In The News

A grant secured by the Douglas Education Service District will benefit Douglas County high school and middle school students to help them pursue a career in medical professions and help address the shortage of health care workers.

Randy Hubbard, the Surgical Services Purpose manager from CHI Mercy; Analicia Nicholson, the director of educational services from the Douglas ESD; and Dr. Kristina Haug, principal at Glide High School and Middle School talked about how the grant will help students pursue a health services career with host Lisa Platt on News Radio 1240 KQEN’s Talking Health program recently.

The following is an edited version of that interview.

Lisa: Can you tell us a little about the grant? Who is involved and what will the funding be used for?

Analicia: The thirteen school districts in the Douglas ESD region applied as a consortium for the Career Technical Education Revitalization grant. Umpqua Community College is one of our partners along with Umpqua Economic Employment Partnership, and the Area Health Collaborative. We have many industry partners as well.

The money will help enhance high school health programs to more closely match what the health industry is doing today. Unfortunately, most of our high schools no longer offer health occupations programs.

Randy: I’m involved in this project because we need to be more creative in how we recruit people. We have difficulty in returning people to Roseburg, so creating these pathways will be hugely beneficial downstream. For a nurse, it’s probably going to be anywhere from three to five years before we start seeing the new grads.

Lisa: How much is the grant for?

Analicia: We were awarded $432,000, and the maximum we could have been awarded was $450,000.

Lisa: By 2020, there will be a significant shortage of health care workers, and the baby boomers will be getting ready to retire in the next seven or eight years. Can you talk about that?

Randy: The Oregon Center for Nursing is predicting a 13,000-plus shortage of nurses by 2025, and within the next three to five years, 50 percent of the health care teaching faculty in Oregon will start retiring, leaving a huge gap to fill.

Analicia: Douglas County was listed on the Governor’s certified health profession shortage area, with many medical profession jobs going unfilled. In Douglas County we have a great need for new healthcare workers, as well as room for growth.

Lisa: How does the grant work?

Analicia: About a year ago, we pulled together local high schools and industry partners like Mercy, Evergreen and Cow Creek, and talked about what our needs are in the health care field. So we started talking about the shortages and what our strengths were. Then this grant came along and we decided it was the best fit to move our work forward.

Lisa: When will classes begin?

Analicia: The classes are starting next fall. We have our advisory panel, which Kristina and Randy are a part of, with about six other people. Each district has a liaison for us to work with. Part of the grant is to fund a CTE regional coordinator, and the position is posted right now. Anyone that is interested in applying can apply at Douglas ESD.

Lisa: How long is the grant for and how many students are you expecting?

Analicia: The grant runs through June 2019, so we’ve got 18 months to get this program up and running, and then we’ll work on sustaining it after that.

Kristina: In Glide, we are kind of in a unique situation because we already have health occupations classes. We’re looking for a possible 25 students that we plan to roll forward. Some of those are seniors this year. So we anticipate somewhere around 10 to 12 students graduating this year with this particular certificate.

Lisa: Randy, how is Mercy involved in this program?

Randy: Mercy is going to be a health care site where we allow kids to come in and job shadow the professionals, just to see what opportunities are there. It’s all a work in progress.

Lisa: Randy, do you want to talk about the shortages around the country, not just the physicians, but also physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners and others?

Randy: The shortages are across the board, and with the baby boomer population continuing to retire, it’s only worsening the gaps.

Kristina: We see a definite need for this training. About 30 percent of our student population is interested in the health field. Up until now, they didn’t have the opportunity to really explore what is available to them for future employment in a health career. I’m happy to say that with this grant, that we will be able to offer students more options.

Analicia: We know there is an interest by local students to go into healthcare. In a survey of five high schools in south Douglas County, health was the fourth most selected career.

The career technical education students have a graduation rate of 81 percent for the county, which is 15 percent higher than the all-students graduation rate. So we also know if we can get kids in a CTE program, they’re likely to stay in school and finish with a wonderful set of skills to further their education or to start working, whichever they choose.

