On Monday, Larry Davy and others broke ground for the new Mountain View Medical Clinic on North Main Street in Joseph. Davy, CEO of Wallowa Memorial Hospital has been planning for this for 5 years, along with the clinic staff. The Joseph clinic is a branch of the hospital, providing primary care, OB/GYN services, behavioral health, and other care for patients. With a staff of 3 physicians, 2 Advanced Practice Providers, 1 Licensed Clinical Social Worker and administrators, the clinic has had a presence in Joseph since 1991.

The new clinic building will offer more services than the present Mountain View Medical Clinic can. It’s eligible for Rural Health Clinic designation which would allow for better funding.

The Joseph Clinic was established as Mountain View Medical on North East Street in 1991 by Dr. Deve Boyd. For the two years before that, it was used as a storage unit for the city, and a community clinic before that. In 1998 Nurse Practitioner Traci Frye joined Boyd’s team and in 2006 Dr. Sheahan and Dr. Caine came on board, rounding out half of the current MVMG provider team.

Wallowa Mountain Medical joined the health care district in 2015 to form Mountain View Medical Group with two clinic locations, one at the Medical Office Building on the hospital campus in Enterprise, and one at the original location at North East Street in Joseph.

“Even though construction was slightly delayed due to the current COVID-19 situation, we are elated to move forward. This new clinic will allow us to better serve a greater part of the community. It’s a modern facility that will be both ADA and HIPPA compliant,” said hospital CEO Larry Davy. The new clinic will include a minor procedures room, the ability to host educational and healthcare meetings, and a teaching kitchen.

Joseph Mayor Teresa Sajonia said, “From my point of view it’s a huge positive impact for Joseph. This will ensure we will have a medical facility. Six miles is a long way when you’re in distress. And taking care of our elderly closer to home is really important.”

“The City of Joseph has been incredibly supportive and has played a major role in making these plans reality. We are grateful for their cooperation and support,” Davy said.

Representatives from construction company Kirby Nagelhout out of Pendleton, the City of Joseph, and Wallowa Memorial Hospital, which Mountain View Medical Clinic is a part of, helped break ground. Construction is slated for completion in the spring of 2021 and a community open house will be scheduled at that time.