Aug 30, 2024 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Hinge Health
Hinge Health offers customized and more convenient approach to treat joint and muscle pain. Unlike traditional programs, Hinge Health uses technology to give you a personalized plan, live feedback during exercises, and a team of dedicated experts to support you every step of the way. And the benefits don’t
stop there!
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*Participants with chronic knee and back pain after 12 weeks. Bailey, et al. Digital Care for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: 10,000 Participant Longitudinal Cohort Study. JMIR. (2020)
Participants must be 18+ and enrolled in a CIS Oregon medical plan administered by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Hinge Health® is a separate and independent company that provides services for CIS members enrolled in a CIS Benefits medical plan administered by Regence.
Aug 30, 2024 | AOC Business Partner
(The Sunset Valley Fire burned agricultural fields south of The Dalles in July 2021. Photo by Jacob Powell)
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: OSU Extension Service
Wasco County has been designated as “very high risk” for wildfire, making it a higher risk than 95-100% of other communities in the United States.
Because of this, Kayla Bordelon, the Oregon State University Extension Service regional fire specialist for the Willamette Valley and north Cascades, made Wasco a top priority.
And that is not just talk: Bordelon and other local and regional collaborators have been awarded a nearly $6 million grant for the county through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which designated a $1.5 billion investment into wildland firefighting and wildfire resilience.
“Building this funding proposal was definitely a labor of love for the handful of us on the grant writing team,” said Bordelon.
Bordelon is a member of OSU Extension’s Fire Program, created in 2019 to support community and landscape wildfire resiliency across Oregon. She joined the team in 2022 after completing a Ph.D. in environmental science with a focus on fire education from University of Idaho.
A substantial component of the grant funding will create and fund a full-time, countywide wildfire coordinator position with Wasco County. “One of my long-term goals is to build local capacity to coordinate wildfire resilience efforts in the nine counties I serve,” said Bordelon. “My number one priority for this grant was funding this county coordinator position. Investing in people allows us to do more work together.”
The rest of the funding will be spread among several sub-awardees including Wasco County Planning Department, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and OSU Extension and includes projects such as creating defensible space around homes to clearing roadside vegetation that is susceptible to sparking or carrying wildfire.
OSU Extension will lead a project to complete a fuels and forest health assessment of 80,000 acres of private, non-industrial forestland in the county. (Fuel is any material that burns in a fire. In the forest, fuel is vegetation such as grasses, shrubs and trees.)
In this assessment, Bordelon said they will be asking questions like: “What species composition is here? Is it healthy? Is it over-stocked with fuels? Do we have a lot of dead and down fuels on the ground?” This information will help identify areas that need restoration and management. “We can look across this whole landscape and say: Wow, we have this many acres of forestland that are high priority for restoration,” she said.
Since this level of detail is not common for private land “it gives landowners more personalized information about management options while also providing county wildfire practitioners with a widespread picture of forest conditions,” Bordelon said.
With that knowledge, county partners are better prepared to ask for state and federal funding. “We will have a really good sense of exactly what needs to be done and where,” said Bordelon. “That makes us more competitive for federal and state dollars.”
Welcoming community
On her first trip to southern Wasco County, Bordelon described how enthusiastic and welcoming the community was. “I went to the town of Wamic, super small town, population 52 to support a community meeting and gather community input on fire resiliency priorities,” Bordelon said. “I showed up hours before the meeting because I wanted to be prepared and didn’t know what to expect.”
When she walked inside, she found “a dozen or more people in The Grange kitchen making lunch for a huge crowd.”
“Community members wanted to be helpful,” she said. The turnout for the meeting ended up being over 100 — doubling the town’s population. “I was very heartened by the engagement.”
Looking forward, Bordelon is working to get similar grants for the other counties she serves. Because of its high-risk status, Wasco County was “an obvious place to start for me, but Wasco is also just the beginning,” she said.
