SHERIDAN, Oregon — The medical provider Adventist Health Tillamook recently announced that it was closing three rural health clinics in Oregon. The decision leaves thousands of people without a doctor nearby.
Though in a press release, the company said it had no choice but to close the clinics due to long-standing staffing issues, a problem that’s plagued rural clinics nationwide.
One of those clinics is in Welches, which has served the small town near Mt. Hood for almost 40 years.
"They were really busy," said Dave Schmidt, a Welches patient.
Adventist Health Tillamook’s announcement last week shocked patients, like Schmidt, as well as the landlord of the building, Caryn Tilton.
"Well, this was a huge surprise," Tilton said.
While the company claims that the clinics are closing due to staffing shortages, some Welches patients said staffing was never an issue.
"There was a doctor who was here for 38 years,” Andrea O’Neil said, “and they had him replaced before he was gone."
In a follow-up statement to KGW, Adventist Health said they’re dedicated to serving Welches and the Mt. Hood community. The statement said patients can also go to the nearest clinic in Sandy, which is a little over 20 minutes away.
"I know that the clinics in Sandy; they're already pretty busy and understaffed, as most businesses are, so, it's going to be difficult, trying to find a new doctor," O’Neil said.
Some patients said they have already tried to look for a doctor in Sandy and haven’t had much luck. Instead, they’re grudgingly looking to Gresham instead.
"If you're deathly ill, you don't want to drive 45 minutes," Schmidt said.
The Welches clinic will close on April 1.
The owners of the property are trying to fill the building with another doctor's office to ensure medical care is not lost in Welches. There is already a chiropractor, autism specialist and other services onsite that have been implemented over the past 20 years, as well.
For years, Tilton was told the Welches clinic was among the most profitable of the Adventist Health Tillamook clinics, further leading to her surprise when she was recently notified the clinic would be closing.
Its closure will be followed a couple weeks later by those in Lincoln City and Sheridan.
"This is kind of like a landmark," Elizabeth Jack-Porkey, a Sheridan resident, said of the clinic.
The clinic will worsen healthcare for many in Sheridan, she added.
"All those residents who have gone there for years now have to travel an extra half hour," Jack-Porkey said.
Staffing issues are causing clinics to shut down nationwide. Last year, the Health Resources and Services Administration issued a report showing 65% of rural areas had shortages of primary care physicians.
"I don't think there's quite an end in sight," said Dr. Eric Wiser, OHSU School of Medicine’s assistant dean of rural medical education.
Medical care for rural areas has slowly deteriorated for years, Wiser said. That’s partly attributable to a move in medicine to specialization and away from general care. Most specialists also train and work in urban areas, Wiser said, which creates a shortage in rural areas.
"It's going to be stressful for those communities to find care," Wiser said.
Already, even as the clinic has yet to close, Welches patients said they’re already becoming more stressed.
"We're going to have to find a doctor that's actually taking patients,” Schmidt said. “That'll be the first step."