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Your Health, Our Priority
Two Thousand Years Later........
OK - maybe not two thousand, but it seems like it! Ask any rural health clinic and they will tell you it's crazy-hard to get funding any more to do capital improvements. Senator Merkley sponsored us for a federal grant in 2024 to build the clinic, but the Biden administration redirected funding away from healthcare to build more housing. Several local clinics were rejected for funding. In 2025 all grants were frozen or cancelled. The new Transformation grants designed to help rural hospitals and clinics do not cover construction. Clinics and hospitals are now funded through loans and local resources. Fortunately, we have a dedicated and fearless leader in our District Manager, Adina Ferguson. She contacted Brian McDowell who helped SCHD apply to Business Oregon in 2024 and we just got our letter of acceptance on May 27th!
We are going to go from a 753 square foot space to 3900 square feet with a one-acre lot! We will be able to hire another Hygienist and recruit a second dentist so appointments will be easier to get. We can spread out Health District wings and provide space for other providers that want to provide services for Union, Cove and North Powder.
BUT first, our District Manager will be putting out bids to find the contractors we need to get the building remodeled. It will take months to complete. In the meantime, Adina will be looking to fund equipment and other items for the new facility.
This is a Community Project!
..and we are working to manage costs for the communities we serve. There are opportunities for people to help with site prep, help us paint to save some money, and other tasks and donations. We can cut thousands of dollars with a little help. Talk to Adina - let her know if you want to help with planning, fundraising or something else. We know there are a lot talented folks out there wanting to help us make this a true community clinic!
making oral care more affordable through prevention
An innovative new approach to improving oral care through technology and prevention
Union Family Dental Clinic has been awarded the 2026–2027 Rural Population Health Incubator Program Grant for our Tele-dentistry Preventative Oral Care Pilot Project. Starting in April we will be working with the Oregon Office of Rural Health and other grant recipients to design a protocol that can redefine how rural dental clinics provide services to communities while reducing the cost for care through a focus on preventing tooth decay and oral disease.
This grant program will:
1. Provide us access to a tele-dentistry platform that will allow patients and providers easier access to communications, assistance from dental staff and information.
2. Promote new technologies, such as tele-dentistry and the use of intra-oral cameras, to make treatment less invasive and more flexible.
3. Work to transform the current model of dental care from one of "wait until something breaks and needs expensive repair" to one of "invest in regular at-home care and regular check-ups at the clinic so patients don't have to pay for expensive procedures".
4. Provide for medical/dental integration so primary care providers and dentists work together to expedite needed care, monitor chronic health conditions such as diabetes and partner to advance whole person health and well-being.
This project will be a tremendous opportunity for our communities in Union, Cove and North Powder to be on the cutting edge of the movement by medical professionals, government agencies and insurers across the United States to reinvent our healthcare system and make it more inclusive and affordable for everyone by focusing on preventative care, individual whole-person care and building a more transparent healthcare system.