Local Public Health Authorities Across Oregon Mobilizing Support for Tobacco Retail License Ordinances
Oregon has 8,000 deaths related to tobacco each year and certain communities are disproportionately impacted. One third of people in Oregon earning less than $15,000 a year smoke while only one in ten people in Oregon who earn more than $50,000 smoke. Over a third of African Americans, American Indians, and Alaska Natives smoke cigarettes. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and for every one death related to smoking, at least 30 other people live with a smoking-related disease. Local public health authorities in Oregon are addressing the ongoing use of tobacco by working on Tobacco Retail Licensing (TRL), which requires tobacco retailers to purchase a license from the government in order to sell tobacco products.
Grant County Health Department Provides Access to Care
Public health modernization ensures basic public protections critical to the health of all in Oregon and future generations. One of the four main Oregon public health programs that fall under public health modernization is access to clinical health services. In some communities, there are many health providers that local public health authorities can partner with to assure health care access. In other communities, such as rural settings, local public health authorities deliver health services themselves. In Grant County, the local public health authority has contracted with Community Counseling Solutions to run the Grant County Health Department, which also includes a Rural Health Clinic that delivers out-patient services so that every community member can access vital health services.
Jackson County Public Health Takes Lead on Opioid Surveillance and Alerting
In the spring of 2018, Jackson County Public Health (JCPH) was informed about a cluster of 10 overdose fatalities that related to heroin, which was abnormal for their community. This incident sparked discussion in Jackson County about how community partners and the community can be made aware of sudden increases in fatal and non-fatal heroin and fentanyl overdoses so that steps can be taken to save lives. This lead to JCPH taking the lead in their community to develop a heroin and fentanyl surveillance and alerting system (alerting system modeled after Multnomah County).
Lake County Public Health Partnership Increases HPV Vaccination
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) will infect almost everyone in their lives and certain strains can lead to cancer. Cervical cancer is the only type of cancer that can be screened for that is caused by HPV; HPV also leads to 22,900 other cancers each year in the United States. Fortunately, a vaccine was developed that protects against the more serious types of HPV that lead to cancers and warts. Lake County Public Health (LCPH) is increasing access to vaccines and health information by working with community partners to organize teen health fairs.
Marion County Health & Human Services Working on Reaccreditation
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) provides standards to local public health departments that ensure the health departments are continuously improving as they work to keep their communities healthy. Marion County Health & Human Services (MCHHS) was the first of the twelve accredited health departments in Oregon to become accredited in 2014. While the accreditation process can be highly involved and time intensive, MCHHS finds it to be a continually useful tool to provide high quality public health services and are seeking reaccreditation in early 2019.
Washington County Partners with Community to Reduce Wood Smoke Pollution
Across the state of Oregon, when people use wood as a heat source it can cause harmful pollution. In Washington County, nearly a third of households burn wood as a heat source. Older wood stoves are especially problematic as they are inefficient heat sources that can produce high amounts of pollution. In response to data that showed high levels of air pollution, Washington County Public Health Division partnered with the community to reduce levels of pollution from wood smoke in the winter while ensuring families stay warm.
Tillamook County Brownfields Assessment Supports Development of Salmonberry Trail
When Tillamook County Community Health Centers (TCCHC) looked at a 2013 community health needs assessment for Tillamook County they found that there is a growing population who are considered overweight or obese and learned that 23.6% of children live in poverty. The report identified the need to promote nutrition and physical activity efforts and reduce poverty on behalf of the children in the community as an urgent priority. This information led TCCHC to apply for a grant from the EPA for a Brownfields Assessment with the idea of converting an abandoned railroad line into a multi-modal trail. In 2014, Tillamook County won a 3-year, $400,000 grant from the EPA to perform a Brownfields Assessment along a 62-mile portion of the rail line, referred to as the Salmonberry Brownfields Assessment Project.
Lincoln County Implements Family Connects
In 2016 the Lincoln County Health Department, in partnership with Linn and Benton County Health Departments, adopted a new nurse home visiting evidence-based model called Family Connects. This model is population-based and is delivered to every family (mother and father) shortly after the birth of a child. The Early Learning Hub provided a grant to help the Lincoln County Health Department get ready to implement this new model. The grant provided funds to get staff trained, develop materials and processes for connecting with hospitals and referral agencies.