((L-R) Jacob Struck, Skanska Superintendent; Renee Alexander, BBT Architects Principal; Emily Boynton, Mosaic Senior Development Officer; Dr. Michael Baker, Jefferson County Public Health Health Services Director; Ricardo Becerril, Compass Project Solutions Inc. President | Photo by Cascade Business News)
New Care Era as Mosaic Medical & Jefferson County Public Health Join Forces
A new era of care has dawned in Jefferson County with the unveiling of an $11.3 million shared health and wellness campus.
The project is a partnership between Mosaic Medical Group and Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) to create a centralized facility, next to St. Charles Madras, designed to cater to underserved populations in the area.
According to the 2021 County Health Rankings, the county was rated among the least healthy in Oregon in terms of health outcomes and factors.
While residents are known as strong and resilient:
- The county has the highest rate of emergency room utilization in the state (partly due to scarcity of other immediate care options);
- Rates of diabetes are double compared to the state average;
- 40 percent of Jefferson County adults have had at least one permanent tooth removed due to decay or gum disease;
- Over a quarter of Jefferson County residents have been diagnosed with depression.
The new wellness campus — designed by Bend-based BBT Architects with construction overseen by general contractor Skanska — centralizes a comprehensive slate of much needed health services for the community.
The sleek modern style wood-frame building, with many sustainable features including solar panels flanking exterior overhangs, prioritizes open and airy space with voluminous natural light, including liberal use of solar tubes.
Along with medical, dental and behavioral health services, the new spaces include a public community space — complete with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment — for classes, events and gatherings. Providers say that by having separate facilities sharing resources, they can more effectively serve community needs.
Jefferson County Public Health’s portion of the 19,500-square-foot building features offices, exam rooms and Woman, Infant and Children (WIC) supplemental programs, while, building on its evolving 15-year history of providing high-quality health care in Madras, Mosaic Medical’s portion features exam rooms, a lab, a dental clinic and a low-cost pharmacy, which is open to customers and the public.
The building, located at 500 NE A Street adjacent to St. Charles Medical Center, on land donated by the hospital system, is now fully operational and serves as the sole office for JCPH.
Mosaic Senior Development Officer Emily Boynton said, “Mosaic Medical is grateful to partner with Jefferson County Public Health to expand our care and ensure that the most vulnerable individuals can continue to access essential health services, regardless of their current life circumstances.
“The health center consolidates affordable medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and community services in a central, convenient location for Jefferson County residents and health partners will be able to share resources and work collectively on community needs.”
Boynton said the new strategic location would enable Mosaic to increase its reach by tripling dental capacity; doubling the number of medical exam rooms and behavioral health rooms onsite; adding the onsite pharmacy; providing nutrition classes in the shared community room and offering virtual and drive-up care.
It is also designed to be accessible to all residents, including community members who do not have a personal vehicle as the campus will be easily accessible via a new dedicated public transportation stop on NE A Street, along with biking and walking paths to move visitors quickly between facilities.
Mosaic is currently at 97 percent of a fundraising goal of $5.7 million to cover its portion of the transformational project cost, and Boynton appealed for a final stretch push from community donations to hit the total by the grand opening celebration on June 24, adding, “Donors can join an expansive network of partners, supported with state and federal grants, who have come together to make the Madras Health Center vision a reality.”
Financial contributors will be honored on a donor wall and artwork to be displayed will feature local artists as well as that of students from area schools.
Mosaic joined the investment initiative in the building and moved to the new location in part because previously it cared for just 13 percent of Jefferson County residents (30 percent of Madras residents) and needed additional resources and room to serve more of the county’s vulnerable populations and meet their health and behavioral needs.
Beginning in 2001, Mosaic Medical has served the Central Oregon community and has had a presence in Madras since 2006, making basic medical services more accessible primarily to the underserved (priority populations include the low income, migrant/seasonal farmworkers, homeless and the Latinx populations living in the county).
Boynton added, “During these almost 20 years, the need for our services has grown and so has our ability to provide more essential services.