Bordelon’s goal is to help strengthen the counties she works with, so they are best prepared for wildfire before it happens. “In many rural areas, fire departments and wildfire agencies are understaffed or are run by volunteers” she said. “They don’t always have the capacity to write and manage federal grants. By building a coalition and doing it together, we help everyone out.”
See more stories from OSU Extension: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/impact
Contributed by: Henry Carnell | OSU Extension Communications Specialist
Residents attend wildfire input meeting in Wamic in 2023. (Photo by Kayla Bordelon)
Aug 14, 2024 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: GOBHI
Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc. (GOBHI) will host the inaugural Peer Workforce Conference at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Aug. 22-23, 2024. This year’s theme, “Holistic Wellness & Self-Care,” promises to offer a rich array of content designed specifically for peer support specialists. A peer support specialist (PSS) is a mental health professional who has personal experience with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, or psychological trauma and is trained to help others who are struggling with similar challenges. Their personal experience and professional training give them expertise that can’t be replicated by professional training alone. PSSs act as role models for clients and can provide a level of acceptance, understanding and validation that may not be found in other professional relationships.
Over the course of two days, attendees will have access to 16 tailored workshops, keynote speakers, and an Eastern Oregon Peer Panel, all focused on the unique needs of peer support specialists who work and live in Eastern Oregon. This conference provides a valuable opportunity for the 140 employed peer workers across Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization’s 12-county region to gather, network, and strengthen their skills.
Participants will benefit from professional development opportunities, social connections with like-minded individuals, and the chance to develop and enhance their skills. The diverse perspectives shared at the conference will foster greater understanding and support for the inclusion of peer support specialists across various organizations in Eastern Oregon. Workshops and panels include topics like: Vicarious Trauma, Behavioral Activation – Practical Tools for Peers Working with Older Adults, Practical Tools & Strategies for Working with Latino Populations, Situational Awareness & Resiliency, and many more.
The overarching goal of the 2024 Eastern Oregon Peer Workforce Conference is to advance the peer support profession and promote its integration into healthcare and community systems throughout the region.
For more information and to register, visit the conference website. Follow the conversation on social media with the hashtag #EOPeers2024.
Jul 23, 2024 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Regence
Be sure to stay hydrated and keep kids hydrated. Never leave kids or pets in the car on a hot day, even for a short time. Check up on the older people in your life every couple of days during a heat wave to ensure they are staying cool and hydrated.
What is heat exhaustion?
Heat exhaustion occurs when you are exposed to high temperatures, particularly when combined with high humidity. Signs and symptoms can develop suddenly or over time, especially with prolonged periods of exercise. Heat exhaustion symptoms include:
- Moist skin with goosebumps when in the heat
- Heavy sweating
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Weak, rapid pulse
- Muscle cramps
- Headache
- Fainting (passing out)
If you experience symptoms of heat exhaustion, stop all activity and rest. Find a cool place for your body to cool down and drink cool water. Heat exhaustion, if left untreated, can progress to heat stroke.
What is heat stroke?
Heat stroke occurs when your body overheats, usually due to extended exposure to or physical effort in hot temperatures. Heat stroke can happen when the body’s temperature rises rapidly and the body is unable to cool down with sweating. Heat stroke symptoms include:
- Altered mental state or behavior, such as confusion and slurred speech
- High body temperature (103°F or higher)
- Hot, red, dry or damp skin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rapid breathing
- Racing heart rate
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Losing consciousness (passing out)
If you or someone you know starts experiencing symptoms of heat stroke, seek medical attention immediately.
How to stay safe in the heat
While heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious conditions, they are also preventable. Keep these tips in mind to stay safe in hot weather:
- Avoid exercising outside during the hottest part of the day, typically between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Instead, plan your outdoor activities in the early morning hours or late evening to avoid unnecessary heat exposure.
- Drink plenty of water. The average adult needs 3 to 4 liters of water each day — that’s 12 8-oz glasses. During periods of excessive heat, plan to drink more than that as your body dehydrates more rapidly.
- Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol can affect the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.
- Wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing. Heavy or tight clothing can prevent sweat from evaporating easily, so the body won’t cool down.
- Take steps to keep your home cool. This can include keeping your windows and doors closed during the day to prevent the heat from coming in. Try to avoid using the oven when you’re cooking. If you don’t have air conditioning, you can still keep cool with a fan to circulate the air.
- Use sunscreen and other protective measures to avoid sunburn.
Jul 22, 2024 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: iSector
The Oregon iSector and Regional Rural Revitalization Strategies Consortium (R3) are working together to provide direct technical assistance and connection for rural communities statewide to address their local housing needs.
All jurisdictions have unique challenges, and strategies to produce housing differ. Identifying specific challenges city by city is critical to providing necessary assistance. Currently, there is no comprehensive inventory of the barriers that rural jurisdictions face in producing needed housing for their citizens. As the state develops funding and policy that addresses housing barriers, it is important that rural jurisdictions have a way to communicate their needs to ensure that state plans support those unique needs.
The Oregon iSector has developed a short questionnaire, the Community Housing Readiness Assessment, aimed at gathering insights into specific housing production opportunities and challenges for rural communities. Results from the assessment will be used by the iSector and R3 team to develop strategies to support housing production, and to deploy strategies for technical assistance including access to financing, zoning, public facilities, development, and other expertise.
Additionally, a dashboard of submitted sites has been created and will be shared with developers, funders, and other parties who can help produce needed housing. The dashboard will be used to inform the iSector and R3’s direct technical assistance work, as well as serve as a list of community needs informing funding and policy development designed to produce housing in Oregon.
For questions or to learn more please contact rural@isector.org, or visit their website at iSector.org.
Jun 27, 2024 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: USDA Rural Development
Last month was National Homeownership Month, and after 75 years helping rural Oregonians, USDA Rural Development (USDA RD) has a lot to celebrate and even more work to do. Every year, hundreds of families in rural Oregon buy, build, and repair homes using USDA loans, loan guarantees, and grants, but USDA Rural Development programs also can help whole communities rehabilitate existing property or start fresh from the ground up.
Many of Oregon’s rural communities have seen impressive population growth over the past few years, and with new faces comes a need for new housing. Unfortunately, before new housing can be built, communities must address aging or strained infrastructure. USDA RD’s Water and Environmental Programs provide loans, loan guarantees, and grants for major water projects as well as grants for communities facing the aftermath of or preparing for a disaster like a chemical spill, landslide, or drought. USDA RD also provides financing for electric projects, including renewable energy, and broadband projects, including telemedicine and distance learning. Additionally, USDA RD’s Rural Housing Site loans can be used to acquire and develop single family housing sites for low or moderate-income families.
For some communities, the best way to increase housing supply is to repair or maintain existing homes. USDA RD’s Housing Preservation Grants allow local government entities and Tribes to repair or rehabilitate housing owned by low or very low-income homeowners. Rental owners may also be eligible. Using the funding, applicants can administer grants or low-interest loans so that homeowners can install handicap accessibility features, repair rooves, fix septic tanks, and more. USDA RD’s Rural Energy Savings Program also provides funding for qualified entities that provide energy efficiency loans to qualified customers, which can be used for weatherization, home energy upgrades, and more.
Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start with large housing projects. Sometimes communities need technical assistance to plan out transitional or supportive housing. USDA RD’s Community Facilities Technical Assistance Grants help fund technical assistance from the Housing Assistance Council, so communities can access the support they need before breaking ground, or help public bodies provide technical assistance funding for eligible projects. Similarly, the Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan program can help public bodies and qualified lenders finance community, social, public, or cultural centers and other essential community infrastructure for residents to help make new housing feel like home.
Whatever stage your housing project is in, contact USDA RD at (503) 414-3300 or locate your nearest office for assistance. The sooner federal agencies get involved, the faster they can lend support, answer questions, and help with capacity issues. After all, when rural Oregon prospers, all of Oregon prospers.
Contributed by: Max Sprague | United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development
