PeaceHealth announced Monday it would move its West Eugene urgent care clinic and 29 staff to the University District campus.
The relocation is planned for December, after minor renovations are complete in the building across Hilyard Street from the University District’s emergency room, which is slated to close.
Dr. Robin Virgin is the Chief Medical Officer for Oregon’s PeaceHealth Medical Group clinics. She said while urgent care and emergency care are different, the relocated clinic will take walk-ins.
“Many of our urgent care clinicians came to us from the emergency department, and so they have been working out on West 11th for some time," she said, "and it’s a very similar population: patients who have a lot of social needs, a lot of behavioral health need.”
Virgin said the goal is to embed behavioral health care into the downtown clinic, and co-locate with other social service resources. She said PeaceHealth is still working with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek's office to firm up a timeline for closing the hospital.
Virgin said PeaceHealth hopes to maintain services at the clinic on West 11th, to make sure primary care and walk in services remain available.
“We realized that whole zip code is kind of a medical island,” she said.
