By: Julie Wurth and Jim Craven
In visits to the doctor, most of us think about health in one part of our lives: our physical well-being. We consider how the heart’s doing, whether our blood sugar levels are good, whether we’ll be told we need to get out and get a bit more exercise. Maybe we even think about our mouths. Are we brushing and
flossing regularly?
Our focus on physical health is important, no doubt, but a growing body of evidence shows it is only a fraction of what makes us well. To get the fuller picture, we need to look at the health of our minds, our relationships, our hearts (the emotional ones this time), our spiritual selves, our environment, and our livelihoods. “Health is more than the absence of disease,” notes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It is a resource that allows people to realize their aspirations, satisfy their needs, and to copy with the environment in order to live a long, productive and fruitful life.”
La Clinica, a Rogue Valley nonprofit since 1989, has launched The Learning Well as a new service that aims to address it all.
What exactly is La Clinica? We started when community leaders came together to ensure agricultural workers visiting the Rogue Valley had access to medical care. Today the organization is so much more. We have 29 health centers, including 19 at area schools. We serve about 30,000 community members
from all income levels and insurance categories each year, although we continue to have a special focus on low-income patients and others who may have difficulty accessing care.
We have long provided medical, dental, and behavioral health services using an income-based sliding scale to ensure access, and with the addition of The Learning Well we have added education and support services to the mix.
This new service includes workforce training for our staff and for the public. It includes an Advanced Practitioner Residency Program that aims to be part of the solution to our area’s healthcare provider shortage. The Learning Well also includes our health and wellness classes and personal and professional development workshops at which participants learn life skills such as resiliency, communication techniques, and accountability.
Notably, this service also includes WinterSpring grief support and
education services. La Clinica incorporated WinterSpring services last year at the request of the longtime nonprofit Rogue Valley grief support organization.
Most of these services are open to the public and are either free or available using our income-based sliding scale discount.
La Clinica may look slightly different to the public with the addition of The Learning Well, but in reality The Learning Well only enhances the vision La Clinica has held for years: Absolute excellence. Open-hearted community. Well-being for all.
Learn more at https://thelearningwell.org.
