A8
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Clinic launches Community Health Worker program
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
A new Community Health Worker Pro-
gram is connecting Strawberry Wilderness
Community Clinic patients in Grant County
to an array of resources to provide support
and help improve their well-being.
Clinic Director Marci Wasiluk, who is an
executive team member for Blue Mountain
Hospital District, manages the CHW team of
four health care workers.
She said the CHW staff are on “the front
lines,” outside the medical providers’ offices,
connecting patients — from infants through
seniors — with their community partners and
providing advocacy, education and support to
help them improve their lifestyles.
The help the CHW offers includes home
visits and is as wide ranging as the patients
that seek assistance.
They may lend a hand to patients applying
for health benefits, finding a ride to an out-of-
town medical specialist or accessing a walker
or wheelchair. They can even help patients
find lodging and food.
Other times they’ve discovered patients
who have no running water, a baby in need
of a crib or a patient in need of a glucome-
ter (to monitor blood sugar levels). They also
provide ideas for nutritious recipes to manage
patients’ health issues.
“We’re an extension of the providers,
looking at the whole person,” Wasiluk said.
“The community health workers are helping
our community understand the resources we
have right here in Grant County.”
The program, which was operating under
a grant for the first two years, officially
launched last July and is now sustained by
the clinic patients. Under the grant, the staff
mainly visited with patients over the phone,
and since the official launch, home visits are
available.
The certified Community Health Workers
staff include: Dani Jones, Jenna Hendriksen,
Jenny Keith and Gaylene Moyers.
Jones and Hendricksen have both been
CHW certified for two years, and Keith and
Moyers recently completed their final CHW
class and are expected to receive their certifi-
cation this month.
“The services really exploded with the
needs that were in our community,” Jones
said. “Every month, we’re seeing the volume
What is a community health worker?
A community heath worker serves as a liaison
between the community, health care providers,
government and social systems. These are the
people on the front lines, providing advocacy, edu-
cation and support to patients in order to help them
improve their lifestyle and connect them with health
care options or resources. They collect data and
discuss health concerns with providers or appropri-
ate agencies. They navigate the landscape the health
care, government and social services.
Job duties of the community health
worker
• Linking patients to needed health care informa-
tion, resources and services.
• Linking patients to lodging, utilities, food and
clothes.
• Linking patients to rides to appointments.
• Discussing health concerns with members of the
community.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
• Providing informational counseling and social
support.
Gathering outside Blue Mountain Hospital,
local Community Health Workers include front,
from left: Dani Jones and Gaylene Moyers;
back, Jenny Keith, Marci Wasiluk (Strawberry
Wilderness Community Clinic’s director) and
Jenna Hendriksen.
• Helping people understand their health condi-
tion.
of patients increase.”
They saw 27 patients in October, and in
November, they had 32 patient visits.
Hendriksen said she was born and raised
in Grant County, but didn’t realize all the
local resources that are available.
“We link them together — Families
First Parent Resource Center, Heart of
Grant County, senior center, DHS (Depart-
ment of Human Services), health depart-
ment, food bank, Community Connections,
Northeast Oregon housing authority, CCS and
churches,” she said.
These workers move into action when the
clinic’s primary care providers give a patient
a referral.
Sometimes the connection of patient to
CHW staff member may happen before the
patient leaves the clinic.
“Say a doctor discovers a patient has anx-
iety, depression and is suicidal, we have the
CHW come in — CCS (Community Coun-
seling Solutions) may not be able to come
for a couple hours,” Wasiluk said, adding the
CHW can visit with the patient while they’re
waiting.
When the patient thought their life was
hopeless, help came, and they realized
resources are available and that things will be
OK, Wasiluk said.
Keith said that helping patients get in
touch with needed resources can help allevi-
ate stress on family members.
In one instance, she said, “They cried
because a burden was lifted.”
“It makes us feel closer to our community,”
she said. “We’re really making a difference.”
Hendriksen explained that CHW and home
health are two different things.
“Home health is focused on health care
needs,” she said. “We’re more focused on
community resources.”
Jones said she’s been working in health
care for several years, since high school.
• Translating or interpreting health information for
patients.
• Providing health screening, referrals and educa-
tional needs.
• Collecting data and reporting findings to health
care providers.
• Helping individuals complete applications to access
health benefits.
• Conducting home visits to check on patients.
Qualities of a community health worker
Relationship building: Community health workers of-
ten need to be entrenched within the communities
they are serving. This is where relationship-building
qualities come into play.
