Aviva Health’s new facility opens its doors committed to further serving the underserved

Around 100 people gathered in a conference room in the new building that has been in the works since before the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Signs around the room displayed building highlights including employee-provided artwork and training-sized procedure rooms.

The new building holds 34 family medicine rooms, four procedure rooms, space for all 24 family medicine physicians and space to host community events.

Not only a new facility for family medicine, the site is home to a program that brings doctors in residency to the Roseburg area. The organization hopes that many of these doctors will decide to stay within the community after their residency is up, Jay Richards, chief medical officer, said in a speech.

“I saw an opportunity to grow and make a difference in an underserved area,” Simran Waller, a doctor in the residence program said about her decision to come to Aviva Health. “I felt drawn to the mission, vision and value statements of the organization. This included providing universal access through care and extraordinary service, while collaborating relationships to meet the needs of the community.”

Aviva Health is Douglas County’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center, meaning that they are a non-profit organization that seeks to provide low-cost, high-quality care according to their website. They currently have 10 clinic sites around the county.

At Wednesday’s event, community members and Aviva faculty mingled before a series of speakers talked about the significance of this space, their goals moving forward and how the new building came to be. Following the speeches, attendees were invited on a tour of the facility.

Throughout the building phase, Aviva used local tradespeople as much as possible to support local business and community, according to Joe Pospisil, chief compliance officer for Aviva Health.

With this newest building and residency program, speakers at the event all expressed hope for what it could mean for the Douglas County community.

“The opening of the doors to this newest facility represents a promise kept to the community,” Ruth Galster, Aviva Health board president said in her speech. “A promise that Aviva Health will continue to provide care to our friends and neighbors for many years to come.”