Western University of Health Sciences will once again host the community for its annual Rural Health Care Equity Fair (RHCEF) at the Lebanon River Center (3000 S Santiam Hwy, Lebanon) on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The event is set to run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include general health screenings, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), sports physicals, balance screenings, bone scan interpretations, raffles and giveaways, and more. This event is free and open to the public; no registration is required.
This event is designed to connect community members with accessible and affordable health care and community services. RHCEF attendees will have access to a variety of local organizations including the Lebanon Area Mental Health Alliance, the East Linn Community Clinic (ELCC), Casa Unidos Latinos, the Lebanon Senior Center, Family Tree Relief Nursery, and more. Additionally, the Samaritan Mobile Medicine Clinic will be on-site to provide more comprehensive exams.
“We’ve done everything we possibly can to ensure that what you receive at the fair remains free, and that we can continue to provide you with care for free moving forward,” said Gina Miller, MD, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and faculty event organizer. “For folks that don’t have primary care, adults or children, we will have the ability to set them up for longitudinal care for their chronic conditions through the ELCC free clinic. They will not need any insurance to receive follow-up medical care. And the Samaritan Family Medicine residency in Corvallis will be available for any pediatric patient needing follow-up care that does not already have a primary care physician. That also does not require insurance, but they will have to fill out paperwork for the sliding scale fee that Samaritan has to offer.”
The event is organized and run by medical 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 physical therapy students from the College of Health Sciences-Northwest (CHS-Northwest).
“Something that I’ve come to observe as I’ve connected with the different organizations in the area is the importance of having an event where people are there to talk, in person, about questions in one setting. It’s bridging this gap about knowing what resources are out there, but also letting people ask questions,” shared COMP-Northwest first-year student and volunteer Hayden Manninen. “I think being face-to-face is really helpful and hopefully will help people start on some sort of health path that maybe they were feeling hesitation to start or there were obstacles in the way to making that first step.”
Event organizers encourage individuals and families to attend, ask questions, and take advantage of the wide range of services available. To read more about last year’s event, click here.
Event Details:
WHO: Western University of Health Sciences
WHAT: Rural Health Care Equity Fair
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2, 2026
WHERE: Lebanon River Center, 3000 S. Santiam Hwy, Lebanon, OR 97355
WHAT: Free health care event that features general screenings, youth & sport physicals, physical therapy screenings, nutrition & lifestyle education, osteopathic manipulation demonstrations, and other local resources and presentations. This event is free and open to the public; no registration is required.