Much-needed clinic in Oakley stalls due to budget cuts - Oakland Tribune

OAKLEY -- As the need for a health clinic in Oakley grows, sohave state budget constraints, making it even more difficult inrecent months for stakeholders to push any plans forward.

Cuts to state health programs have left organizations such as theContra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO),La Clinica and others looking for a way to not only bring a healthcare site to the city, but to maintain it.

CCISCO organizer Nancy Marquez said there's huge a need for acity health clinic, with county clinics being consistently crowdedand often too far to travel to for residents with little money.

'The clinic would relieve the county clinics and free up coveragefor everyone,' Marquez said.

Marquez works specifically in Oakley, lobbying to bring a basiclevel of health care to uninsured residents. The city's only doctorhas left, leaving no one within the city to provide local healthcare for more than 35,000 residents.

Last year, a study cited more than 15 percent of people in Oakleylacked health care, prompting the Oakley City Council to supportbringing a health clinic to the city. Marquez said it's likely thenumber of uninsured in the city has increased with the downturn inthe economy.

'I'm sure (the percentage of uninsured people) has gone up,'Marquez said. 'I think without a doubt, it's continuing to grow.'

Marquez said the stakeholders of a clinic are consideringlocating a La Clinica satellite in Oakley that would be openweekdays for a total of about 20 hours a week. A larger site wouldrequire a federal health center designation or a large number ofMedi-Cal patients, which Oakley doesn't have, she said.

La Clinica serves Solano, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Itcurrently has sites in Pittsburg and Pleasant Hill, and offersservices on a sliding-scale basis. Most services are reimbursed bystate-funded programs.

Marquez said an Oakley clinic wouldn't be more than what SutterDelta's Urgent Care Clinic paid in its first year -- about $500,000.The Antioch clinic, which opened in 2004, initially needed about$300,000 annually to operate.

City Manager Bryan Montgomery said the city has been in talkswith other doctors who might locate in Oakley when the economyimproves. The city, however, wouldn't have a large role in theprocess, he said.

'Health care is a huge priority for any community and we want tobe a part of the discussions,' Montgomery said. 'However, healthcare is not a typical function/activity of municipal government.'

Marquez said a good place for an Oakley facility would be in theLucky shopping center off Main Street, where the previous doctor'soffice was. Oakley resident Elaine Wrigley said that location wouldbe good because of a nearby bus stop.

Wrigley has lived in Oakley for 12 years and has relatives whohave had to travel out of the city for low-cost health care. If theydon't have family or friends to take them to the county health carefacility in Martinez, patients would have to use several modes ofpublic transportation to get there, making it even more difficult toobtain health services, she said.

'How many friends are going to wait seven, eight hours for youwhile you go to see a doctor?' she said. 'I'm lucky. I have peoplewho will take me from church, or my daughter (will take me).'

Jonathan Lockett covers East County. Reach him at 925-779-7174 orjlockett@bayareanewsgroup.com.