Long before the gates opened on that warm August afternoon, kids and parents formed a line around the outside of Medford’s Jackson Elementary. JCC and MSD had hoped for an attendance of about 500 people. It was clear those expectations would be quickly exceeded.

“We were thrilled with the number of families who attended our first-ever back-to-school Block Party. It was very evident there was a need,” says Natalie Hurd, Medford School District’s Communications and Community Engagement Director.

Families from all over the valley came to the block party. Community partners including social service organizations, health care providers and youth groups joined in. They offered resources, connected with parents and offered giveaways like free school supplies.

“It was a great opportunity to meet children and families who may benefit from YMCA programs including preschool, child care, youth sports, swim lessons and membership. I have been to many outreach events for the YMCA over the years and this was by far the best event I have been part of,” says Jeni Beck, Fitness Director from the Rogue Valley Family YMCA, who staffed one of the booths.

JCC and MSD plan to host the second Healthy Start Block Party in 2023.

“We know students cannot adequately learn if their basic needs aren’t met. This event is critical to setting our students up for success,” says Hurd.

The funding for the devices came from Oregon Senate Bill 762, which passed in 2021. This wide-ranging bill addressed a number of wildfire issues, including air quality, and it enabled the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to provide air purifiers to people at high risk. OHA selected high-risk areas of the state for this project. It also identified members who qualified for the purifiers, based on multiple risk factors and health conditions.

With the parameters in place, Jackson Care Connect was tapped to get the devices to members. We quickly enlisted the help of partners including La Clinica, Providence, Rogue Community Health and Asante Physician Partners. With OHA lists in hand, clinics contacted qualifying members to schedule a device pickup. This also provided an opportunity for clinics to check in with members, and to address any other concerns they may have about their chronic conditions or health concerns.

Mercy Flights provided a huge amount of help with logistics, storage and distribution of the devices. Their Mobile Integrated Healthcare team delivered devices to some members with complex needs, including people transitioning from hospital stays and residents at adult foster homes. One member they worked with said, "You have no idea how much this will help with my COPD and hopefully will continue to keep me out of the hospital."

JCC also offered opportunities for qualifying members to come pick up devices. Rogue Food Unites and Family Nurturing Center both generously offered hosting space for those efforts.

“Jackson Care Connect has been a valuable and instrumental partner in having some of the more difficult community conversations that have happened within the last couple of years,” says Stacy Brubaker, Jackson County HHS Director/Public Health Administrator.

In 2022, we were involved in several community projects:

Recovery Strategies Summit – Opioid Overdose and Harm Reduction: JCC served in a facilitating and presenting role for this virtual summit that gathered about 100 professionals from many sectors, including public health, community-based organizations, hospitals, law enforcement and health care providers. Participants discussed strategies for immediate interventions for reducing overdose and death in the Rogue Valley. Those conversations fed an Action Plan the team is using to track next steps, which includes increasing the peer workforce, increasing public knowledge about available resources and improving referrals systems and inter-agency communication. We look forward to our next annual summit in 2023, to continue building our regional strategy to reduce overdose and death in our community.

Housing and Homelessness Summit for Jackson County: The OHA provided a grant for this forum to address the crisis of housing and homelessness in our region. About 200 participants attended, including representatives from health care and social service providers, city and county government, veterans’ services, education and elected officials. The summit included input from people with lived experience with housing insecurity and related needs. This grant-funded stakeholder discussion allowed for the region to submit an OHA grant for a new facility for 30 permanent supported housing beds.

Jackson County Resource Network (JCRN): JCC partners with AllCare Health to facilitate the Jackson County Recovery Network (or the local Behavioral Health Resource Network). Eighteen organizations received funding for the JCRN awarded under Ballot Measure 110, which designated funds to increase access to harm reduction and recovery services. Together the JCRN participants form a network of coordinated substance use treatment care that is accessible and supports our community.

Crisis Response Network: We support community-led conversations, and Brubaker says JCC’s support helps move key projects forward. “Great examples of these efforts are the Crisis Response Network, as it relates to the creation of a mobile crisis response that is most appropriate for our community, leading to additional partnerships and better outcomes,” she says. In the mobile crisis intervention pilot project with Jackson County Mental Health and Mercy Flights, community paramedics work with the mental health crisis team to respond to crises as an alternative to law enforcement. The pilot launched in September, and it is closely connected to the ongoing work the CRN is doing on a comprehensive continuum of crisis response.

“In order to realize our vision of health, well-being and equity for all people of Jackson County, it was critical that we take this important step of assessing where we are as an organization on our path towards equity, diversity and inclusion transformation,” says Sam Watson, JCC’s Community Health Manager.

The assessment was carefully designed to measure participants’ beliefs about their own cultural responsiveness, along with their thoughts on how JCC is incorporating inclusive practices with staff, members and external partners. The survey also included questions on demographics including race, age, sexual orientation and gender identity. Participants were encouraged to share their own lived experiences, along with any cross-cultural experiences that add value to their work. All individual responses were kept confidential.

John Curtis participated in the survey as a Community Advisory Council member. He says, “I am a member of a community that is often marginalized by health care systems. The experiences of people with disabilities in these systems are too often not listened to because they are literally unheard. So opportunities for me and others to share our experience by way of surveys are important. Otherwise, health care systems must guess how to better serve my community.”

Image from “On The Move: John Curtis, Medford” by Brady Holden, Holden Films

Sam says the results of the assessment were insightful and helpful. She notes “it was illuminating to hear from our staff, board and committee members about their own lived experiences.” She says many of those experiences reflect what JCC hears from members, especially those who identify with minority populations and the barriers they may face in accessing health care.

The survey also helped identify ways in which we can grow as an organization. “Working toward health equity is never finished work,” Sam says. “Our leadership team is examining the results of this survey, and these insights will help inform system level strategies and change, in service to our staff and ultimately the communities we serve.”