About Us

Virginia Garcia is a catalyst for change in health care delivery.

The mission of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center is to provide high-quality, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate primary health care to the communities of Washington and Yamhill counties with a special emphasis on migrant and seasonal farm workers and others with barriers to receiving health care.

History of Virginia Garcia

In 1975, beautiful six-year old Virginia Garcia and her farm worker parents traveled from their home in Mission, Texas to California and Oregon to work in the fields. Along the way Virginia cut her foot, and by the time they reached Oregon, it had become infected. Due to economic, language and cultural barriers to health care, Virginia died from what should have been an easily treatable wound on Father’s Day as her own father was working in the fields, unaware of the tragic turn of events.

Moved to action by Virginia’s unnecessary death, the community quickly rallied together to open the first Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in a three-car garage, determined to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.

Today, Virginia Garcia provides healthcare services to more than 45,000 patients a year in Washington and Yamhill counties at our six primary care clinics and pharmacies, five dental offices, and six school-based health centers. We also provide outreach to schools, community health fairs and to migrant and seasonal farm workers at local camps and commercial nurseries through our mobile clinic.