Kristina: We are unique in how we’re located here in Douglas County, with many of us being very rural, and one of the challenges we see is that students do go out and get this education, but often times they move away. One of the pieces of this grant that we’re trying to focus on is how do we provide these pathways for students to get them educated and bring them home or keep them home. So that’s one of our pushes for part of this grant.

Lisa: Can you talk about the outcomes?

Analicia: Kids will receive a certificate and they will have a better understanding of what it will take to become a nurse or other health professional. It will allow us to expose kids to health careers and the many types of jobs that are available.

Growing our own is something that we’ve always talked about, and this grant will afford us the opportunity to do more of that.

We’re fortunate enough to have a nursing school locally, and medical assisting and dental assisting and all of those great programs that UCC offers.

We don’t have a four-year university, but if we can get kids heading down a path of healthcare, and we can get them exposure to the wonderful medical clinics and hospitals that we have here, we hope that if they leave to become a physician’s assistant, they’ll come back and practice in our communities.

Randy: In the next 10 years, we’ve seen research predicting a growth of 31,000-plus jobs in health care in Oregon. Right here in Douglas County, we have 14 of the fastest growing health care jobs.

We have pharmacy techs, MA’s, dental assistants, medical records, surgical techs, lab techs, dietitians, radiology techs, cardio techs, orthotics, prosthetics, dental hygienists and occupational therapists. So there is a lot of opportunity here.

Lisa: Can you share some of the other partners?

Analicia: Yes, the Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center, OHSU, Area Health Education Center, Umpqua Community Health Center, VA Medical Center, the city of Roseburg, the Douglas Public Health Network, Umpqua Economic Development Partnership, Southwest Oregon Workforce Board, DCPSS, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math), CHI Mercy and Umpqua Community College. All of our high schools in this area are also a big piece of that.

We’re always looking for more industry partners, so if you’re in the health field and you’re interested, reach out to me at the ESD at analicia.nicholson@douglasesd.k12.or.us or by phone at 541-957-4815.

Trump plans to sign the tax bill on Jan. 3.  If he signed the law in 2017 automatic spending cuts to Medicare of $120 billion in 2018 and other programs would take effect.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-20/trump-is-said-to-plan-tax-signing-jan-3-due-to-technical-issue

Here is what you can still do this year…

It’s Not Too Late

To make sure you see a tax break for this year (when you itemize deductions on your income tax returns), you must make your gift before Dec. 31. Here are a few important things to keep in mind:

Credit Card: A last-minute gift can be made online through Dec. 31 –Click Here

Checks: If you plan to send a gift by mail, we recommend that it is postmarked on or before Dec. 30.

Securities: If you plan to make a gift of stock or mutual funds, please act soon to allow time for processing and to ensure the transfers are executed by Dec. 29.

Read more about year-end  tax  planning here.

Analicia Nicholson and Julie Hurley work for the Douglas Education Service District in Roseburg. The ESD can be reached at 541-440-4777. The entire podcast from 9-11-17 can be heard on the KQEN podcast at 541radio.com

Parenting education, and how to make it more pleasurable, was the topic of a radio interview recently on News Radio 1240 KQEN on the Talking Health program.

Analicia Nicholson and Julie Hurley, from the Douglas ESD, talked with host Lisa Platt about parenting education and some of the techniques parents will learn.

The following is an edited version of that conversation.

Lisa: Julie tell us about some of the new parent education programs offered by the ESD.

Julie: This fall, we’re offering two Make Parenting a Pleasure classes and one Nurturing Parenting class. In addition, we have a lot of workshops coming up. One is called Feelings and Children’s Behaviors and a couple are called Teaming the Tantrum workshops.

Lisa: At these parenting education opportunities, can their children attend?

Julie: Not the actual classes with their parents, however, we do offer free childcare so they can bring them knowing they are safe playing next door.

For the workshops, we do not offer child care. However, Play-to-Learn is an opportunity for parents to bring their children and play and learn along with them. Play and Learn is designed for parents to play with their kids using toys, books and singing.

