In this issue:

• Measure 110 funding expands parent mentor program
• Help Oregon plan disaster response for disability communities
• Help end poverty in Oregon
• Readers share what inspires them to be healthy
• Ease food insecurity in Oregon by volunteering or donating
• Q & A
• OHA's COVID-19 resources

Measure 110 funding expands parent mentor program

The parent mentor program at Morrison Child & Family Services has expanded and can now serve more people than ever.

Funding from Measure 110 has enabled the mental health and substance use recovery organization to hire six more parent mentors across four Oregon counties.

Parent mentors are parents who have experienced challenges in their parenting and have maintained an active program of recovery from substance use for at least two years. They can empathize and support parents entering treatment, maintaining sobriety and reuniting with their children. They are familiar with the many roads to recovery, as well as the child welfare system, and can support parents through all stages.

Help Oregon plan disaster response for disability communities

Wildfires, floods, and other emergencies impact our disability communities every year. People with disabilities have their own strengths, having built community networks and resources they rely on. These communities also have specific needs during emergencies. Governments and communities must prepare for crisis together to ensure people with disabilities can contribute their strengths, while receiving the support they need. Oregon’s Disability Emergency Management Advisory Council (DEMAC) is recruiting members to help advise state agencies on emergency response. The council was created in 2020 to include the experiences and knowledge of people with disabilities as subject matter experts in the planning, response and recovery activities of Oregon's emergency management system. DEMAC is comprised of 20-25 members who include: People with disabilities Family members of people with disabilities Disability services professionals State and local public health and emergency management professionals Native American/Tribal government representatives Volunteers who work on short-term projects People from diverse communities across Oregon are encouraged to apply. Members must commit to spending two years on the council and attending monthly and quarterly Zoom meetings. Send questions, comments, and accommodation requests to Yoshi Kardell at ykardell@hsri.org. Learn more about DEMAC here. The deadline to apply is March 31.

Help end poverty in Oregon

OHA’s AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program is recruiting for multiple positions across Oregon to begin in April. Positions are full time and last one year. Hybrid service is possible in some cases.

AmeriCorps VISTA is a domestic national service program modeled after the Peace Corps. It has been on the front lines of fighting poverty in America for more than 50 years. VISTA members in Oregon may find themselves serving in local public health departments, Tribal governments or nonprofits across the state, focusing on building the organizational, administrative and financial capacity of organizations that improve health services.

Areas of service can include:

• Community partnership development
• Health equity
• Volunteer recruitment and training
• Fundraising
• Communication and marketing
• Communicable disease prevention

Positions are available throughout the state, both in urban centers and scenic rural areas. A list of open positions can be found here.

The OHA AmeriCorps VISTA Program Project offers its members a stipend and benefits including relocation and basic living support, federal student loan assistance, childcare assistance (if eligible) and health insurance. To learn more about the recruitment process, open positions and benefits, join one of our free Zoom discussions held every Friday through Feb. 23 from noon to 1 p.m., or email oha.vista@odhsoha.oregon.gov. Applications for the April recruitment are due Feb. 26.

Readers share what inspires them to be healthy

Ease food insecurity in Oregon by volunteering or donating

Food insecurity in on the rise in Oregon, and food banks are seeing record numbers of visits from people who need food. 2023 saw 1.9 million visits to food banks in Oregon—a 14% increase from the previous year. Additionally, Black, indigenous and communities of color, immigrants and refugees, single moms and caregivers, and trans and gender expansive communities are two to three times more likely to face hunger and poverty in our region. If you’d like to help, here are some ways: Volunteer your time at a local event. Donate money. Donate food. Please call Oregon Food Bank at 503-419-4166 to learn how and where to donate food items in your area. Join a movement. If you need food, find a food bank near you using this food finder tool. For more food resources, check out the Oregon Department of Human Services website.

Q & A

Questions are answered by experts at OHA and other state agencies or community partners.

Q: Where does one find walk-in COVID-19 shots in Jackson County, Oregon? – Marianne, Ashland

A: Searching on Vaccines.gov using ZIP code 97520, the results show the Rite Aid at 2341 Ashland St. accepts walk-ins. Further north, there is a Rite Aid on N. Main St. in Phoenix that also takes walk-ins. There are more options in Medford such as Walmart, Walgreens, Safeway, Sav-On and CVS that take walk-ins. Generally speaking, the big pharmacy chains will take walk-ins, and the smaller community clinics such as La Clinica and the Jackson County Health Department, which stock a smaller supply of vaccines, require appointments.

People can search for COVID-19 (or flu) vaccines by ZIP code at Vaccines.gov, making sure to check the box for at least one type of COVID-19 vaccine. Then, among the search results, click on an individual pharmacy or clinic and look for “Drop-ins accepted” or “No drop-ins accepted.” Please confirm with your insurer that the location is in-network, or if you have Medicare that the provider will bill Medicare Part B. If you’re an Oregon Health Plan (OHP/Medicaid) member, please confirm the provider accepts OHP (most retail pharmacies do).

Q: Is whooping cough (pertussis) on the rise? That's what the news has indicated. Last April I had continuous coughing for eight weeks. Thought it was RSV. – Pamela, Portland

A: Very sorry to hear about your cough illness. We can’t be sure of the cause without testing – and testing may well be negative at this point; but with a cough lasting that long, pertussis would be the most likely cause.

Statistically, you are correct – cases of pertussis have been rising in Oregon. But current levels are nowhere near pre-pandemic days. During 2015-2019, Oregon averaged 392 cases of pertussis reported annually. Cases fell off dramatically with the imposition of social distancing measures to control COVID-19: only three cases were reported in 2021. Numbers were up slightly in 2022 (17 cases) and 2023 (40 cases), but we remain well below the pre-pandemic average.

OHA’s interactive Monthly Communicable Disease Surveillance dashboard allows you to research and track trends in Oregon for 39 contagious diseases, including pertussis. The data go back 10 years and can be viewed by county and demographic group. Annual communicable disease reporting in Oregon can be found here.

If you have questions about health topics in Oregon, submit your question here. Although we are unable to answer every question, we try to address those of interest to a broad audience. Please understand that we are unable to provide specific medical advice for personal medical conditions.

OHA's COVID-19 resources

• FIND A VACCINE
• COVID-19 home page
• News and reports homepage
• Respiratory virus data home page (COVID-19, RSV, flu)
  
• Wastewater surveillance data dashboard (updated every Wednesday)

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