EyeClinic Receives Grant from Spirit Mountain Community Fund

The Spirit Mountain Community Fund in Oregon has awarded Pacific University's EyeClinic Cornelius a capital grant of $30,000 to help build out a new clinic within the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center's new Wellness Center in Cornelius.

The grant will partially fund EyeClinic Cornelius' new location, which will be a cornerstone of the wellness center, scheduled to open this fall on N. 12th Ave.

The strategic partnership between Virginia Garcia and Pacific's College of Optometry dates back many years in this location. When VGMHC decided to build its flagship health center in this location, they invited Pacific University to continue this partnership in the new facility.

"We are extremely grateful to the Community Fund for their support of this clinic," says Dr. Ken Eakland, Associate Dean for Clinical Programs. "We would not be able to deliver our innovative clinical education curriculum without this clinic, and their investment and partnership with Pacific to build the clinic is essential to our future success."

The College has six clinics located throughout the metropolitan area. The Cornelius clinic will serve nearly 4,000 patients each year and will provide comprehensive vision and eye health care, as well as featuring an eyewear dispensary - new to this location.

The Spirit Mountain Community Fund was established in 1997 by the Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde. The Fund, which has granted over $55 million to organizations around the state, benefits citizens striving for self-sufficiency and projects in the areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Health, Historic Preservation, Public Safety, Environmental Preservation and Problem Gaming.