Lisa: Are all the classes and workshops led by an instructor, or is this more of a support group with somebody helping to facilitate?

Julie: Our 10-week series is more curriculum-based, and has an instructor. The Play-to-Learn is more group-based, and there are multiple people overseeing stations where parents and children can play and learn together.

Lisa: What are some of the new strategies for parent education this year?

Julie: We’re very excited. One exciting thing is we’re working with Roseburg High School to offer a teen parenting class, which is open to all teen parents, whether they are enrolled at RHS or not.

We’ve also been partnering with Mercy Medical Center on offering Parenting Wisely, which is an online series of parenting classes, and we’re very excited about launching that. By having the classes online, parents who live in more remote areas can still participate in parenting education.

Lisa: Tell us more about Parenting Wisely.

Julie: There are two versions of Parenting Wisely. One is for young children and has very targeted modules about specific topics and behaviors. For example, one that comes to mind for me is when your young child keeps interrupting you when you are on the phone or in a conversation. The video gives you great examples of how to handle that behavior.

We also are offering a version of Parenting Wisely for parents of teenagers. This video series is also online and also sponsored by Mercy. The teen version is similar to other parenting series, but focuses on topics relevant to parents of teenagers and provides tips and techniques that are age-appropriate. One example addresses how parents are struggling with getting their teens to do their homework.

Lisa: If people are interested in Parenting Wisely, how do we get them connected?

Julie: Right now we are in the pilot phase for both series. For people interested in learning more about the programs, they can contact Take Root Parenting Hub at 541-817-3119, or contact David Price with Mercy at DavidPrice@chiwest.com or call 541-677-2407.

Lisa: Analicia, are we making strides in the right direction in prenatal education?

Analicia: Yes, we offer a lot of great workshops, and we have people telling us that they really enjoy these. The workshops are two hours and parents-to-be can walk away with a lot of great takeaways. We also have one specific workshop for caring for children with ADHD, which we offer at least one time throughout the year, and then developing language and literacy skills as well. It’s really about how much children can learn from talking, reading and singing. That’s a two-hour session as well.

For more information about these workshops, we encourage people to visit our website at www.Douglasesd.k12.or.us.

As new classes or workshops are coming up, we also send information out through different agencies and the schools.

Julie: Our classes are offered to all parents, but also to anybody who is a care provider to children. If you’re working in a nursery or day care center, you are welcome to come. We have a Facebook page called Take Root Parenting Hub at www.facebook.com/Take.Root.Parenting.Hub/

If people “like” the page they can see all the classes as they are available. We encourage everyone in the community currently raising children, grandparenting and our care providers to participate in the workshops and classes. We have a lot of great information and resources to share, and we want our community know about them.

By Trina Gwaltney, Mgr. of Mercy Foundation Healthy Kids Outreach Program

School is back in session, and parents across the Umpqua Valley juggle a full schedule of kids, school activities and work commitments. Many parents want to ensure that their kids stay healthy, active and eating well throughout the year while dealing with busy schedules.

Help your kids be at their best, mentally and physically, by promoting at least an hour of daily physical play, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. When you include kids in meal planning and encourage them to be active, you teach them healthy habits that will benefit them for years to come.

Get kids moving

Balancing homework, chores and preparing meals, can make it seem impossible to find time for fitness for yourself, let alone your kids.

As parents, it’s important to teach your children the importance of regular physical activity and set a good example of working in exercise or other activities as your schedule allows—even if it’s just a few loops around the neighborhood after dinner.

An active lifestyle can help your kids stay alert in the classroom. Plus, exercise gets blood flowing and helps pump oxygen to the brain, which boosts kids’ energy, helps them to think clearer and can lead to better sleep. Promoting daily play for your kids positively affects more than just their bodies — it affects their brains.

Technology, including tablets, iPhones and video games, can be a distraction. Talk to your kids about why it’s important that they do other things besides play on their devices. Set rules about how much screen time is okay per day, too.

