In 1997 Claude Bergeron and Barbara Bergeron, two healthcare professionals with longstanding commitments to providing access to preventive and primary care to the underserved, wrote a grant application to the Health Resources and Services Administration to establish a community health center in Klamath Falls. Their application was funded and Klamath Health Partnership (KHP), a Federally Qualified Health Center, began operating as Klamath Open Door Family Practice Clinic.

Then, after a successful capital campaign, KOD relocated to its current facilities on South Sixth Street in 2004 where x-ray services, an expanded dental clinic, and full administration building were added.

Today Klamath Health Partnership is the second largest medical provider in the Klamath Basin and beyond Malin, Merrill, Bonanza, Bly, Beatty, Tulelake, Dorris, Macdoel, and Lakeview offering residents access to culturally appropriate, high quality, and affordable primary and preventive health care from clinics with two locations in Klamath Falls and one in Chiloquin.

Underserved populations typically include individuals from low-income families, the elderly, disabled, children, mentally ill, developmentally disabled, immigrants, the working poor, and those unable to work.

Studies show that people who lack health insurance are far less likely to receive basic health care services, and are generally in poorer health as a result. They tend to delay seeking care even when in need of medical attention, do not fill prescriptions, and have trouble paying medical bills when a medical crisis occurs.

Whats more, the uninsured have more difficulty obtaining primary care and access to essential medication and have a higher rate of hospitalization for treatable conditions such as hypertension, asthma, or diabetes. In addition, studies have linked an association between periodontal disease and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even adverse pregnancy outcomes.

We are staffed by a comprehensive team of over 50 health professionals consisting of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, lab and x-ray technicians, dentists, dental hygienists, and certified ancillary personnel, some of whom are bilingual.

Over 51% of the Board of Directors are actual patients at the health center with the other 49% representing our community at large. The Board of Directors sets the policy, annual budget, and strategic planning for the health center.

Internally, we have a medical director who oversees the clinical component of our community health center, a dental director who oversees the dental clinic, and an operations officer who oversees the administration and outreach portion of our program.

Our health center also boasts a highly-qualified, mission-focused management team, including a clinical nurse supervisor, medical records office manager, nurse case manager, financial/accounting department manager, outreach coordinator, dental office manager, and billing department manager.