“With these expanded services in mind, we did not hesitate when Jefferson County approached us to share in the construction of a new, larger building with the Jefferson County Health Department in Madras.
“With this new location, we will be able to support many of the same low-income clients as the Jefferson County Public Health in one convenient location, steps away from specialized medical services like labs and x-rays that are often difficult for our patients to access.
“This location also means that the hospital can easily refer patients to our primary care, dental, or behavioral health services, freeing up the emergency room as well as urgent care specialists all over the region for the most urgent and critical of cases.”
Dr. Michael Baker, Health Services director at Jefferson County Public Health, and a champion in the region and state in advocating for rural public health initiatives, said, “The vision was to work together to create more synergy in the local health care system in terms of both preventative measures and treatment, as well as centralizing access to medical records.
“The idea was for a kind of one-stop-shop philosophy for health and wellness, replacing what was something of a fractured system that had various locations scattered around.
“The partnership now creates more of a resource and facilitates better navigation through the health care system and is the first phase of a bigger more integrated overall campus here.”
Owner’s Project Manager Ricardo Becerril of Compass Project Solutions Inc. commented, “The Jefferson County community has a great history of collaboration and effectiveness and was very supportive of this effort.”
BBT Project Architect Renée Alexander, AIA, NCARB, added, “Stakeholders from all sides were involved in discussions about the goals of each entity and what could be shared to streamline functions and connectivity to St. Charles.
“Wellness for staff and providers was also a priority as maximizing natural light throughout the facility was a major design driver. Since mechanical systems were designed during the pandemic and wildfires, the design team and owners worked to find cost-effective solutions for maintaining operations and creating healthy spaces during these events.
“Our design team worked to site the campus to leverage the hospital next door. With the ability to easily refer patients across facilities, barriers are removed, and more community members will be encouraged to access much-needed services.”
Skanska Superintendent Jacob Struck said, “Even though work continued through the pandemic, the project, which broke ground in February last year, was brought in on budget and on time. This was a very collaborative and creative team who were awesome to work with.
“We’re really honored to be a part of this community effort, and to work toward building a great Madras community.”
Elaine Knobbs-Seasholtz, Mosaic’s Director of Strategy and Development, added, “Sharing the space with Jefferson County Public Health means that we have better collaboration and support services for the community between our two agencies.”
The Mosaic fundraising effort for the new Madras Health Center has been backed by numerous generous donations including recently from local businesses, including First Interstate Bank ($10,000) and Central Oregon Association of REALTORS ($25,000).
“The Central Oregon Association of REALTORS is happy to lend support to Mosaic Medical’s Madras Health Center,” said COAR President Cat Zwicker. “The new facility ensures more people in Jefferson County have access to essential healthcare services. REALTORS believe in being ‘good neighbors’ by contributing and volunteering in Central Oregon’s many communities.”
In addition to their financial support, FIB employees donated their time, volunteering over 170 hours at Mosaic’s community vaccination clinics last year.
“We could not be opening this new health center without the generosity of the community,” said Steve Strang, CFO at Mosaic. “We are most grateful for those businesses who have stepped up in a big way to support this health center.”
Mosaic has served the Madras community since 2006, providing medical services to all residents of Jefferson County no matter what language they speak, their health insurance status or their ability to pay. Over the years the need for health services has grown, along with Mosaic’s ability to meet that demand.
Mosaic was also recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation as well as a substantial grant from The Ford Family Foundation to support the development of the new Madras Health Center.
Sally Bany, co-founder of the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, said, “My grandmother, Marie Lamfrom, was committed to caring for people, especially those who were hospitalized or in need of care.
“All of us at The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation are proud to continue that commitment of care through our new partnership with Mosaic Medical and the Madras Health Center. The new Center will provide critical care to those who need it most in Jefferson County.”
Local philanthropist organization the Bean Foundation was also a contributor to the project.
About Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation:
The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation was established by Dave and Sally Bany in 1998 to support nonprofit organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Foundation focuses on nonprofit programs that support education and mentorship, arts and creativity and health and well-being. The Foundation was named for Sally’s grandmother, Marie Lamfrom. For more information, visit: marielamfrom.org.
About The Ford Family Foundation:
The Ford Family Foundation was established in 1957 by Kenneth W. and Hallie E. Ford. Its mission is “successful citizens and vital rural communities” in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. The Foundation is located in Roseburg, Oregon, with a Scholarship office in Eugene. For more information, visit TFFF.org.
About the Bean Foundation
Al Bean had a vision: a foundation that was rooted in community stewardship and worked collaboratively with others to identify opportunities, design solutions and implement change that would benefit children, families and all residents of Jefferson County. The foundation serves Jefferson County and the Warm Springs Reservation and its focus has traditionally been on fostering recreation, education, culture and the arts. For more information, visit: thebeanfoundation.com.
About Mosaic Medical:
Mosaic Medical is a nonprofit community health center that serves Central Oregonians from all walks of life. Through a network of over a dozen clinics, in Bend, Redmond, Prineville and Madras, it offers integrated health services that address each patient’s medical, dental, behavioral health, nutrition and medication needs. Care is never influenced by how much money patients make, what language they speak or the status of their insurance coverage. Mosaic Medical aims to provide quality care for all.
Jefferson County Health & Wellness Center
Includes Mosaic Madras Health Center & Pharmacy and Jefferson County Public Health
500 NE A Street, Madras, OR 97741
Property Owner Representative: Ricardo Becerril, President, Compass Project Solutions Inc.
Contractor: Skanska USA Building
Project Cost: Total project cost: $11 million. Mosaic portion of Costs: $5.4 million (supported with State and Federal grants plus community donations).
Cost Estimating: Construction Focus
Sitework Start: February 22, 2021
Square Footage: 19,486 sq. ft.; Mosaic space: 9,050 sq. ft., shared space with Jefferson County Health: 2,580 sq. ft.
Amenities: Community Room with teaching kitchen , one staff mother’s/lactation room, Mosaic Drive-Up Care, Mosaic Pharmacy (open to the public), Mosaic Dental, Mosaic OHP Enrollment Services, Mosaic Medical and Behavioral Health Services.
Financing: Mosaic portion of Costs: $5.4 million (supported with State and Federal grants plus community donations).
Project Manager: Chad Young
Superintendent: Jacob Struck
Project Engineer: Taylor Blevins
Architect: BBT Architects, Inc.
Structural Engineer: Walker Structural Engineering
Civil Engineer: H.A. McCoy Engineering & Surveying
Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Interface Engineering
Acoustical Engineer: Listen Acoustics
Landscape Architecture: J Battleson Design
Subcontractors and Suppliers:
K3 Construction — Sitework; McLean Concrete — Foundation & Slab; L&M Fabrication — Steel Fabrication; Baxter Builders — Wood Structure; Sureline — Casework; LDC — Weather Barrier & Exterior Insulation; Skanska USA Building — Fiber Cement Siding & Steel Erection; Skyline Sheetmetal — Flashings, Metal Siding, & Metal Roofing; Eagle Roofing — Roofing; Bend Commercial Glass — Storefront & Windows; Bell Hardware — Supply of doors, frames, & hardware; Don Frank Flooring — Flooring; Deschutes Painting — Interior & Exterior Painting; DBI — Drywall, ACT, and Interior Doors & Hardware; BMS — Accessories; Center Point — Signage; Johnson Brothers — Appliances; Interior Tech — Coiling Doors; Cash’s — Window Coverings; Severson Fire Protection — Fire Sprinkler; Apollo — Plumbing; Southland — HVAC; Tomco — Electrical; Sunlight Solar — PV and Bus Stop; Green Thumb — Landscaping; Lets — Final Clean; Foundry Services — Cement Siding Supply; Solar Light — Solar Tubes; Davidson’s Masonry — CMU Trash Enclosure; Freemont Millworks — Casework
