OXNARD : County May Merge 8 Health Clinics

The Health Care Agency will seek approval Tuesday from the County Board of Supervisors to consolidate eight Oxnard clinics into a single facility in the Centerpoint Mall.

At least six and possibly all eight of the units would be closed when the move is made after the end of the year, said Phillipp K. Wessels, agency director.

The clinics serve Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo residents. Six of them specialize in fields such as immunization, family planning and sexually transmitted diseases.

The South Oxnard and Colonia clinics provide general outpatient care. One or both may stay open, Wessels said.

“These multiple sites require many of our clients to travel from place to place to get the services they need,” Wessels said. “By concentrating the services in one place, we can save the patients and our staff a lot of traveling time.

“In addition, the new center would provide prenatal and pediatric care. At present, women and children needing such care must travel to the County Medical Center in Ventura.”

Wessels said the specialized clinics would move into part of a former J.C. Penney store while the general-care facilities would occupy a former Soup Tureen restaurant. The center, at Saviers Road and Channel Islands Boulevard, is easily reached by public transit.

Cost of converting the buildings is estimated at about $950,000, which would be financed by Ventura County Medical Center revenues and money already allocated to the health agency.