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There are 18 Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Centers across Washington and Yamhill Counties, but patients might not know the story of the clinic’s namesake. A bilingual exhibit at Oregon Historical Society, which closes Aug. 3, tells the story of Virginia Garcia. She died 50 years ago this summer, but her legacy has shaped health care in Oregon ever since.
Virginia Garcia was born near Mission, Texas, on Jan. 17, 1969. She was a happy and slightly mischievous girl who loved to sing, according to the exhibition. In 1975, her family followed the annual strawberry harvest, traveling from Texas to Oregon. Virginia cut her foot somewhere along the way. By the time her family arrived in Washington County, the wound was infected. Her parents took her to a local hospital, where they were denied care because they did not have health insurance. She died from septicemia on June 17, 1975. She was 6 years old.
It’s a tragic story of language, cultural and economic barriers preventing Virginia from getting the health care she needed. Out of the tragedy, though, health care providers, activists and county officials worked together to open the first Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center on July 3, 1975, just three weeks after her death. The 18 clinics now see 52,000 patients a year.
“She went to heaven and the clinic stayed here, in her name, for other people who need it,” says Alma Garcia Reyes, Virginia’s sister, in the exhibit text.
For people who can’t make it downtown to the Oregon Historical Society museum, there is a virtual exhibit online.
“Virginia Garcia: Fifty Years of Legacy and Impact in Our Community” at the Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Ave. 503-222-1741, ohs.org/. 10 am-5 pm Monday-Saturday, noon-5 pm Sunday. Free for youth 17 and under, OHS members and residents of Multnomah County.
