Public Health in Oregon - Join The Conversation

What Can a CHP Grant Can Do - to discuss health in Oregon’s rural communities

By: NWHF Staff | Posted on: February 23rd, 2011 | 1 comments | Share:
Categories: Grantee Reports • Public Health • Rural Health

Guest Author: Matt Webber, Community Organizer, Archimedes Movement

The resounding statement heard from the group of individuals gathered at the Crook County Library in Prineville, Oregon on a Tuesday night was: “These kids need a pool. One that is open all year round too!”. “A pool?”, I said,

“Wow, this is a refreshing conversation.”

This past May, the Archimedes Movement traveled to rural communities in Eastern Oregon and then in July to the southern Oregon Coast to introduce the film series “Unnatural Causes” and have discussions with communities on the social determinants of health and health priorities. The trip was made possible by a CHP grant to engage people in discussions to articulate a vision of what they see as a “healthy” community.

So often, the conversation is focused around health care reform, so to hear a group of people unanimously say that they needed a pool for the kids of their community was not only a fresh breath of air but also a wonderful ʻlight bulbʼ moment.

In each of the eight communities we visited we noticed that the people who showed up were the same people who helped out at the local food pantries, knew who was working with seniors or children, volunteered at the local garden, or who helped at the homeless shelter or local clinic.

A reporter for the Brookings newspaper wrote an article after our meeting. A few days later, Archimedes director Liz Baxter got a call from a woman asking for our help. She was concerned about her adult grand-daughter, who at the time was getting her care and medications through through the local public health clinic while waiting to learn if she is eligible for Social Security Disability. But the clinic announced that it was closing its local office. Liz emailed the group who had attended our meeting and asked if they knew of any resources. The response was immediate and incredible. One person knew of a church that was starting a volunteer clinic, another about a physician who provided free services one day a month.

Within one day we had four referrals for the woman who had called. Not only did we do some virtual high-fives to the folks in Brookings, but we have a lot to learn from smaller communities and how they respond when times get hard and the health of their local community needs some help.

In Burns, we learned about how the community wanted to have cancer treatment available that didn’t require a trip to Bend or Boise. By partnering with Providence Health System they now have treatment in Burns. Imagine going through chemotherapy plus 3-4 hours in a car going to and from. Creativity and persistence won out.

When the folks in Prineville identified a community pool as one of their top needs, they said that even though they live with a view of Mt. Bachelor, few of the children in Prineville can afford that kind of winter recreation and have few options when winter arrives. Maybe they’ll have an opportunity to partner with Facebook as it gets ready to settle in Prineville.

For two years in a row high school students have testified before local leaders advocating for a year-round pool. Weʼll see if creativity and persistence will win out there too.