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Ashland dedicates health center Services continue to grow for Ashland's working poor By KELLY STEWART ASHLAND -- The new Community Health Center will hold a dedication ceremony and celebration Tuesday, with an open house, tours and refreshments. The festivities will last from 9 a.m. to noon, with the dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. The health center is at 99 Central Ave. and Helman Street. The health center, which opened in May, features seven patient examining rooms. It offers affordable primary and preventative care on a sliding scale for men, women and children in the Ashland-Talent area who do not have full access to health insurance. About 14 percent of Ashland-Talent residents lack coverage. Last year, the health center served 1,300 patients, and the numbers are expected to increase each year, according to Executive Director Peg Crowley. "We feel the need for services is going to continue to grow," Crowley said. "There's a lot of working poor in Ashland." The Oregon Legislature recently cut the budgets for the Family Health Insurance and Oregon Health plans, Crowley said. "Thousands who are currently insured are not going to be insured," Crowley said. "It's timely that this clinic has been opened." The health center opened in May, following a three-month capital campaign to raise $878,000 for the building, land and first-year budget. The campaign still needs to raise $22,000 to reach its goal, and is still welcoming contributions, according to Crowley. Mayor Cathy Shaw proclaimed the week of June 21 to June 27 "Community Health Center Week." On June 21, a benefactor's celebration will honor the campaign's steering committee. Events culminate June 26 with the second annual Nancy Peterson Walk/Run. In the future, the health center plans to incorporate bereavement counseling, OnTrack, Consumer Credit Counseling and child immunization clinics into its facility. "It's a building that allows us to bring together partnerships that allow people to be healthier," Crowley said. CHC opened in Ashland in 1972 as a women's clinic and soon broadened its mission to include all area residents and opened clinics in Medford and White City. The three clinics in Jackson County work closely with area doctors, hospitals and other health clinics. For 18 years, Ashland's health center operated in a 960-square-foot converted bungalow on Fourth Street. About the walk/run What : The second annual Nancy Peterson Walk/Run When : 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 26 Where : The walk/run begins at the Ashland Community Food Store, 237 N. First St. Race length : One-mile walk, three-mile walk/run, or six-mile run Cost : Preregistered: $10 for individuals and $12 for families; Register the day of the race: $15 for individuals and $17 for families. Preregistration applications are available at all three local Community Health Center sites: 19 Myrtle St., Medford; 99 Central Ave., Ashland; and 2030 Antelope Rd., White City. To have an application mailed, call the Ashland CHC at 482-9741. Those wishing to register the morning of the race should gather at 7:30 a.m. at the Ashland Community Food Store. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA