Garden Update
Our garden keeps on growing! Thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, North by Northeast and Cascadia staff, and our garden coordinator, Anand, we have been providing fresh produce to our patients since early May. Our front desk volunteers take on the added duty of talking about vegetables and sharing cooking tips when people come for care during our evening clinics. A recent harvest included lettuce, kale, collard greens, zucchini and artichokes. We’re looking forward to a bounty of…
Welcome (back) Danielle!
Welcome back to our newest staff member, Danielle Tucker! Danielle joined us first as a front desk volunteer last summer and then stepped up to become our temporary Program Assistant for several months when we needed additional help. She then left Portland to teach English in the Dominican Republic for five months. When Danielle returned in June she jumped right back into her role as Program Assistant. Her responsibilities include greeting patients, answering the phone, keeping our office…
Congratulations Community Health Workers!
Congratulations to Sharetta Butcher, Habiba Addo and Jimi Hardin! They recently completed a two-week training to become state-certified Community Health Workers (CHWs). Over the past year, we worked in partnership with the Community Capacitation Center, Urban League of Portland and other community-based organizations to develop and implement this 80-hour CHW training. With a focus on the African American and African communities in Portland, the training provided in-depth sessions on topics such…
What Health Reform Means for Us
We get a lot of questions about what will happen to our patients when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented. Here’s some of what we know today: • Most of our patients will qualify for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) as of January 1, 2014. • We will continue to see patients and are exploring ways to provide services to those who gain health coverage. • Enrollment in the expanded OHP begins this October. • Newly formed CCOs (Coordinated Care Organizations) will be responsible for…
The Community Health Worker Buzz
Have you been hearing the buzz about Community Health Workers? Also known as lay health workers or promotoras, CHWs are getting a lot of attention these days. They are trusted community members who are trained to provide health information and support to those in their own communities. Both federal and Oregon state healthcare reform efforts include training and hiring CHWs as an essential component of improving the health of under-served populations. As a health center committed to the African…
Welcome Jessica Lee!
We are thrilled to welcome our newest staff member - Jessica Lee! Jessica joins us as Program Assistant, responsible for ensuring the smooth flow of clinical, office and program operations. She is a life-long Pacific Northwesterner and attended school in Olympia, WA where she later served as Senior Patient Care Coordinator at Planned Parenthood of Western Washington, until 2006. Jessica then moved to Portland and from 2006-2012 led the Racial Justice & Alliance Building Program, as well as the…