VG McMinnville Corner

The Virginia Garcia McMinnville clinic welcomes new clinic manager Seamus McCarthy.  Seamus joined VG McMinnville in December after serving as director of an assisted living program in Portland, following a number of years in real estate development and management.

“I’m very excited about this position,” said McCarthy.  “It allows me to combine my business background and my health and wellness psychology degree.”

Pictured below, Seamus McCarthy

McCarthy is focusing on continuing to improve Virginia Garcia’s medical home and Primary Care Renewal. (PCR)  “Virginia Garcia can be commended for implementing patient centered programs which are the future of health care delivery in America.  Now we need to figure out how to make these programs function optimally,” said McCarthy.

This spring, VG McMinnville will welcome Dr. Scott Kaper, a behavioral health specialist through LifeWorks Northwest.  Behavioral health counseling is a key component in the PCR multidisciplinary approach to patient care.  “It’s important to focus on how patients behave once they leave the physician’s office,” according to McCarthy.

VG McMinnville continues to screen patients for depression and diabetes, tracks them between appointments and measures the results. Beginning this spring, VG McMinnville will again offer classes in living with chronic disease through the Tomando Control program.  This program was developed at Stanford University to instruct providers and patients in how to manage chronic disease.

VG McMinnville has seen an increase in number of patients due in part to the 2010 expansion of the Oregon Health Plan. OHP patients from Marion and Polk counties can now be referred to Virginia Garcia providers. “About 34% of our patients are OHP eligible,” said McCarthy, “an 8% increase over the last year.  We are also pro-actively looking for children who may qualify for OHP.”

VG McMinnville offers extended hours in both their medical and dental clinics – Monday-Friday from 8am-7pm.  “This gives our staff flexibility and the community greater access,” according to clinic coordinator Val Berry Speck. “It’s a win-win.”

I had a pregnant woman come to the clinic some years ago who had

just arrived from Mexico and had no friends or relatives here.  I gave

her my home phone number and we became friends.  Her son was born

premature and spent two weeks at OHSU.  After the birth, we introduced

our families and they asked us to be the Godparents of their son.  She

calls me her Oregon mother.

                            Maria George – patient care coordinator VG McMinnville