The River Avenue Alternative Care Site (RAACS) is now closed. We are no longer accepting new guests, donations, or job applications for this site.
The River Avenue Alternative Care Site (RAACS) was open June 1, 2020 through June, 2021 by Occupy Medical under a contract with Lane County Public Health to provide emergency shelter for any of those effected by COVID-19. Our staff strove to uphold Occupy Medical's core values of harm reduction, human centeredness, and trauma informed care. Our staff has been hard at work helping our community members experiencing homelessness/unstable housing situations during a global pandemic. RAACS was a 24/7 facility staffed with medical assistants, registered nurses, and providers all committed to helping those in need. We are thankful for all our community partners, including Black Thistle Street Aide and Carry It Forward, for supporting us throughout this time.
Occupy Medical is also grateful to the staff and management of the RAACS who managed a changing and uncertain situation, and helped to ensure the successful completion of the contract. The RAACS facility was a small but important part of Lane County's COVID response.
The RAACS facility was closed in June, 2021 corresponding with the achievement of 70% vaccination for COVID-19 in Lane County. While the specific need for a COVID quarantine may have diminished, Occupy Medical recognizes the need for a Medical Respite solution for unhoused and low income persons in Lane County who are not able to enter available critical care facilities. Medical Respite facilities offer a lower-cost alternative to Urgent Care or Critical Care by allowing a person's natural immune response to deal with minor problems before they become acute.
If you are interested in pursuing a grant or other options for Medical Respite in Lane County, please consider volunteering with Occupy Medical.