Senator celebrates health center

During his visit to Mosaic Community Health's Sisters School-Based Health Center (SBHC) on Friday, October 11, to celebrate their one year of service to Sisters children, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden told those assembled, "Thank you for what you do. The School-Based Health Centers do some of the most important work in the state, providing health care for our children."

Earlier, Wyden was thanked by Mosaic staff: "We offer you our gratitude because we couldn't have done what we have here without your support and work in Washington on our behalf."

Photo by Sue Stafford

Senator Ron Wyden visited Mosaic Community Health's Sisters School-Based Health Center last week.

The community itself earned thanks for having welcomed Mosaic to Sisters a year ago.

Wyden is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee that oversees Medicaid, which is a funding source for Mosaic services. He has been routinely recognized as one of the Senate's foremost health policy thinkers. He was instrumental in getting a gun safety bill passed which included $10 billion dollars for mental health services. This is an area close to his heart as his brother experienced schizophrenia. Wyden believes the stigma attached to mental health issues is what restrained his brother's ability to move on.

The Sisters clinic is one of over a dozen Mosaic Health Centers in Central Oregon. Their main locations serve all ages and the SBHCs see children from birth through 18 years of age. Children don't need to be students at the school to visit.

Deschutes County Health Department first opened the Sisters location, with Mosaic assuming operation, one year ago in collaboration with Deschutes County. The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday. They are closed for lunch from 1 to 2 p.m. They are located next to Sisters High School off McKinney Butte Road at 535 N. Reed St. All children in the community can receive care at the clinic regardless of having health insurance or not and ability to pay or not, even if they have their own doctor in another office.

The Mosaic SBHC staff offers full pediatric workups, sports physicals, and can even cast and suture and take x-rays, saving students from having to make trips to Bend or Redmond and reducing their time out of class.

In his remarks, Wyden stressed that, "We can't have rural life without rural healthcare." He is deeply committed to working on legislation to tackle the youth mental health crisis as well as increasing the availability of medical care.

Wyden indicated that Oregon is one of the leaders in telemedicine which began with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is particularly useful in rural areas where medical care can be miles and hours away. Providers can offer expanded convenience with phone or video calls, able to meet patients where they are. Wyden would like to hear from his constituents about any barriers experienced in using telemedicine.

The Sisters SBHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) offering services as a school-based health center with funding through Medicaid. They also receive funding through the Secure Rural Schools Act which provides Federal funding to states that have lost revenue from timber sales cutbacks.

The staff at the Sisters SBHC is a combination of Mosaic employees and those who work for Deschutes County. Staff members include: Sarah Leet, PA-C, Mosaic pediatric medical provider; Lindsey Overstreet, LCSW, Mosaic pediatric behavioral health consultant (who graduated from Sisters High School); David Fox, Deschutes County Behavioral Health adult houseless outreach case manager; Joshua Gage, Deschutes County Behavioral Health, youth mental health therapist; Jackie Toledo-Munez, Mosaic medical assistant who is training to also become an interpreter for non-English speaking patients; and Danielle Varner, Mosaic patient services manager.