One way that parents can help limit screen time is to have kids place all media devices in a tray by the front door when they get home from school. Also, make sure that kids use their technology in common family areas.

Outdoor and indoor physical fitness fun for everyone

Make exercise a family affair by turning every day activities into physical fitness fun. Daily activities like cleaning up, walking to school or the bus stop, and even unloading groceries count as exercise.

Instilling healthy exercise habits in kids while they’re young can lead to long-term health benefits.

The best part? Active kids are less likely to develop chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease.

by KPIC Tuesday, September 26th 2017

ROSEBURG, Ore. -- The Learning Child of Mercy Foundation will host their annual Sock and Undergarment Drive this month with an added bonus – the event runs all October long – it’s SOCKTOBER!

During the month of October, you can donate socks, undergarments or monetary contributions at these four participating locations: Roseburg Bi-Mart, Roseburg Fred Meyer, Roseburg Wal-Mart and Renee Frati - State Farm Agent.

In partnership with these participating businesses, all sock, undergarment, and monetary donations will be given to our local school children.

The Learning Child (TLC) Committee supports schools with donations of backpacks, school supplies, shoes, sock, undergarments and toiletries.

"TLC is a Mercy Foundation Committee of concerned volunteers who believe every child should begin each school year ready to learn," the foundation said in a news release.

For additional information, call Mercy Foundation at 541-677-4818.

The Mercy Foundation’s Healthy Kids Outreach Program (HKOP) was recently awarded two generous grants in support of continued dental hygiene and education for students in Douglas County. The C. Giles Hunt Charitable Trust donated $5,000 and $3,000 was given by the Juan Young Trust.

“The Mercy Foundation is very grateful for the continued support of HKOP by both the C. Giles Hunt Charitable Trust and the Juan Young Trust. These grants will enhance dental outreach services for Douglas County children,” states Mercy Foundation president Lisa Platt.

HKOP was established by Mercy Foundation to help improve the health and wellbeing of children throughout Douglas County. One program focuses on improving dental health by providing dental assessments and preventative treatments, dental hygiene education and connections to care at schools throughout the county.

School site clinics are staffed by hygienists, and provide full screenings, including fluoride varnish and sealants to untreated, erupted molars. Each student receives an oral hygiene kit that includes toothbrushes, tooth paste, floss, tooth timers, and a report card. If a child has an urgent dental need, the foundation helps their families get connected for an appointment with one the 16 local participating dentists.

Some of the children seen at the clinics have never owned a toothbrush or been to a dentist.

The HKOP dental team also focuses on helping students understand the “how” and “why” of dental care through an interactive Dental Learning Lab, where children engage in age-appropriate, hands-on activities. The program also teaches a variety of hygiene skills and education about unhealthy behaviors that not only impact good dental care, but overall nutrition and physical health. The foundation’s Learning Labs provide a virtual dental visit where children can ask questions so they have a better understanding of what to expect when they have their teeth screened. The lab interactions also help to alleviate the fear and stress of seeing a dental provider.

“By providing dental health education we are helping children throughout Douglas County have great oral health, and apply what they learn at school to build the habits they need for a lifetime of great health,” says Platt. “We could not do this important work without support of funders like the C. Giles Hunt Charitable Trust and the Juan Young Trust and we are appreciative!”

For additional information, please call Mercy Foundation at 541-677-4818.

by KPIC   Wednesday, January 18th 2017

A program supporting the overall health of kids in Douglas County just got a boost from the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation.

With a $5,000 grant, the Healthy Kids Outreach Program will be able to spread its reach.

The program visits county schools and provides kids with healthy living education.

Specifically, the grant will boost the program's dental hygiene education service.

"Kids are empowered to learn those healthy habits on how to take care of their teeth, how to recognize if they're having any issues and be able to practice those things at home. We also provide them with a dental kit at the end of the education," Healthy Kids Outreach program manager Trina McClure-Gwaltney says.

The dental program reaches more than 4,000 students each year.

