Klamath Health Partnership staff call for board’s resignation

On Thursday, Klamath Health Partnership staff called for their entire board’s resignation after claiming the group’s inaction has put their ability to serve disadvantaged residents in jeopardy. The clinic employs around 160 health care workers in Klamath County, offering services from primary care to dental and behavioral health to some 11,000 patients.

The center’s leadership said that their board has been out of federal compliance since February due in part to not appointing enough members. Currently the board has six members but requires nine. Also at issue is the composition of the board, which is required to have a majority of patient-board members and for less than half of its members to derive income from the health care industry.

The federal Health Resources and Services Administration has given the clinic 90 days to come into compliance or else lose $2.8 million dollars in current federal funding.

“If it comes to pass that we lose our federal funding, KHP will cease to exist as it does today,” said Klamath Health Partnership CEO Amanda Blodgett.

Since February, Blodgett said their community health center, the only one in Klamath County, also lost out on a $1.1 million grant to expand behavioral health services because of the board’s noncompliance.

“Behavioral health is such a significant need, all across the nation, but particularly in Southern Oregon. And so to be unable to expand our services is incredibly disappointing for our patients,” said Blodgett.

According to a letter by KHP employees sent to state and local representatives on Thursday, staff has provided the board with 10 qualified candidates for appointment. But the letter says the board has refused to move forward on their applications.

“At the risk of being considered insubordinate, we ask you to immediately appoint all ten pending board applicants and then resign,” KHP staff members wrote in a recent letter sent to their board.