Page 83 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2018

L A CLINICA

Going to your primary care doctor’s office to cook? That’s what
patients at La Clinica Wellness Center in Medford can do in an eight-
burner community kitchen. La Clinica serves many, but mostly
socio-economically disadvantaged communities, and about a third of The museum strives to enrich lives by offering art
its patients come from the Latino population. La Clinica staff saw experiences that stimulate the senses, intrigue the
a strong need within those communities for a more whole-person intellect and bring joy to the spirit.
wellness approach to care, and opened the Wellness Center in the fall
of 2015. The center features the kitchen for healthy eating, as well Art Exhibits | Music | Poetry | Classes
as Zumba, gentle movement, physical therapy, mindfulness, weight
loss, and wellness classes aimed at helping people with chronic dis-
ease. When a doctor prescribes a class or activity, it’s an add-on to
the visit—a walk down the hall, not a drive across town. Sometimes
a doctor leads a class. Matt Hogge, a family nurse practitioner who
directs the Wellness Center’s clinical operations, says, “Doctor visits
are important, but groups are great for education, a support system,
accountability, and friendships.” The wellness approach is system
wide, although other centers offer fewer classes.

La Clinica has made another significant system-wide change in
the structure of a typical doctor’s office, going to team-based care,
explained Julie Wurth, Communications Officer. The Wellness Center MANY MASTERPIECES
building is divided into three suites, each with an operations center,
a room shared by a team—doctors or nurse practitioners, wellness ONE ROOF
coach, and medical assistants. The Wellness Center teams share an
onsite behavioral health clinician and nutritionist.

Back to the kitchen, a favorite gathering place in any setting. Six
women show up regularly to learn more about healthy eating in a set-
ting that resembles a cooking show. As Matt Hogge peeled beets and
lauded their incredible health benefits, he reviewed nutrition and the
digestive process, and fielded questions. When asked why they came,
the women focused on learning different ways to cook and eat, and on
the group’s camaraderie. One woman uses the classes as an excuse to
get out of the house. For another, healthier eating helps her deal with LOCAL ART BY LOCAL ARTISTS
chronic pain without depending on pharmaceuticals. It’s clear this class
is changing their lives in many ways. And, most of the women actually Our walls and showcases are
liked the two nutrition-rich beet dishes Hogge prepared. filled with original
one-of-a-kind art pieces.
Wurth brags on major changes for some patients because of these
opportunities—better health, management of chronic illness and pain, Jewelry | Pottery | Sculpture
weight loss, attitude. La Clinica Wellness Center is proof that healthy
eating, exercise, improved thinking and attitude, and social interaction Watercolor | Acrylic | Oil
facilitate a healthier, more positive and productive life. Families and Photography | Greeting cards
communities profit as well. If these changes help people avoid chronic
illness, prescription and illegal drug usage, the community—a com- Grants Pass Gallery One
munity in crisis—benefits. La Clinica, as well as others in Southern Museum of Art
Oregon, are doing their part to facilitate solutions. at the Museum
541-479-3290 541-479-1218
(Upstairs) (Downstairs)
La Clinica Wellness Center
730 Biddle Rd., Medford
541-535-6239 229 SW G Street | Grants Pass, OR 97526
www.laclinicahealth.org
www.GPMuseum.com

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