WesternU joins OHSU and other local organizations at annual Portland Health Care Equity Fair

Western University of Health Sciences' Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine (WesternU HCOM) participated in the 19th annual Portland Health Care Equity Fair (HCEF) hosted by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. The event offers a range of free health services to the community, with a focus on connecting uninsured and underinsured individuals with accessible, long-term care.

OHSU and WesternU HCOM students work together under the supervision of an attending or resident physician to develop a patient's care plan (Sohani Nimmala, WesternU).

For the fifth consecutive year, WesternU joined the HCEF in bringing students, faculty, and community volunteers together to serve the Portland community. From health and wellness services to food distribution, mental health education, and personal care, this year's event offered a wide range of resources to those who needed them most. Participating organizations included the Pacific Psychology and Comprehensive Health Clinic, Multnomah County Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Services Division, Feed the Mass, Oregon Food Bank, Hairstyles for Humanity, the University of Western States and more.

The event is organized by OHSU and WesternU HCOM students who take on a variety of roles, including logistics, finance, publicity, community outreach, operations, and volunteer recruitment. For OHSU student Thuy Dien, serving as a committee lead this year offered a new perspective on the extensive planning and coordination required to make the event possible, from managing inventory and securing donated items to ensuring supplies are ready for patients on the day of the event.

"Last year I was a medical assistant helping in the primary care provider (PCP) tents, helping patients to get their health screenings. This year as a lead, I've gotten to learn how much work it takes to put this all together, how much it takes behind the scenes to come together in order to make things happen," said Dien. "It's something I'm going to take with me in the future."

Beyond providing students with valuable experience in event organization and leadership, the HCEF creates opportunities for collaboration across health care programs and institutions. In addition to medical students from OHSU and WesternU HCOM, students from the OHSU School of Nursing, the OHSU School of Dentistry, and Oregon State University's School of Pharmacy participate in the event, working alongside their peers to provide care and connect community members with health resources. Bringing together students from multiple health care disciplines also creates an interdisciplinary learning experience, allowing students to better understand how different areas of health care can work together to address the needs of the whole patient. Students share perspectives, learn from one another, and build connections while working toward a common goal of serving the community.

"It has been incredible," said second-year WesternU HCOM student Megan Van Der Walt. "Getting to interact with other students that are kind of in the same boat, going through the same things and working towards a goal of providing care and services to the community. Working together to directly tackle barriers to care has been really fun and rewarding."

For OHSU student Merel De Leenheer, participating in the fair offers a firsthand look at some of the challenges community members face when accessing health care.

The event is organized by OHSU and WesternU HCOM students who take on a variety of roles, including logistics, finance, publicity, community outreach, operations, and volunteer recruitment (Sohani Nimmala, WesternU).

"It really opened my eyes to how many barriers we have in the medical system. That was something I already knew but wasn't something that I had seen or experienced at all firsthand until the fair," said De Leenheer. "And how grateful people who come to the fair are for any of the services we provided. Last year I was at the checkout table and was handing out sunscreen and Advil, just little things they could put in their bag. The gratitude that I saw in these people, I think it really made a difference, and it's something I'll definitely take into my future practice."

WesternU HCOM Assistant Professor of Family Medicine Gina Miller, MD, helped organize the first Health Care Equity Fair in 2008 while in medical school at OHSU. Today she serves as the WesternU HCOM faculty advisor, supporting students who share her passion for accessible health care.

Dr. Gina Miller and OHSU faculty member Emily Jacobsen, PA-C. (Sohani Nimmala, WesternU)

"Because I've been there for so many years in a row, and I'm not necessarily the physician in charge of supervising patient care, but more just available and in charge of the event if there were emergencies, I get to be part of the flow of seeing patients come through. There are multiple patients that I recognize annually that are consistently coming in and seeking medical care," said Dr. Miller. "After 19 years, you really do build a set of patients and you wish that they could have regular primary care in the interim, but for many reasons, they're unable to access those services routinely."

In 2025, WesternU Oregon held the first Rural Health Care Equity Fair in Lebanon, Oregon. Similar to the HCEF, this event provides access to a variety of health services and educational opportunities to community members, free of charge. The Rural Health Care Equity Fair is held annually on the first Saturday of May and will be held May 1, 2027, at the Lebanon River Center.