2016 marked 10 years for the program in the community.

by DAN BAIN The News Review  Jan 18, 2017

Nutritional health and weight loss resolutions many times go together. And on a recent radio interview with Lisa Platt on Talking Health on KQEN News Radio 1240, Jo Carol Driver, a dietician and certified diabetic educator at CHI Mercy Medical Center and Mandy Hatfield, program coordinator for OSU Extension’s Snap Education Program talked about nutritional health and New Year’s resolutions.

Lisa: Mandy, what is the OSU Extension Service SNAP Education Program?

Mandy: SNAP-Ed is an educational piece that is geared toward individuals that are potentially eligible for SNAP benefits and SNAP Benefits is the new name for Food Stamps nutrition education and physical action.

Lisa: What does SNAP actually stand for?

Mandy: Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

Lisa: Jo Carol, is there a difference between a registered dietician and a nutritionist?

Jo Carol: Yes there is. Nutritionist can mean a couple of different things, but a registered dietician, of which I am, requires a Bachelor’s degree and rigorous internship or trainingship, and passing of boards, and then continuing education to keep your registration up.

Mandy: A nutritionist actually doesn’t have definition necessarily. So if you’ve even taken classes on nutrition, you can call yourself a nutritionist. So it’s a pretty broad-cased definition, there is no certification to be called a nutritionist.

Lisa: What is physical nutrition therapy?

Jo Carol: It is using nutrition to help people with a disease that they already have. Insurance, specifically Medicare pays for just two, diabetes education and any education related to kidney and any renal disease, with the potential in the near future to be able to pay for services related to diabetes. So Medicare sort of sets that standard and other insurances and each one varies but they follow Medicare’s lead and actually in Oregon it is required that if anybody has diabetes and has insurance, their insurance has to pay for diabetic education.

Lisa: It is the new year, so what are your thoughts on getting started on a healthy balanced diet?

Mandy: I would say pick a couple of small things to work on. With small goals, you are more successful and you can always add onto them and you’re more likely to make life changes when you pick small things to focus on, not trying to make a huge life change all at once, but take small steps.

Jo Carol: You look at both sides of the equation, look at the food you might be eating, or wanting to eat less of, but equally, if not more important, is the activity side of the equation, and think about what you can do to become more active.

Lisa: Does this balanced diet include all the meat groups, fish, pork, chicken, and beef and if so, can you give us some idea of what amount an adult should eat, and what amount kids should eat?

Jo Carol: All things in moderation, we like to imagine a moderate sized dinner plate and to draw an imaginary line down the middle. One-half of it would be all vegetables, on the other half divided again in half, and one-quarter could be protein, a meat or meat-substitute like tofu or beans, and the other quadrant could be a grain or starch.

Lisa: Same thing for kids?

Mandy: Yes but usually you look at a little smaller plate for children. It does depend on the age level, the younger do need less protein, regardless of the form of protein. From 4-8 will eat a smaller amount, from 2-4 it will be even a smaller amount. After they hit eight, it depends on the activity level.

Lisa: Is there a perfect one-size-fit-all diet, one that contains vitamins, watching calories, fiber, and minerals? What does that look like?

Mandy: I think a diet that includes all food groups is very important when you’re looking at trying to get all your vitamins and minerals. It’s very important and each group has benefits and that’s why they’ve broken them into groups, so looking at diets that include all groups and everything in moderation..

Jo Carol: A healthy diet would not eliminate any one particular group. Low Carb diets have been a fad, so cutting out greens or carbohydrates, would not make sense, but also you’re cheating yourself of the vitamins and minerals that come in those foods.

Lisa: Tell us a little about what is the difference between fat-free, reduced-fat and lite?

Mandy: Most fat-free and reduced-fat and lite all have terminology for them, so if something is lite, it could have less of either fat, calories, or sodium, so you want to look at what they are saying is lite.

If it is reduced fat, it means that three grams or less of the product, whatever the serving size is that you are serving, is fat.