Empathy: The most successful professionals in this
field are those who have a genuine compassion
for the individuals they are serving. For some, this
empathy stems from growing up with similar cir-
cumstances. Others just have an innate ability to put
themselves in the shoes of others.
Trustworthiness: Once a relationship has been es-
tablished, community health workers are entrusted
with sensitive information regarding their clients.
Being honest, approachable and offering complete
confidentiality is important.
Persistence: A lot of the initiatives community health
workers support are things that take time and
stamina.
Resourcefulness: There’s not always a clear-cut
solution to the issues community health workers
help to overcome. Sometimes they have to get
crafty to piece together the right resources to
help.
“Knowing the other (patient) needs, I felt
like there was a gap that was there that I wanted
to fill and help people,” she said, describing
why she decided to become involved in CHW.
Keith said she’s a “people person” and
likes helping others.
“I wished I could do more for someone —
now I can,” she said. “It’s nice to be out there
and actually helping them and seeing it from
the start to the end.”
Moyers said she enjoys talking with par-
ents about their babies’ needs, and helping
connect them to Families First for car seats
and education. She also enjoys helping peo-
ple with diabetes learn to cook a healthy meal.
“It’s really fulfilling, knowing that you’ve
helped so many people in a day,” Hendrik-
sen said.
Wasiluk said the CWH staff become so
close to the patients that “they become part
of their story.”
“It’s a lasting relationship,” she said.
John Day Valley
Mennonite
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Pastor Keith
Meeting every Sunday
at Mt. Vernon Grange Hall
Sunday School.......................9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship...10:50 a.m.
Pastor Leland Smucker
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Morning Prayer........10 am
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Eucharist & Sunday
School.............10 am
(2 nd & 4 th Sundays)
Meets Saturday at Mt. Vernon Grange
Sabbath School............................9:30 am
Church Services..........................11:00 am
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CHURCH
KJV
Independent
Fundamental • Premillennial
Terence K. Crabb, Pastor
A Bible-believing Church
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Sunday School 9:45 am • Sunday Preaching 11:00 am
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108 S. Washington Street, Canyon City
541-575-2688 or 541-575-0844
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St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Come Worship with us at
627 SE Hillcrest, John Day
1 Sunday Worship/Communion.......10am
st
3 rd Sunday Worship/Communion/Potluck...4:30pm
2 nd , 4 th & 5 th Sunday Worship ..........10 am
Wednesday Evening Bible Study.......6 pm
For information: 541-575-2348
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NAZARENE
Sunday School..............................9:30 am
Sunday Worship Service..............10:45 am
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Children & Teen Activities
SMALL GROUPS CALL FOR MORE INFO
Weekdays: Sonshine Christian School
Pastor Randy Johnson
521 E. Main • John Day • 541-575-1895
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FIRST CHRISTIAN
CHURCH
MT. VERNON
PRESBYTERIAN
Community Church
SUNDAY SERVICE..............9 am
SUNDAY SCHOOL...............9 am
541-932-4800
EVERYONE WELCOME
Sunday School.......................9:45 am
Sunday Worship.......................11 am
Fox Community Church..............3 pm
Sunday Evening Bible talk..........6 pm
Saturday Men’s Study................6 pm
Full Gospel- Come Grow With Us
541-575-1202 Church
311 NE Dayton St, John Day
Pastor Al Altnow
Catholic Church
TV & Radio Networks
Tune into KSPL 98.1 FM
Valley View Broadcasting
PO Box 151, Mt Vernon, Or 97865
Antenna: Digital Channel 15
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Corner of S Canyon Blvd and SW 2 nd
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541-974-8638
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UNITED
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St. Anne
Monument -
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2
Every Sunday in the L.C.
Community Center
(Corner of Second & Allen)
Contact Pastor Ed Studtmann at
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FIRST
BAPTIST
CHURCH
Sunday School....................... 10 am
Church....................................11 am
Afternoon Service.................... 2 pm
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Pastor Jesse Gosnell
300 W. Main, John Day
541-575-1355
Office Hours
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(541) 575-1326
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541-575-2180
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Pastor Levi Manitsas
cornerstonejohnday@gmail.com
ccfjd.org
Seventh-Day
Adventist
Church
SATURDAY SERVICES
JOHN DAY
110 Valley View Dr.
541-575-1216
Head Elder......................541-575-2914
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Worship.......................................11 am
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E. Main Street
541-421-3033
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S154086-1