brand new, “state of the art” One Community Health facility opened at the intersection of West 10th and Webber Streets in The Dalles. We are grateful to the Health Resources and Services Administration for awarding us a capital improvement grant to construct this facility. It took years of hard work on the part of the board, staff and partners to make this possible.

2015
In 2015, One Community Health opened the first school-based health center in our region. Serving all children and teens who reside in Hood River County, it is located at Hood River Valley High School and operates when school is in session. Learn more about the School-based health center here.

2016
In 2016, One Community Health expanded services to include the cutting-edge practice of integrating behavioral health providers with our existing medical, dental and community outreach services. Integrated Behavioral Health, means that a patient’s care includes the services and support of expert mental health providers that we call Behavioral Health Consultants.

2018

Ceremonial groundbreaking event for a new, whole-person Community Health Center. Construction began in November 2018 next to the current location of One Community Health on Pacific Avenue in Hood River, Oregon. Funded largely through grants, the new clinic reflects the quality of service and care our patients receive.

2019

At COIPA’s annual business meeting held in Hood River on September 18, 2019, One Community Health was awarded the 2019 Primary Care Clinic of the year award. The Primary Care clinic selection was based on three objective criteria: patient access, clinical quality, and clinical quality improvement over the previous year.

2020

When Covid-19 hit the world, One Community Health jumped into action to help our community stay healthy and safe. In March 2020, virtual visits were launched in less than a month so that patients did not have to come into the clinic. We tested over 7,500 community members, half of whom identify as BIPOC, even repurposing equipment when supplies in the county were low while demand soared.

2020
The new 38,000-square-foot clinic replaces a 14,000-square-foot, 29-year-old clinic, offering patients modern amenities along with new technology to help reduce the risk of COVID transmission.

While construction started on the new building before the arrival of COVID-19, OCH was able to incorporate cutting-edge technologies throughout construction to help prevent the spread of the virus.

2021

One Community Health emerged as a leader in Covid Vaccination in the Columbia Gorge, pushing Hood River County to be the most vaccinated in the state of Oregon. Our efforts prioritized health equity, where we vaccinated record numbers of Hispanic/latino/a, Native American, Migrant Seasonal Farmworker, and low-income patients.

2022

To better understand and address the long-standing health disparities for Native People here in the Columbia River Gorge, OCH expanded our Native American Health and Wellness services to include the Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum (Salmon People) Mobile Medical Unit (MMU). The MMU provides mobile integrated care to the 32 different tribal communities along the river, with a peak population reach of approximately 1,200 people during the height of the Salmon fishing season.

2022

To reach patients with transportation challenges in the most rural areas of our community, we launched our second mobile medical unit, donated by Mosaic Health. 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 this name still carries the spirit of our origins.

2023

One Community Health (OCH) and NorthShore Medical Group (NSMG) join forces to enhance healthcare services for residents of the Columbia River Gorge. Effective January 2024, One Community Health acquired NorthShore Medical Group, providing crucial services to patients on both sides of the Columbia River. Washington residents gain access to diabetic educators, dental care, additional mental health services, and mobile clinics.