The Siskiyou Community Health Center (SCHC) began in 1973 as the Takilma People’s Clinic in the Illinois Valley of Southern Oregon. Established by volunteers in response to a local healthcare crisis, the clinic initially operated from a repurposed farmhouse. Dr. Jim Shames, originally from the Portland area, joined to train community members and chose to remain, becoming Medical Director, a role he held until 2003. Today, SCHC’s is a not-for-profit, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with