By GARY CARL/For The Herald — There once was a medical care clinic in Oakridge. But as of Aug. 25, 2021, it is no more.
The doors closed Wednesday at Nova Health, formerly Five Rivers Family Medical Practice. What happened? What is the story behind the Five Rivers Family Medical Practice that became the Nova Health clinic and then shuttered its doors and left the community?
The Highway 58 Herald talked with Edwin Weih, the physician associate (P.A.) who was the proprietor and driving force behind Five Rivers for the past 25 years. Edwin explained that it was simply a case of corporate decision-making that terminated “The Clinic” that he spent a large part of his life developing. He expressed disappointment at the recent turn of events but said control of the business was out of his hands.
The closure leaves Oakridge with just one medical clinic, Orchid Health, at 47815 Highway 58.
Edwin received his undergraduate degree in physiology from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., in 1975, then after a brief stint with “Project Hope,” he returned to Emory School of Medicine where he earned his Physician Associate degree.
Edwin has been in practice in Oakridge since about 1992. For a long stretch, he was Oakridge’s sole health care provider. Many Oakridge families have relied on Edwin for their health care at the clinic at 48134 Highway 58.
But times change and part of that change was the sale of the Five Rivers Medical Practice to Eugene Urgent Care in 2017 and the subsequent sale by them in 2019 to Nova Health Primary Care, headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y .
Although the corporate ownership changed hands, Edwin stayed on providing care to his patients until recently when Nova told him he was no longer needed.
At noon on Wednesday, Nova formally closed the Oakridge clinic, referring all patients to the Nova urgent care facility in Pleasant Hill.
Telephone calls to the Nova facility in Pleasant Hill — (541) 988-7240 — go unanswered. Nor has Nova’s district office in Eugene returned phone calls or emails from The Herald.
What’s ahead for the medical clinic in Oakridge? Can or will another physician associate reopen the facility?
Speculation abounds in the community, but as of Thursday, Aug. 26, no firm plans were in place.
Gary Carl is a retired attorney living in Oakridge with his partner, Lynda Kamerrer and two cats, Lucy and Blondie.
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