PCC’s Opportunity Center at 42nd Avenue welcomes Fernhill Health Center
Story by James Hill. Photos by Ric Getter.
PCC President Dr. Adrien Bennings (with scissors) helps open the new health clinic.
Portland Community College, Multnomah County and the Community Health Center Board celebrated the grand opening of the Fernhill Health Center on May 30, at PCC’s Opportunity Center at 42nd Avenue.
The new clinic marked a major milestone, expanding and relocating the services of La Clínica de Buena Salud, which had served the community from NE Killingsworth Street since 1999. Fernhill Health Center officially began seeing patients on May 20 and is quickly becoming a cornerstone of healthcare access in the Cully neighborhood.
The clinic is offering dental and pharmacy services alongside primary care.
“PCC has been proud to provide education and workforce development services in this community,” said PCC President Dr. Adrien Bennings. “With the support from the college’s 2017 bond, we were able to redevelop this space in collaboration with Living Cully and community partners. The result is the Opportunity Center at 42nd Avenue, a vibrant, inclusive hub designed to meet the needs of students and the community. Together with Multnomah County, Oregon DHS, Native American Youth and Family Center, and so many others, we’re creating a model for what community-centered support can look like.
“At this Opportunity Center basic needs for students can be addressed, making them more likely to succeed,” she added. “Students and families can access critical needs like healthcare, housing, childcare, and meal programs.”
The grand opening brought together local leaders, community partners, and residents for a lineup of guest speakers, live cultural performances and tours of the expanded facility. For the first time, the clinic is offering dental and pharmacy services alongside primary care, meeting a growing need for comprehensive, local healthcare.
Health center users can take advantage of PCC’s education and job training.
Thanks to a strong partnership with PCC, the new site also offered on-site education and job training, creating new career pathways in the healthcare field. This fall, Home Forward will open 84 units of affordable housing next door to OC42 that will include early learning classrooms in partnership with NAYA, creating even more opportunities for families.
“This center became a cornerstone for our work in health equity,” said Interim Health Center Executive Director Anirudh Padmala. Board Chair Tamia Deary added, “We were honored to welcome our neighbors into a space built for them.”
For more information, visit the Opportunity Center at 42nd Avenue webpage.