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 SERV-OR Bulletin 📣 May / June 2026
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NEWPORT, Ore. - In the Operation Pathfinder 2026 exercise scenario, the Oregon Coast was 48 hours into a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami. Roads and bridges were compromised, communications were strained, and Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital was facing a surge of patients who needed triage, treatment, tracking and possible evacuation.
For two days in May, SERV-OR volunteers, including members of the Lincoln County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), joined the Oregon Disaster Medical Team alongside hospital, state, county, military and communications partners to test how Oregon's medical response system might work under those conditions.
Held May 15 and 16 at the Samaritan Center for Health Education across from the Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, the Pathfinder exercise focused on how... CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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Standing with Takoda the Bear, the Sunriver Resort mascot: Joseph "Mark" Evans, Sarah Hurth, Victor Hernandez Triana, Frances Munkenbeck, Shanilka deSoyza, Mark W. Scott (in back), Stuart C Vaughters, Robyn Greenlund, and kneeling in front, Abby Morris.
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SERV-OR Advanced Team Goes to Oregon Prepared | Stuart C Vaughters & Abby Morris*
The Oregon Prepared Conference is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) that brings together hundreds of emergency management and preparedness professionals from across the state and beyond. The conference held at the Sunriver Resort is a three-day event focused on strengthening collaboration, advancing innovation, and building a ready and resilient Oregon where over 300 Tribal, local, state, federal, nonprofit and private sector partners gather, to share best practices and address the evolving challenges regarding disaster readiness and resilience.
This year for the first time, thanks to funds provided by the MRC STTRONG (State, Territory and Tribal Nations, Representative Organizations for Next Generation) grant, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) sponsored volunteers who are part of the... CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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Public Health Pathways: Finding Your Way into the Work |Â Jessica Hamner*
Jessica Hamner is the Community Health & Family Services Manager at the Ko-Kwel Wellness Center. Along with three other public health professionals, she participated in panel discussion about career pathways in public health.Â
This April, during National Public Health Week, I had the opportunity to join colleagues from across Oregon for the Early Career Pathways Panel hosted by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). The purpose was to highlight how people find their way into public health—and, just as importantly, to remind those already in the field why they chose this work in the first place.
One theme surfaced quickly... CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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Psychological First Aid Training for Emergencies | Michelle Morales-Hamilton*
Across Oregon, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Behavioral Health Division’s Emergency Behavioral Health Response and Recovery (EMBHRR) team has been working closely with communities to provide Psychological First Aid (PFA) trainings that help ensure behavioral health needs are prioritized during emergency response. These partnerships recognize that recovery isn’t just about restoring infrastructure — it’s about supporting people. After a crisis, many people experience poor concentration, disrupted sleep, irritability, or feelings of disconnection. These reactions... CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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Top: Cynthia Rodriguez, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Manager and Coos County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Unit Coordinator, with her dog, Leo. Bottom: Cynthia with members of the Coos County Medical Reserve Corps.
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Spotlight on Service: An Interview with Cynthia Rodriguez, Coos County MRC Unit Coordinator | Anthony Brande*
For the past four years, Cynthia Rodriguez has served as the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Manager and Coos County Medical
Reserve Corps (MRC) Unit Coordinator. In this role, she helps the community prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies and disasters. Her work includes preparedness planning, training, exercises, and coordinating partnerships with local organizations. As MRC Unit Coordinator, she also recruits, trains, and supports volunteers who serve their communities during emergencies and public health events.
Cynthia's path into public health preparedness began during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she worked in investigation and contact tracing. As a graduate of Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in public health, she initially knew she wanted a career in public health but was uncertain... CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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In addition to the April 2026 Edition of the SERV-OR Bulletin that celebrated the service of over 40 SERV-OR volunteers, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) spotlighted the service of three SERV-OR volunteers. During National Volunteer Appreciation Month, Alex Dolle, Peter Mackwell, and Libet Streiff were acknowledged throughout OHA’s social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X. Click on the images below to view their interviews on YouTube.
The service of Stuart C Vaughters, OHA AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer In Service to America), was also recognized for his work supporting SERV-OR. All four volunteers were highlighted in the Oregon Health News Blog and the OHA press release entitled, Volunteers power Oregon’s public health emergency response. Check out the links to read and hear about these valued volunteers.
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Also, Tina Magsarili was presented with the Public Health Collaboration Award for her volunteer service with the Washington County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) supporting the Washington County WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program. The award was given as part of the Washington County Public Health Week celebrations. The Washington County WIC supervisor, Tara Olson, shared this about Tina, “Washington County WIC collaborated with Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) to develop a volunteer program. Tina was our first volunteer. She volunteers for 8-hour shifts up to 3 days per week. Over the last 10 months, Tina has helped WIC to incorporate up to 1,500 additional appointments to be more responsive to the needs of the community. Her assistance also helped to boost employee morale and decrease staff burnout. Tina has been crucial to the success of our WIC volunteer program. She has helped train other MRC volunteers and brings her nurse experience for helping the community. Her compassion and positivity have been an asset to the program.” Congratulations and thank you, Tina. |
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Thank you: Shana Anderson, Jamie Bash, Sarah Bates, Anthony Brande, Danielle Brown, Samantha Buckely, Mathieu Creighton-Caraway, Alex Dolle, Adrienne Donner, Mark Evans, Jacqueline Felix, Nancy Flores-Sánchez, Cayetana Gomez de Soler, Gloria Hale, Jessica Hamner, Velda Handler, Erica Heartquist, Carissa Heiniege, Paul Kaplan, Peter Mackwell, Tina Magsarili, Eric Missman, Jonathan Modie, Michelle Morales-Hamilton, Abby Morris, Frances Munkenbeck, Mojisola Obiako, Britt Parrott, Cynthia Rodriguez, Libet Streiff, Stuart C Vaughters, and Lila Wickham.
The floral images were taken this June at the International Rose Test Garden in Portland by Stuart C Vaughters.
The individuals named above played an instrumental role in bringing this edition of the SERV-OR Bulletin to life. Their dedication, talent, and hard work were invaluable to this publication!
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Volunteers Building Strong, Healthy, and Prepared Communities.
Mission
SERV-OR is a ready volunteer network that recruits, trains, and mobilizes qualified volunteers to augment healthcare and public health capacity.
Vision
A ready volunteer health workforce that reduces disaster risk and bolsters whole community health before, during, and after emergencies.
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