Public Health Official Spotlight: Happy Retirement, Tricia Mortell!
Please join CLHO in congratulating Tricia Mortell, Public Health Administrator in Washington County, on her retirement on July 29th!
Tricia has served in public health for almost 40 years. She started out in nutrition and prevention, volunteering at Clark County WIC as she became a Registered Dietician. From there she joined Multnomah County as a WIC Dietician and then as a clinic lead. She then returned to Clark County as the WIC and Chronic Disease Program Supervisor before becoming the Operations Manager and then joined Washington County about 7 years ago as the Public Health Director.
Sine Die: The 2021 Legislative Session Comes to a Close
July 2021
On Saturday, June 26th the 81st Oregon Legislature adjourned Sine Die after an intense six months in session. This session was like no other in our state’s history as Oregon faced a deadly pandemic, recovery from enormous wildfires, historic winter storms, an urgency for social justice and public safety reforms, and numerous other challenges impacting the health and well-being of Oregonians. The pandemic also required significant adaptations to operations at the Capitol with modified floor sessions, virtual committee meetings, and remote access only for the public.
Public Health Official Spotlight: Muriel DeLaVergne-Brown Retiring on June 24th
June 2021
Please join CLHO in congratulating Muriel DeLaVergne-Brown, Public Health Administrator for Crook County, on her retirement on June 24th!
Muriel has been a champion for public health in Oregon throughout her more than 30-year career. She got her start as a school nurse and health educator at Thurston High School after earning her Associate Degree in Nursing from Umpqua Community College.
Public Health Spotlight: Racism as a Public Health Crisis
May 2021
Oregon has a dark and complex history of racism, but several counties and the Oregon State Legislature have taken another step towards rectifying this history by declaring racism a public health crisis.
On April 8th, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted Resolution 2021-017 declaring racism a public health crisis in Multnomah County. This resolution was brought forward by the Multnomah County Board, the Health Department, and multiple community partners.
Local Health Official Spotlight: Rebecca Austen Retiring April 2nd
April 2021
Please join CLHO in congratulating Rebecca Austen, Health Department Director for Lincoln County, on her retirement on April 2nd!
Rebecca has worked in public health for the last 19 years, getting her start as a home-visiting nurse in Multnomah County. After getting her Master of Public Health Nursing in 2008, she worked for the Oregon State Public Health Division as a nurse consultant, traveling around the state to work with LPHA leadership and to coordinate triennial reviews. Rebecca joined Lincoln County in 2013 and became the Health Department Director in 2018.
The Central Oregon Vaccine Confidence Coalition
March 2021
Hesitancy around the COVID-19 vaccine is a common theme today, but Central Oregon has found a collaborative approach to decreasing this hesitancy within its region through the Vaccine Confidence Coalition (VCC).
Formed in December 2020 as two COVID-19 vaccines were approved through EUA, the Central Oregon Vaccine Confidence Coalition is now a group of around 130 individuals representing local health authorities, community and faith-based organizations, healthcare providers, chambers of commerce, educators, advocacy groups, and journalists across Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson Counties. The driving purpose of the VCC is to increase vaccine uptake through the coordination and implementation of evidence-based, equity-informed, and innovative strategies and recommendations.
Spotlight: The 2021 Oregon Legislative Session
The 81st Oregon Legislative Session formally started on January 11th, and activities began in earnest the following week with the normal flurry of bills and agenda-setting. However, this session is already proving to be like no other legislative session in Oregon’s history. While everything will evolve as the session progresses, some initial points of interest are: the safety measures at the Capitol, a new focus on equity and the priorities of the BIPOC Caucus, and the legislative agendas from each party in the House and Senate.
An Old Challenge for a New Disease: COVID-19 Vaccinations
January 2021
Vaccines are listed among the top 10 public health achievements for the 20th Century for very good reasons. The use of vaccines worldwide has eradicated deadly and debilitating diseases, such as smallpox and most forms of polio, and continues to control the incidence of many other infectious diseases that were once leading causes of death, such as measles and pertussis. This history and our advancing technology and research have allowed scientists to develop a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 in record time, providing hope in the midst of a deadly pandemic. However, getting the vaccine to the Oregonians who need it most, as well as to enough people to establish herd immunity, will be an enormous balancing act with vaccine hesitancy, logistics, and equity all playing a major role - a balancing act in which public health officials are well-versed.