WesternU Oregon hosts second annual Rural Health Care Equity Fair

Western University of Health Sciences welcomed members of the community on Saturday, May 2, 2026, for its second annual Rural Health Care Equity Fair (RHCEF). The event brought together patients, clinicians, and volunteers for a day focused on accessible, community-centered care. Attendees were able to take part in a wide range of services, including general health screenings, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), sports physicals, balance assessments, and bone scan interpretations. The fair also featured raffles, giveaways, and additional resources, creating an engaging and supportive environment for all who attended. 

“This year’s event represented a major milestone for WesternU Oregon and for our students. What began as a student-driven vision has rapidly grown into a meaningful interprofessional health care outreach initiative that directly serves our rural community while creating invaluable early clinical experiences for students,” said Gina Miller, MD, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and faculty event organizer. “Events like this not only improve community access to care but also help shape compassionate, community-oriented future health care clinicians.” 

Behind the scenes, this event reflected months of collaboration and student leadership. The event was organized and run by medical and physical therapy student volunteers from WesternU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest (COMP-Northwest), which is in the process of transitioning to its new name, the Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the College of Health Sciences-Northwest (CHS-Northwest). In total, more than 90 WesternU students contributed their time and effort to make the event possible. Their combined efforts transformed the event into a powerful force for clinical care and community education. 

“The fair creates a very welcoming environment. It’s physicians, but mostly student volunteers who are all excited to be there, excited to help, and excited to try out the skills that they’ve been learning,” said first-year COMP-Northwest student and event organizer Renee Kozlowski. “I think it creates a more friendly environment so that those who may have felt hesitancy seeking care can then overcome that hesitancy. The goal is to have a good experience with receiving health care.” 

In addition to providing direct health services, the RHCEF served as a hub for local resources. WesternU student clubs and community organizations connected with attendees to share information and expand awareness of services available in the region. Participating community organizations included the Lebanon Area Mental Health Alliance, East Linn Community Clinic, Family Tree Relief Nursery, Samaritan Health Services, the Lebanon Senior Center, The Community Health Centers of Benton and Linn Counties Dental Program, 1440 Gym, Lebanon Orthotics, Midvalley Birthing Services, Intercommunity Health Network CCO, Casa Unidos Latinos, Mid-Valley Health Care Advocates, and Pollywog.  

“It’s been a great way for everyone to network,” said second-year physical therapy student and event organizer Dominador Castro. “Working in the community and keeping the services here in the community, it gives people the resources they need rather than having to research it themselves. It’s a great place for folks to really show off what they have to offer and to help everyone out. It takes a village.” 

The fair also highlighted strong collaboration across institutions. Oregon State University (OSU) pre-medical students volunteered throughout the event, assisting with consent forms and registrations, while the OSU College of Pharmacy provided medication education. Students from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) also contributed as volunteers, further strengthening the event’s impact. 

“I just absolutely marvel at these students. These individuals are in the throes of higher education at the graduate level. It’s impressive enough to be volunteering at an already established event, but to actually take on starting something new from the grassroots up is really pretty incredible,” said CHS-Northwest Assistant Professor and faculty event organizer Melissa McNulty, PT, DPT, COMT. 

Several of the student volunteers who returned this year also helped organize and run last year’s inaugural fair, carrying forward both experience and a continued commitment to the community. For many of them, coming back provided an opportunity to build trust and familiarity with attendees who rely on events like the RHCEF for care and connection. By being a consistent presence, these students aimed to create a more welcoming and reliable experience for community members year after year. One such returning volunteer is COMP-Northwest second-year student and event organizer Tiffany Tran, who was eager to once again lend her time and skills to this important event. 

“I think it’s especially important to continue giving repeat opportunities for students to come back year in and year out and, as we continue with our training, to come back to serve the same community, to show that not only do we care about our education, we also care about the growth and the health of this community,” said Tran. 

This event takes place annually on the first Saturday of May.