A torrential downpour in Springfield Sunday didn’t stop nurse midwives, expectant parents and community supporters from gathering to celebrate the grand opening of a new, free-standing Birth Center.
1:03
KLCC s Tiffany Eckert reports on Our Community Birth Center s recent acquisition of a new space in Springfield. When it opens, it will be the only free-standing birth center in Lane, Douglas and Coos counties.
Lease signing in the sun, Our Community Birth Center Board Chair Mary Carpenter and Executive Director AlexAnn Westlake
Credit Our Community Birth Center
After months of searching, the midwives and parent advocates of Our Community Birth Center found what they were looking for. They signed the lease on a former office building near Island Park in Springfield. Soon it will be converted into a “comforting clinic space.”
Lane Co Prenatal Clinic Closes As Birth Center Pushes To Open klcc.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from klcc.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In January, Community Health Centers of Lane County closed its Prenatal Clinic. Many clients are in the Latinx community. The closure has created a gap in services which an emerging Birth Center is looking to fill.
Closures of PeaceHealth s Nurse Midwifery Birth Center in 2019 and Lane County s Prenatal clinic has left a gap in services for expecting families. This baby s mom was treated at the county s Charnelton Health Center before it shut.
Credit Hannah Austin
Pregnant people often chose Lane County’s federally qualified Prenatal Clinic because of its wrap around services, easy access to care, and integrated Spanish speaking staff.