Lane County will open its own health clinic early next year, in an effort to better serve its 1,500 employees.
County spokeswoman Devon Ashbridge says the goal is for the clinic to help control and reduce long term healthcare costs.
Ashbridge: "Anytime we can provide greater access to healthcare is a good thing. Long term planning helps stabilize us and to help us focus on those other programs and services that folks value so much. So, it's nice to be able to implement something and to share something that really a good thing both for employees and also a very, very good thing for our community."
The clinic will serve Lane County's 1,500 employees plus their families and some retirees – all told, about 4,000 people. Earlier this week, the County Board of Commissioners approved a 3 year lease for 2,700 square feet of office space on Village Plaza Loop in Eugene.