Electric Vehicle Expands Clinic’s Reach

Community health center donation received

9/30/2021, 12:19 p.m.

The North by Northeast Community Health Center, 714 N.E. Alberta St., receives a donation of a new electric vehicle and the infrastructure for a charging station to expand their reach into the Black community thanks to a $45,000 mobility grant from Pacific Power in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Photo courtesy Pacific Power.

A free health clinic serving the Black community is expanding its reach thanks to the donation of a new electric vehicle and infrastructure for a charging station from Pacific Power in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

North by Northeast Community Health Center Executive Director Suzy Jeffreys and Community Health Worker Sharetta Butcher load up a new electric vehicle donated by Pacific Power with health-related materials to expand outreach on community health needs like COVID vaccines, blood pressure checks and other health information. Photo courtesy Pacific Power.

The North by Northeast Community Health Center at 714 N.E. Alberta St. received a $45,000 mobility grant from Pacific Power to purchase an EV and two chargers.

The installation, celebrated on Monday, enables the clinic to expand their reach in the community by providing COVID vaccines and blood pressure checks at various locations. It’s a unique, environmentally-friendly solution that the clinic hopes to expand on.

Besides helping the clinic to reduce its carbon footprint, the EV also reduces the clinic’s operation and maintenance costs related to transportation. And it offers an opportunity to educate community members about electric vehicles. Additionally, the chargers will be made available to the public for charging during off-peak hours.

Eventually, the clinic hopes to acquire larger e-vehicles to provide a full array of mobile clinical services, officials said.