May 7, 2020

At Jackson Care Connect, we are dedicated to our mission of empowering people and systems to improve the health of our community. Now more than ever, everyone is part of that mission. We are deeply grateful for the dedication our community is showing to social distancing. This is critical to minimizing the spread of COVID-19, and our collective effort has made a real difference. As we begin to look forward, it’s important to keep following the advice of public health leaders and remain committed to these safety efforts.

Jackson Care Connect, part of the CareOregon family, serves 45,000 Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members in Jackson County as your local coordinated care organization (CCO). With many experiencing a loss or reduction in income, the need for help is even greater now. If you know of someone who may need coverage, encourage them to apply online at one.oregon.gov.

To help our members navigate the challenges of this pandemic, we have worked with our strong network of providers to set up innovative avenues for members to continue to access their doctors, including getting the care they need through phone or video calls. If you are feeling sick, please call your provider to learn about the best options to get care—they are still there for you and ready to help.

We also recognize this is a difficult time, and the weeks we are spending in isolation may lead to a new wave of mental health and substance use challenges. We want the community as a whole to remember that help is available. Jackson Care Connect members can contact our customer service to get connected to mental health care or substance use treatment. Also, the Jackson County Crisis Line is available 24/7 to anyone having an urgent mental health need, and they can be reached at 541-774-8201.

To support our providers as they work on creative ways to see patients safely, we have provided stabilizing payments to help maintain quality and access for our network partners. Our intention is to allow providers to focus on serving members, while we take care of the rest. 

We are also supporting community-based organizations as they develop creative ways to continue serving some of our more vulnerable community members. Those organizations are providing food, shelter, emergency childcare, case management and emergency supports to people who need it most. We’re humbled by this collective effort, and by all the creative ways our partners are serving the community, and we are committed to providing assistance for those projects, and are relying on the input of our Community Advisory Council as we find the best ways to support our community.

We are stronger and healthier when we work together. At Jackson Care Connect, we are thankful for the way our community has risen to the challenge. As we all navigate the best ways to keep our community healthy, both now and in the months ahead as we discover our new normal, we are dedicated to serving our members, our partners and our community. Let’s keep up those efforts as we take care of ourselves and each other.

Thank you,

Jennifer Lind