Oregon AHEC

We were so happy to see two AHEC Scholars and OHSU medical students – Erin Jamieson and Rebekah Huckaby – participate in the 8th Annual Klamath Tribes Youth Summit in Klamath Falls!

Erin and Rebekah worked with our partners OnTrack! and the OHSU Campus for Rural Health to support Campus for Rural Health programming at the summit.

Come join our team!

Oregon Pacific AHEC, our regional center based in Lebanon that serves Northwest Oregon, is searching for a new leader. Apply using the link below if you think you or someone you know would be a good fit!

https://bit.ly/3Yoq7FK

Cascades East AHEC, one of our five regional centers, recently wrapped up MedStars, a multi-day residence camp for high school students at Central Oregon Community College in Bend.

Through various hands-on activities, learning simulations and daily career speakers, the camp gives students the opportunity to explore the vast career opportunities available in health care.

The camp serves students from the counties of Harney, Grant, Klamath, Crook, Jefferson, Deschutes, Lake and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. All students are provided with a scholarship for the cost of the camp.

We (insert heart emoji) Megan Ludena and Marnasha Cetz, Kaiser RN's and Alliance of Black Nurses Association of Oregon members, for coming to Hillsboro to teach our Synapse campers.

Stay up to date on everything AHEC — click the link below to subscribe to our mailing list!

https://bit.ly/3x79xPc

Oregon AHEC collaborated with other programs and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) departments committed to rural health care during the second Office of the Provost Rural Health Leadership Committee summit held July 15 at OHSU's Portland campus.

Leaders from OHSU schools, rural campuses and state and local organizations gathered to exchange ideas and share examples of ways they are providing resources to rural communities and creating a pipeline for K-16 students to pursue careers in health care.

“We cannot underestimate the power of having all of these partners coming together to better understand the needs of Oregon’s rural communities in order to provide the best health care and access to education,” said OHSU Provost Dr. Marie Chisholm-Burns. “OHSU’s focus on rural health equity provides a path for everyone to live their healthiest life.”

Oregon AHEC looks forward to strengthening opportunities to work together with our partners on the rural health strategic plan so we can continue moving the needle forward on building a strong, sustainable health care workforce in rural Oregon.

MedQuest NEOAHEC

Oregon Pacific AHEC, one of our five regional centers, recently wrapped up its Summer Steps Healthcare Career Camp! The four-day camp gives high school students the opportunity to explore health care careers through behind-the-scenes field trips, hands-on skills development of basic health care competencies and more.

Oregon Pacific AHEC partnered with WesternU COMP Northwest to provide the immersive experience to about a dozen students from North Salem High School, Lebanon High School and Scio High School.

Visit opahec.org to learn more about the camp and other programs offered in the region.

Oregon AHEC Director Eric Wiser, M.D., traveled to Burns last month to teach suturing to high school students at Frontier MedQuest, a week-long health care careers exploration camp put on by Northeast Oregon AHEC.

The camp, which recently celebrated 30 years, is hosted in La Grande and expanded to The Dalles and Burns last year. Over the past 30 years, MedQuest has served 1,160 students and 85% of those surveyed have gone onto health care careers.

Oregon Pacific AHEC (OPAHEC) recently wrapped up its high school nutrition project, Nourishing Change.

With the help of OPAHEC and support from the Oregon Community Foundation, students at North Salem High School created three menus using data they collected at school about family sizes, languages spoken at home, food allergies and sensitivities and food preferences.

The students used the information to create food bags and produce educational videos on food preparation and food safety. More than 150 families received food bags containing recipe cards, all ingredients and a QR code to reach the video.

OPAHEC led discussions with the students about social determinants of health, patient non-compliance to medical advice concerning diet and how availability of nutritional food sources may play a significant role in non-compliance.

Synapse Camp Opens Pathways To Healthcare Professions The one-week program, held at Pacific in conjunction with the Oregon Healthcare Workforce Institute's Area Healthcare Education Center, provides high school juniors and seniors a look at potential careers in healthcare through Pacific's health professions programs.

Did you know that 247,092 students participated in AHEC pathway programs in 2022-2023?

Through AHEC programming, these students gained exposure to primary healthcare professions like:
• Medicine
• Dentistry
• Pharmacy
• Nursing
• And more

One main way that AHECs teach about these professions is through summer camps.

AHEC summer camps
• Feature doctors and nurses teaching medical procedures
• Include hospital and clinic tours
• Teach the educational path to various medical careers

In the coming weeks, we’ll highlight the great work our AHEC summer camps to do encourage the next generation towards health profession careers.

🔗 to learn more about AHEC pathway programs: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.nationalahec.org/resource/resmgr/core_data_flyers/nao_annual_national_data_fly.pdf

This month, we are celebrating Pride and recognizing the contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made in Oregon and around the world.

Oregon AHEC staff was proud to walk in the Portland Pride Parade last year and look forward to doing the same this year. 🏳️‍🌈

Photo credit: OHSU Pride ERG

We were thrilled to celebrate 30 years of Medquest with Northeast Oregon AHEC last week!

