8
NOVEMBER 15, 2012
Smoke Signals
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By Ron Karten
Smtike Sitnuli tttif u ntrr
New Community Health man
ager Dee Anna Chamberlain comes
to Grand Rondo from a life in nurs
ing. Chamberlain, a registered nurse,
started at the Community Health
Program in October. She said in an
interview in her desk-sized office at
the back of the Health & Wellness
Clinic that "for the last three weeks
I've been on a dead run."
She brings a career to Grand
Rondo that hus included work in
the operating room, the classroom
and the community. Schooled at
Oregon Health & Science Uni
versity and the Oregon Institute
of Technology, Chamberlain has
developed and operated a home
health care business that educated
nurses about how to care for high
risk babies.
She worked for 10 years as a clini
cal nurse specialist in home care
at the Veterans Affairs hospital
in Fresno, Calif., and then worked
for eight more years as the nurs
ing coordinatordirector for the Li
censed Vocational Nurse program
at Madera Community College. She
taught fundamentals of nursing,
chronic illness and gerontology in
that program.
That was the job that stole her
heart.
"Madera was ethnically diverse,"
she said. She taught 30 students
with seven different first languag
es. "That was so wonderful. We had
big food days," she said, "and it was
awesome to taste all of the foods."
Among her challenges was "nego-
' ' ' " : -"
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Dt Anna Chamberlain is the Triba's new Community Health manager.
tiating to make the system work,"
but "working with the underserved
is so much more than just negotiat
ing systems. It is listening to people
and what their needs are; it is work
ing in the system to open doors for
them to change their own life.
"At the VA, that meant educat
ing and facilitating the veteran to
a healthier lifestyle, which meant
they were able to stay at home and
not go to a nursing home.
"In Madera, it was opening doors
by developing a program that al
lowed the underserved to succeed
at becoming a nurse. That is so
empowering for a group of minority
people who were told they couldn't
be a nurse. When they graduated,
they saw they were smart enough,
if'
IMP
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Invitation To Tribal Members, r
Spouses of Tribal Members ,
Parent Of A Tribal Member And Legal Guardians Of
Grand Ronde Tribal Member Children
To Apply For The Temporary Staffing Pool
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde's Temporary
Staffing Pool is accepting applications.
Tribal members, descendants, spouses of Tribal members,
parents of a Tribal member, and legal guardians of Grand
Ronde Tribal member children interested in assisting with
filling temporary vacancies on an "on-call" or an "extended
duration" basis are encouraged to contact the CTGR
Human Resources office. Employment applications are
available at the Human Resources office located in the
Governance Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road.
Applicants must pass the following background checks:
Criminal background
Work history
References
Tribal membership
Drug screen
Temporary employees will be subject to the CTGR's
Employee Handbook.
This is an excellent opportunity for our membership to sup
V plement their income and gain experience while aiding us in f
X continuing a smooth delivery of services. f
IJp?-
Ml
and could now earn money to care
for their family, and they did it
themselves. That is truly life chang
ing. Her plans for the Community
Health Program are already taking
advantage of these skills.
Chamberlain arrived at the Com
munity Health Program, designed
to help educate Tribal members on
their health and instill a method
for creating healthy lifestyles. The
department also focuses on trans
portation and planning food for
Powwow, Restoration, Meals on
Wheels and the annual Christmas
party.
Chamberlain said she plans to
add educational components to the
program and open up other new
possibilities.
"I would like to see more coor
dination of the Education Depart
ment with Head Start, in-home
visits with high-risk moms, edu
cation on disease prevention and
disease management for all ages,"
she said.
On the morning of the interview,
Chamberlain came out of a staff
meeting with new plans to use a
Tribal bus for monthly shopping
trips for Elders.
Also in the works, Chamberlain
is setting up a new education pro
gram at the pre-school level that
will deal with prevalent health is
sues in the community, including
diet and information about safe
relationships.
Also for the parents of Head Start
students, Chamberlain is working
on a new baby program. When up
and running, parents will receive
a nursing visit when a baby first
comes home. The nurse will answer
questions, give the new mother in
formation about all the things she
and the baby may need, and the
things she may need to know.
"Education is key," she said.
The education efforts also will
include, for example, how to help
an Elder safely in and out of a car.
Also when it comes to cars, the
program is preparing and passing
out car kits with gloves and handy
wipes and other conveniences for
good health and well being.
In the hopper are plans to update
policies and procedures that will
bring the program into the Tribe's
electronic medical records, so doc
tors will know what services the
Community Health program has
been providing.
Chamberlain said she aims to
expand the role of Community
Health representative and certi
fied nursing assistant positions to
include an educational component.
For Elders who receive the one
noon meal from the Elders' meal
site, that education might involve
helping coordinate and plan other
meals during the day, whether that
involves cooking or ordering in. On
shopping trips, education might
touch on reading labels.
"There are all kinds of preven
tion work that we can be doing,"
she said.
Born in Vancouver, Wash., and
raised in Vale, Ore., Chamber
lain is a Northwesterner through
and through. Her father's family
homesteaded Umatilla County and
over the years, she said, her father
always thought he was Indian. She
has 30 first cousins scattered across
Oregon and Washington.
Her own return from California
a few years ago was like "coming
home," she said.
One of her passions is travel, and
at least one of her grown children
has followed suit.
In August, she returned from a
trip to the Czech Republic where
her oldest son, Drew, is teaching
English. Her son, Chris, special
izes in genetics and psychology.
Her daughter, Stephanie, with a
degree in human development, has
recently married and put career
plans on hold, Chamberlain said.
Not so with Chamberlain's ca
reer. In addition to her work at
the Tribe, she continues to teach
two courses in gerontology one af
ternoon a week at Western Oregon
University. For a year, she also
taught nursing at Oregon Health
and Science University.
On the first and fourth Saturdays
of the month in Dallas, where she
lives now, Chamberlain volunteers
at the Polk County Free Clinic
helping provide a multitude of free
and low-cost services to the com
munity. "We're always looking for volun
teers," she hints.
Here in Grand Ronde, "We're just
beginning," she said. "All these pro
grams will have to evolve."
In this effort, Chamberlain said
that she wants to hear from the
community about things people
want and need, but, she cautions,
"We don't do windows." D
Ad created by George Valdez
Recycle Center moved
The Recycle Center has been moved to 9675 Grand Ronde Road. For more
information, contact the Tribal Facilities Manager at 503-879-2407.