News and press releases

This week, CareOregon was proud to celebrate the grand opening of Cascade AIDS Project’s (CAP) second Prism Health location. The new Prism Morris Clinic, now open to the public, will address the growing demand for access to culturally responsive primary and behavioral health care services for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC members, aiming to serve up to 3,000 additional patients. 

Prism Morris, located at 15 N. Morris St, in the heart of Portland’s historically Black community, will help alleviate Prism Health’s growing waitlist and improve its capacity to serve more patients. With over 7,500 square feet of space, Prism Morris will increase access to primary care, transgender health services, HIV and STI testing and mental health services. The clinic also includes an on-site pharmacy. 

In 2017, CAP opened Prism Health in SE Portland, the first primary care clinic of its kind in the state, serving approximately 1,500 patients, with more than 90% identifying as LGBTQ+. The need for a second clinic was driven by a growing demand for safe, welcoming and knowledgeable care for the LGBTQ+ community. Trans and non-binary individuals in particular have sought care at Prism due to a lack of affirming and competent gender care elsewhere in the community.   

“Prism Morris clinic has been transformative for us and will enable us to significantly increase the number of patients we are able to see,” said Carrie Samuels, Deputy Director of Mission & Culture, at CAP. “And that is ultimately the heart of what we seek to do—to build our capacity to serve as many people as we can who have faced barriers to receiving gender-affirming care, HIV care, substance use disorder treatment and other critical services. We are so grateful for the funding support from CareOregon that has been an essential part of making this exciting moment possible.” 

CareOregon invested $500,000 in the clinic to cover renovation, construction and staffing costs. Approximately half of the patients visiting Prism Health are Oregon Health Plan members or people who do not have insurance. In the last two years, about 840 CareOregon members have received primary care at Prism, and over 350 have received behavioral health care. The new clinic is expected to serve an even greater number of CareOregon members. 

“We are always grateful for partnerships that address health disparities and build health equity in historically underserved communities,” said Alison Arella, Vice President of Community Impact at CareOregon. “Prism Morris is set to become an important pillar and lifeline in the neighborhood and for our members, and we are proud to support Cascade AIDS Project in meeting the demand for safe and welcoming health care spaces for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals.”