juin fi. 2003 ? J n t
m
nTH7TÏÏ7n?rineu's
D
erhaps you’ve never heard of All
Womens Health Services—the only
independent, nonprofit women’s
health center in Oregon. But consid-
ering the quarter of a million women
they estimate having helped so far, chances are
gcxxl you know someone who’s connected to it.
Unfortunately, what makes All Women’s
unique—an assiduous commitment to provide
health care for all women regardless of financial
status— is now what casts a shadow on its future.
A failing economy and severe funding cuts
threaten to leave the 6,000 patients it sees
annually with nowhere else to go.
A large yet unassuming clinic in Northeast
Portland, All Women’s has had its doors open to
women for 30 years. “Women are so central to
the health of the community and families,”
hoard president Vicki Reitenauer says. “Women
are at the core of organizations. If they aren’t
healthy, those entities aren’t healthy." So, by
serving women, especially those who would oth
erwise not have access to high-quality care, All
Women’s serves the entire Portland community.
The clinic opened in 1973 with a singular
mission: to provide truly comprehensive health
care to all women in a respectful and supportive
environment. Today it is holding as tightly as
ever to that mission: Members of the Oregon
Health Plan make up 65 percent of its total
clientele, and it is the only clinic in Portland
that accepts OHP tin an ongoing basis. All
Women’s also has assembled an all-female med
ical staff of doctors, naturopaths, nurse practi
tioners and assistants who are dedicated to con
sulting with a woman about any health care
concern she might have.
The fact that a woman can have all aspects
of her health addressed at the clinic makes it
unique. Typically she would have to go to one
provider for her reproductive health needs,
another provider for her general health ques
tions and yet another if she sought a specialized
procedure like an abortion. But All Women’s
has broken the mold and cast a new one.
“We don’t want to perpetuate the idea that
certain services need to he walled off from other
services,” Reitenauer says. “We are trying to
shift the paradigm of women’s health care and
what that means...trying to address a woman’s
health concerns through* the span of her life,
holistically. Whether she he lesbian, bisexual or
straight.”
As a lesbian herself, Reitenauer under
stands the problems that arise when a health
care provider assumes certain things about a
patient that are incorrect. In most clinics, it is
not uncommon for a physician to discuss
birth control options with a woman without
taking into consideration her sexual orienta
tion. They key to avoiding misunderstanding,
hour long and “oftentimes it is just to talk and
evaluate all the health issues,” Jeanne says.
“Most clinics are run from a business perspective
where you have to see so many people per hour
All Women's Health Services invites patients
and a woman can only ask so many questions.
At All Women’s we take our time—there’s a
to participate in their own wellness by j . b . Rabin
whole other level of caring not being dictated by
money.”
There are some concerns about whether this
long-standing fixture of the community will be
able to continue offering that level of care, or
any level of care. The clinic’s financial woes
began last year—after its annual budget was
already in place—when the Oregon Health
Plan made the decree that it would be paying
only 34 cents on the dollar for billed care.
“That’s not enough to keep a clinic run
ning,” says bookkeeper Tony Musso, who is gay.
“We definitely need the support of the whole
Portland community.”
The bleak financial situation has caused All
V i
Women’s to lay off some of its administrative
staff, and it is calling for volunteers to help fill in
some of the gaps. The clinic also welcomes
physicians, naturopaths, acupuncturists and
other health care providers willing to volunteer
their time for the community.
As far as donations are concerned, Musso
says: “It doesn’t take much from each person.
Sure, we love $10,OCX) donations from corpo
rations,
but
people
donate small amounts
"Most clinics are run from
monthly— that all adds
up. Those $20 and $30
a business perspective where
checks we get each
you have to see so many people
month from people help
keep the doors open.”
Reitenauer explains, is to offer individualized ness that makes
per
hour
and
a
woman
can
only
aslc
The 10 staff members
All
Women’s
care to each patient.
The staff members “talk about what it means stand out from
so many questions. At All Women's who are now at the clinic
have taken on double duty
to welcome all women," she says. “We are about other facilities.
we
take
our
time
—
there's
and are adamant about the
partnering with each woman to elicit what her And that is what
success
of All Women’s.
needs are so the practitioner can be her partner. the women who
a
whole
other
level
o
f
caring
“It’s not going to he easy,
We don’t make assumptions about anyone’s sex work there ap
but we can turn it around,”
nol being dictated by money.
ual practices or how one identifies.”
preciate
most
Musso says. “It’s not if we
Unfortunately, this kind of care has always about it. “It’s very
— Pamela Jeanne
can. We have to. We have
been the exception to the rule. “The age-old intimate being
to be here for the commu
power struggle in medicine has always been with someone
about keeping you in the dark about what’s when they decide how they want to be healthy nity. That’s what this is about.” JH
going on," says Pamela Jeanne, a naturopathic and whole,” Reitenauer says.
Jeanne adds: “It’s always been my dream to A ll W o m en ’ s H ealth S ervices will raffle off
physician at All Women’s.
help
a woman feel empowered so that she can July 7 an $8,500 tram trip on the American
A former nurse, she wasn’t satisfied in a sys
tem where doctors were perceived to be the only pursue her life’s dream. When you have infor Orient Express along with a second-place prize of a
ones who could unlock the mystery of a woman’s mation about your body, the more power you two-night stay at the Sylvia Beach Hotel in
Newport and a third-place prize of dinner at Billy
health. She wanted to give the key hack to the have.”
The clinic’s commitment to educating Reed's Restaurant & Bar. Tickets cost $20 and
women themselves, a belief that aligns strongly
women about their health is most evident in the can be purchased at the clinic and at its booth
with the practices of All Women’s.
“We do things in such an open way. We amount of time they allot for each visit. “We during Portland Pride 2003 on June 14 and 15 in
share lab results with patients,” says Jeanne, who didn’t want to be one of those clinics that say: Waterfront Park. For more information call
is a lesbian. “Whatever you want to know, it’s ‘What’s the matter? Here’s your prescription. 503-233-0808 or visit www.allwomens.org.
See you later,’ ” Reitenauer says.
here. There are no secrets.”
The first visit at All Women’s is typically an J.B. RABIN is a Portland free-lance writer.
It is the patient’s participation in her own well-
I ntensive C are
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