Jo Carol: And fat-free, means that there could be up to a half gram of fat in it, but essentially all fat has been removed.

by Kyle Bailey News Radio 1240 KQEN   October 26, 2016 10:05 a.m.

The Mercy Foundation recently received a second grant of $45,000 from the Walmart Foundation.

That grant is to support the work of the Healthy Kids Outreach Program in Douglas County Schools.

Executive Director Lisa Platt says they are “very appreciative of the continued generosity of Walmart”.  Platt says the funds mean that more students can be served with hands on nutrition training, violence prevention education and enhanced dental care services.

The Healthy Kids Outreach Program of the Mercy Foundation is celebrating ten years this year. Their focus includes dental health, nutrition and physical education classes, hygiene education and violence prevention curriculum which connects students and their families with appropriate community healthcare resources, when needed.  Since it began in 2006, Mercy Foundation has served approximately 240,000 students in Douglas County through the Healthy Kids Outreach Program.

by KPIC  Monday, April 18th 2016

ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Douglas County schools are eligible to receive a new washer and dryer and following a weekend fundraiser, some machines are already paid for.

The disco-themed Boogie on Down event was held in Roseburg Saturday and raised money for the machines.

Washers and dryers give children who have soiled their clothes at school the opportunity to stay fresh throughout the day, program organizers say.

The fundraiser was coordinated by Mercy Foundation's Tree of Hope committee.

"Kind of a really fun, interesting point is that 10 years ago was our first Boogie on Down and the first time we raised money for washers and dryers," says Mercy foundation executive assistant Elizabeth Droscher. "It's been ten years since we got washers and dryers, so it's time to replace them."

This year, 25 schools said they are in need of new machines.  The total amount raised from the event is still being counted.

Droscher says the community was very generous and based on the attendance, the fundraiser was a success.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and Mercy Foundation have recently teamed up to tackle childhood obesity with a cooking and nutrition program, Kids in the Kitchen, at Roseburg middle schools.

With grant funding provided by Regence, Mercy Foundation’s Healthy Kids Outreach Program (HKOP) is partnering with OSU Extensions’ SNAP Ed program to offer Kids in the Kitchen classes for students in grades six through eight at Fremont and Jo Lane.

Kids in the Kitchen fills a much needed gap in helping educate students about preparing nutritious foods that provide a foundation for a healthy and active lifestyle. The new program compliments other educational opportunities offered by Mercy Foundation’s HKOP and OSU Extension about healthy habits, including proper hand hygiene for kindergardeners and the impact of tobacco on their bodies for high school students.

“Cooking has become somewhat of a lost art among many of our students,” says Trina Gwaltney, HKOP manager. “With our busy lifestyles and often both parents working, kids don’t always have the opportunity to learn how to cook and prepare healthy foods at home.”

“Learning about nutrition and cooking, especially at an early age, is a fundamental building block of health,” said Scott Burton, Regence’s Director of Community and Business Relations. “Kids in the Kitchen is a great example of community partners recognizing a clear need and coming together to solve a growing yet entirely preventable problem in childhood obesity.”

Students ages 13-15 who sign up for the classes spend eight weeks learning to prepare simple, healthy foods that they can make for themselves and their family members at home. They also learn good food safety practices. Kids in the Kitchen lessons are based upon cognitive, physical, and social/emotional developmental milestones of this age group and include the following hour-long lessons:

Kitchen Sense

Eating the five food groups

Choose whole grains

I’ll eat these veggies

Fantastic fruits

Go lean with protein

Got milk?

Meals with appeal

“While there are many factors in why childhood obesity is on the rise, we are very excited that Regence and Mercy are working together to collaborate on a school-based educational program that offers kids hands on learning,” states Foundation president Lisa Platt “You could say, we’ve ‘cooked up a local solution.’”

“We are very excited that our pilot groups have both graduated, noted Gwaltney, “and our HKOP team and SNAP teams are ready to roll out wave 2!”

For more information about Kids in the Kitchen, please contact Mercy Foundation at 541-677-4818, or Regence at 503.525.6664.