Medquest is a week-long health career exploration camp that gives high school students the chance to shadow health care professionals and learn hands-on skills. The camp has been hosted in La Grande since 1994 and expanded to The Dalles and Burns last year. Over the past 30 years, MedQuest has served 1,160 students and 85% of those surveyed have gone onto health care careers.

In celebration of MedQuest's 30th anniversary, Northeast Oregon AHEC hosted more than 100 people for a celebration at Eastern Oregon University’s campus in La Grande.

This month we are celebrating Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery.

The holiday marks the day federal troops arrived in Texas on June 19, 1865, to ensure all enslaved people were freed. Even though Juneteenth did not become a federal holiday until 2021, Black Americans have celebrated since 1866 through church-centered community gatherings. Texas was the first state to declare Juneteenth as an official state holiday in 1980.

Below are some ways to celebrate. 👇 Check out your local event sources to see what is happening near you!

June 15: Juneteenth Oregon 2024 @ Lillis Albina Park, Portland
Learn more: juneteenthor.com/

June 16: Uncovering Oregon's Black history: 450 Years in 45 Minutes in Yachats
Learn more: facebook.com/ViewtheFutureOregon

Come learn more about Oregon AHEC at the Oregon Office of Rural Health forum June 12-13!

Oregon AHEC Director Eric Wiser, M.D., and Program Manager Melissent Zumwalt will present Thursday on Oregon's health care workforce needs and how AHEC is helping address those needs.

You can still register: https://zurl.co/6jxh
Learn more here: https://zurl.co/6jxh

Annual summer health camp celebrating 30 years LA GRANDE — One of Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center’s most successful health career exploration camp programs, MedQuest, will be highlighted during a 30th anniversary celebration event.

Congratulations to all of our AHEC Scholars who graduated this year! You have all worked so hard, and we are very proud of what you have accomplished!

Oregon AHEC Education Coordinator Kate Hubbard (right) was thrilled to be a part of the Pacific University School of Pharmacy graduation ceremony where AHEC Scholars received their certificates and pins. We look forward to keeping up with each of you as you move into the next stage of your career.

Photo credit: Skipping Stone Photography

Be the and share trusted resources on men’s health this . Visit the Office of Minority Health - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to learn more about advancing health equity for racial and ethnic minority men: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/mens-health-month-2024

We are so proud to have another AHEC Scholar recognized by the OHSU School of Medicine! Hannah Moon, M.D. Class of 2024, was nominated for both the Gold-Headed Cane and the Tow Humanism awards!

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award is given to a graduating medical student who is judged by peers to best exemplify the humanistic qualities of a physician. The award, which is presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, emphasizes the value of humanism in the delivery of care to patients and their family members.

Attn.: All Oregon health profession students — We are now accepting scholarly abstracts to be presented as posters during the 41st Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference on Oct. 3 in Bend.

Please submit an abstract for consideration by Aug. 2. For more information, visit bit.ly/4aM26uH

Congratulations to AHEC Scholar Mandy Paolo, PA Class of 2024, for being honored by the OHSU School of Medicine! Mandy was awarded the Exemplary Contributions to the Graduate Program, Outstanding Service to the Community Award.

"Each year, we recognize faculty members and students in the M.D. and Graduate Studies programs who have distinguished themselves not only by their intellect but also through their humanity," Interim Dean Nathan Selden, M.D., said in a statement. "The individuals chosen represent the values of excellence, diligence, and creativity that will continue to advance biomedical science and clinical medicine."

This Memorial Day, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We also honor their families, friends and fellow service members who mourn them. There is help for Veterans struggling with grief, loss or trauma at 988lifeline.org/help-yourself/veterans/

Attention health care employers 📣📣 If you are looking to fill medical assistant positions, the SOWIB - Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board has an MA Apprenticeship program that could help!

This apprenticeship program is available for employers in all counties throughout Oregon. Visit www.sowib.org/cma to learn more.

May 19-25 marks the 50th anniversary of National EMS Week!
ORH would like to recognize and thank the entire EMS profession and its importance in protecting the safety and health of our communities.

More info on EMS Week:
https://zurl.co/4ox1
https://zurl.co/ZoCC
https://zurl.co/qlFf

Oregon AHEC was happy to join the Oregon Office of Rural Health and Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network in a rural listening session tour around the state!

Thank you, Adventist Health Columbia Gorge: https://zurl.co/Tois, for hosting the Dalles listening tour session conducted by ORH and ORPRN on May 1!

The purpose of the rural listening sessions is to examine community health care needs and identify ways in which health care facilities and public health can be supported by OHSU’s rural-focused programs to improve access to and quality of care for rural community members. https://zurl.co/09pP

NEXT WEEK!
Join Us for the next ORH Community Conversations - Tackling Workforce Challenges Through Recruitment & Retention! May 23, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Recruiting and retaining health care professionals continues to be the biggest challenge facing our health care industry. The Oregon Office of Rural Health understands that there is no one way to recruit and retain health care professionals. ORH recognizes that recruiting for rural areas presents unique challenges. This session will focus on recruiting for the purpose of retention by looking at thought-provoking ideas on critical activities organizations and communities should take when building their workforce. We'll also provide an overview of the state and federal incentive programs that can aid your recruitment and retention efforts.

Register now here: https://zurl.co/F7Xe
More info on Community Conversations: https://zurl.co/kQ3z