Street roots
Aug. 31, 2012
in Oregon and southwest Washington, the
fastest way to do that is to make direct
impacts in the communities that have some
of the poorest health outcomes.
NW Health Foundation’s new
executive talks health care,
fluoride and social justice
BY A M A N D A WALDROUPE
STAFF W RITER
s the new executive director of the
Northwest Health Foundation,
A
and 6 7 .1 liked the possibility of being an
advocate for everyone in Oregon and
southwest Washington, for all communities,
arid to be a voice for poor children and
people in poverty, not just Native
Americans. I don’t think I’ll ever stop being
an advocate, but it might look a little
different.
Nichole Maher is both a fresh face
and an old soul.
At only 33, she comes to the organization
already with 10 years experience as the
head of NAYA, the Native American Youth
A.W.: Do you think you bring a different
and Family Center. It was a decade of
perspective to your job, given that you are a
working within one of the nation’s largest
part o f a younger generation?
Native American populations in the country,
combating the challenges of racism and
N .M .: I have a greater sense of urgency. I
poverty with advocacy and education.
think I have higher expectations sometimes
The Northwest Health Foundation takes
because of my age. I have always been very
on those same challenges in its approach to
proud to be a native woman, and my culture
promoting better health for youths and
and upbringing has had a big part in shaping
adults across Oregon and southwest
me. It’s a culture and community that is
Washington. The organization was founded
pretty direct and consistent in being
in 1997 from the assets of the former
thoughtful about fairness and equity. In
Physicians Association of Clackamas County,
Oregon, and in Portland, where people are
believed to be the nation’s first pre-paid
famous for being very polite all the time, I
health plan in the nation. NW HF has
tend to be one of the more direct people in
distributed tens of millions of dollars in
the room.
grants to hundreds of organizations working
to improve the health of people struggling
A.W.: What priorities do you think the
with economic disadvantages, especially low- Northwest Health Foundation should have in
income, minority and immigrant groups that
the coming years?
don’t have access to health care.
The foundation has had a marked impact
N .M .: It’s pretty
at the state
clear that we are
government level —
excited about health
its program officers
we want to Improwe
care transformation.
have worked closely
The other really high
h e a lth la O re g o a a a d
with legislators and
priority is ensuring
s o u t h w e s t W a s h la g to s s ^ t h e
lo b b y is ts o n b ills
fluoridation happens.
fastest way t® i® that is to
such as menu
We have felt for a long
labeling, connecting
m a te direct im pacts Ixi the
time that the folks
local farms to school
cootm iiiiities that have same who pay the biggest
lunch programs,
price for not having
el
the
poorest
health
tobacco taxes, and
fluoridation in our
outcomes/*
the landmark
water is poor children
legislation passed in
and people of color.
2011 and 2012 that
We’ll continue our
reformed the Oregon
commitment around preventing and
Health Plan.
addressing obesity, and improving overall
Maher says she was attracted to the
nutrition. We’re always interested in
organization’s commitment to social justice
workforce issues and making sure that there
and its “honesty” around the inequities that
are great and adequate people in the
exist. “I loved that they had been willing to
different professions. We are very
take some risks, and talking about things
committed to social justice and public
traditional foundations would not do,” Maher
health.
says.
A.W.: The Northwest Health Foundation
Am anda Waldroupe: Such as?
gives grants to various organizations, but it
also is a vocal advocate for the issues it helps
Nichole Maher: Talking about racial
fund. How does that dynamic play out?
inequalities. They have taken stances on
issues like tobacco taxes, fluoride, endorsed
N.M .: I think that we see ourselves on
political issues that other foundations would
not be comfortable with, like Measures 66
"It
A.W.: What role does health play in
addressing social justice issues?
Nichole Maher
both sides. For example, we fund a lot of
advocacy groups. We’re very intentional
about trying to advocate for specific policies
that improve health. That has historically
been a big part of our work. We also provide
our grantees with technical assistance — not
just giving them money, but support. We
always like to view ourselves as providing
that policy advice and advocacy, but we also
like to really support community
organizations that would otherwise not have
a voice at the table.
A.W.: As the executive director o f NAYA,
you were part of the Coalition of Communities
o f Color and a vocal advocate for minority
groups and increasing equity in Portland -
some may even say a radical or extreme
advocate. Do you think that reputation will
affect your work?
N .M .: I’ve always been a really vocal
advocate. But with a lot of those groups on
the receiving end our advocacy, we built
strong relationships with those folks at the
same time. That is a skill set that the
(Northwest Health Foundation) board was
really interested in as an asset. The other
piece that I’m really excited about is helping
other foundations continue the conversation
about improving equity in our philanthropic
work.
A.W.: What do foundations need to do
differently?
N .M .: Hiring people that reflect the
community is a great step, and having
boards that reflect the community. We have
a tendency to talk about data but never
really look at the data. Having conversations
that if 52 percent of kids in Multnomah
County are children of color and immigrant
communities, and if a significant percentage
are living in poverty, why is it that our
funding, as foundations, doesn’t reflect that?
I think we have to be really honest with
ourselves and have a lot of those
conversations. If we want to improve health
N .M .: Look at the fluoridation issue. The
number one reason kids miss school in
Multnomah County is because of a dental
issue. If you can improve dental and oral
health, you can significantly improve
educational attainment. There is quite a bit
of evidence that demonstrates that poor
communities or communities of color
experience significant over burden of health
issues. The number one reason people file
for bankruptcy is when they have a health
issue and they don’t have health insurance.
These are not disconnected things.
A.W.: The campaign for fluoridation has
received some high-profile support this time
around. Why is this happening now?
N .M .: There’s been a real movement. We
are among the states with the worst oral
health in the country — we’re 48th out of
50. For quite some time, the foundation has
been an advocate for fluoridation. This is
about healthy teeth for our children. The
folks who pay the biggest price for not
having fluoride are poor communities. This
is about class and privilege. The folks who
are anti-flouride have dental insurance.
Their perspective is, well, parents just need
to take better care of their children’s teeth.
A.W.: Do you agree with some
characterizations that the campaign has been
secretive?
N .M .: I don’t agree with that. I think that
Upstream Public Health did an amazing job
of bringing together all these partners, and
really wanting the group to have consensus,
and be thoughtful about what they were
doing before they got out there and started
talking about it. You want to be thoughtful
and you want to be strategic. There was no
secret.
A.W.: Do you think the campaign will be
successful?
N .M .: I think we will be. The movement
is much larger and there are a lot more
voices at the table. A lot of the messages
that are anti-flouride are not based on
quality science. In the past, the very small
group that has been anti-flouride has been
able to really scare people or put myths out
there. I think that people have gotten more
sophisticated. The fact that it’s not just the
dentists or public health people saying it,
the fact that it’s leaders from the African
American, Latino, Native American,
Southeast Uplift, Kaiser, all coming together
and saying that we as a community (support
fluoridating water). That’s what makes it
really different.
S isters Of The Rood
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