Klamath Falls celebrates new Sky Lakes Collaborative Health Center’s opening
/Primary care, health care education to be focus of 100,000 square-foot facility
Launched in the spring of 2016, the four-story, 100,000-square-foot, $50 million project will house the OHSU Campus for Rural Health, the OHSU Cascades East Family Medicine Residency and clinic, and the new Sky Lakes Primary Care Clinic, which opens for patient care in January. (Image: Brian Gailey / Klamath Falls News)
“The partnership of Sky Lakes and OHSU made the Sky Lakes Collaborative Health Center possible, and will help us meet the health care needs of our patients as well as create a stable workforce that will be ready to meet tomorrow’s health care challenges,” said Paul Stewart, Sky Lakes President and Chief Executive Officer. “This building and the philosophy it embraces is an investment in the future of health care.”
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - The Sky Lakes Collaborative Health Center – a joint effort between Sky Lakes Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University to advance rural health care – made its first public appearance Thursday, Dec. 12, with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and open house. At the event, officials celebrated both the building and the partnerships that helped shape it.
Launched in the spring of 2016, the four-story, 100,000-square-foot, $50 million project will house the OHSU Campus for Rural Health, the OHSU Cascades East Family Medicine Residency and clinic, and the new Sky Lakes Primary Care Clinic, which opens for patient care in January.
“The partnership of Sky Lakes and OHSU made the Sky Lakes Collaborative Health Center possible, and will help us meet the health care needs of our patients as well as create a stable workforce that will be ready to meet tomorrow’s health care challenges,” said Paul Stewart, Sky Lakes President and Chief Executive Officer. “This building and the philosophy it embraces is an investment in the future of health care.”
Ribbon cutting for the new 100,000 square foot, $50 million Sky Lakes Collaborative Health Center. Left to right - John Bell, Chairman, SLMC Board of Directors, Paul Steward, CEO Sky Lakes Medical Center, Dr. Danny Jacobs, OHSU President, Dr. Joyce Hollander-Rodriguez, Cascades East Family Medicine Residency Program Director. (Image: Brian Gailey / Klamath Falls News)
OHSU President Dr. Danny Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., FACS, agreed. “It takes many individuals and institutions working together to improve the health and well-being of all Oregonians,” he said. “OHSU is proud to partner with Sky Lakes Medical Center to advance health care in Klamath Falls and beyond. This remarkable joint facility will enable us to collectively prepare OHSU students and medical residents to better meet the unique needs of rural patients throughout Oregon.”
The building’s name is also its intention, said John Bell, chair of the Sky Lakes board of directors. “Besides being the clinical home for (thousands of people), this building demonstrates the success of partnerships and of working together to fulfill a common vision. It is a symbol of the confidence and optimism we have in our community.”
“This building represents a commitment to state-of-the-art primary care,” said Dr. Joyce Hollander-Rodriguez, Cascades East Family Medicine Residency Program Director and Regional Associate Dean of the Rural Campus in Klamath Falls. “It shows how we can come together to improve the health of our community through partnership and collaboration. It demonstrates a commitment to providing primary care in the highest quality way – through interprofessional teams.”
With expansive “smart” windows overlooking Upper Klamath Lake and the Cascade Mountains, the building provides stunning views for patients and their families. An airy two-story entryway on the east presents a welcoming environment, and made-in-Oregon furnishings enhance a relaxing atmosphere.
The building’s design emphasizes teamwork and collaboration among providers, whose offices are primarily on the building’s east side, and convenience for patients.
The new Sky Lakes Collaborative Health Center will advance a more wellness-oriented approach to health care championed by Sky Lakes. Rather than merely treating illnesses as they arise, this approach aims to improve patients’ overall health through prevention.
Five stand-alone clinics – Sky Lakes Primary Care on Almond, Sky Lakes Primary Care on Clover, Sky Lakes Family Medicine Clinic, Sky Lakes Adult Medicine Clinic, and Sky Lakes Klamath Medical Clinic – will consolidate in the Sky Lakes Primary Care Clinic on the second and third floors. The new clinic opens for patient care in January 2020.
Consolidating the clinics enables more patient services such as on-site nutrition and pharmaceutical counseling, and behavioral health consults that were unavailable in the smaller clinics. For greater patient convenience, lab tests and X-ray services will be available on the first floor.
Currently serving thousands of local patients, Cascades East Family Medicine Clinic will be able to serve even more patients from its expanded space on the first floor.
The facility also offers much-needed space to grow for OHSU’s Cascades East Family Medicine Residency, which provides hands-on training in rural primary care for recently graduated doctors. About 160 resident physicians have been trained through the program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
The ground-level floor will be occupied by OHSU’s Campus for Rural Health, which brings teams of students to rural Oregon so they can learn and practice community-focused healthcare. About 290 students have studied in Klamath Falls since 2015 through the program.
Collaborative Health Center Photo Tour
Press release provided by Oregon Health Science University.