WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2022
3
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
LOCAL NEWS
Speech pathology Good Shepherd receives funding
business gets grant from OHSU for colorectal cancer kits
BY MCKENZIE ROSE
For Hermiston Herald
“I think the best part of
my job is being able to
help kids communicate
more effectively and
helping parents
support their children
at home.”
Roxana Lieberg Jordheim of
Hermiston received a $4,000
grant from the National Asso-
ciation for the Self-Employed
for her business, Li’l Talkers
Speech Therapy.
Li’l Talkers, at 115 W.
Hermiston Ave., Suite 100,
— Roxana Lieberg Jordheim
Hermiston, offers numerous
services, including language
grams, it offers assistance with
development, social skills and
taxes, health care and more.
articulation/phonology ther-
Jordheim first looked at the
apy.
Jordheim grew
grant when she be-
up in Grand Forks,
came a NASE mem-
North Dakota, and
ber, but one of the re-
like most college stu-
quirements was to be
dents was not quite
a member for a min-
sure which career she
imum of six months.
wanted to pursue.
So when those six
When she discovered
months came around,
Jordheim
a “communication
by November, she
sciences and amplifi-
applied. However,
cation disorders” program in
such a grant would not just be
her local college’s course cata-
awarded to anyone.
log, she decided to try it out.
“It was an extensive process,
“From that point on, I was
with only serious businesses
hooked,” she said.
being considered,” she ex-
Jordheim spent six more
plained. “A full business plan,
years obtaining her master’s
along with documentation of
degree, and upon completing
startup costs, 12-month pro-
it, she was ready to start work- jection, and accompanying
ing. She moved to Hermiston
plans for growth were required
in August 2016 and began
as part of the application pro-
working for the school district. cess.”
After several years, she de-
According to John Hear-
cided to start her own speech
rel, NASE’s vice president of
therapy business.
Membership and Affiliate
“I have always had the idea
Programs, “Li’l Talkers Speech
of a private practice in the back Therapy was chosen for this
of my mind, but I did not re-
Growth Grant award because
ally begin to think of it as a vi-
it demonstrated a well-defined
able option until the spring of
plan for growth ranging from
2021,” she said.
executing new marketing ini-
Li’l Talkers Speech Therapy
tiatives, purchasing new equip-
opened Nov. 1, 2021. Jordheim ment or other creative ways to
still was working full time for
grow and expand.”
the Hermiston School Dis-
“I have had difficulty find-
trict, so she only had one cli-
ing grants opportunities ap-
ent at that time. Now, she sees
plicable to my business, so as
roughly 30 clients and also has of now, this is the sole grant I
more referrals being processed. have been awarded,” Jordiem
“It has grown very quickly
said. “I was very grateful and
in just a few months,” she said. surprised to be awarded this
Jordheim is the lone em-
grant.”
ployee at Li’l Talkers.
With the grant money, Jord-
“I have 21 years of expe-
iem plans to purchase “pri-
rience as a speech language
marily sensory integration”
pathologist, but I have always
items that augment communi-
worked in a school system or
cation, such as a voice gener-
for another agency. Calling in- ating. She also said she would
surance companies, billing and like to hire a speech language
navigating the business world
pathology assistant within the
and the medical world have
next year.
definitely been a challenge,”
While her self-run small
she said.
business renders her busy, she
Jordheim knew she would
thoroughly enjoys it.
need financial assistance,
“I absolutely love working
though, and became a NASE
with children,” Jordheim said.
member in April last year.
“I think the best part of my job
NASE is a large organization is being able to help kids com-
that aims to support self-em-
municate more effectively and
ployed individuals and small
helping parents support their
businesses. Among other pro- children at home.”
BY ANTONIO ARREDONDO
Hertmiston Herald
The Good Shepherd Health
Care System in Hermiston is
one of nine Oregon organiza-
tions to receive a grant from
Oregon Health & Science Uni-
versity to address local can-
cer-related needs.
The OHSU Knight Cancer
Institute’s Community Partner-
ship Program awarded funding
to Good Shepherd to help with
a new project — one that aims
to increase colorectal cancer
screening rates.
In years past, Good Shepherd
has sent out fecal occult blood
test kits, a preliminary take-
home test that aims to iden-
tify those at risk for colorectal
cancer for those between 50
and 75. Once returned for lab
tasting, these test kits help indi-
viduals. But Director of Com-
munity Health and Outreach
Jessica Reker said returns have
been low.
“The return rate on (the kits)
was only about 10 to 15%,” she
said.
With the test kits free of
charge, Reker and the medical
staff knew that cost wasn’t an
issue. Instead, they needed pa-
tients to buy into the program.
Part of that was shifting who
provided information.
With the funding, patients
now will learn about and re-
ceive FOBT kits from their pri-
Good Shepherd Health Care System/Contributed Photo, File
Good Shepherd Health Care System, Hermiston, is one of nine Oregon organizations to receive a grant from
Oregon Health & Science University to address local cancer-related needs, OSHU announced July 13, 2022.
mary care physician. Before,
they learned from other medi-
cal providers that many patients
may not have known.
“The patient-provider rela-
tionship is a very trusting re-
lationship,” Reker said. “It just
makes sense to utilize it.”
While the focus of the project
is ultimately to lower late-stage
colorectal cancer screening
rates, the way Good Shepherd
hopes to achieve that goal is to
increase education on the mat-
ter. Using physicians that know
the patient could ease tensions
surrounding the subject, in-
creasing education.
Along with education, Reker
and Good Shepherd Commu-
nity Health Educator Cather-
ine Wisniewski know there are
extra hurdles in Hermiston.
With over a quarter of the city’s
population having a Latino
background, Good Shepherd is
including bilingual test kits and
interpreters.
“To ensure the approach is
socially and culturally appro-
priate, GSHCS clinic partners
have bilingual and bicultural
staff available to assist with this
initiative,” Wisniewski said in a
press release.
Per the terms of the OHSU
grant, Good Shepherd aims to
have 60 FOBT kits returned
and 120 individuals educated,
but it’s shooting for higher
numbers.
If those base numbers are re-
alized, though, the program can
continue long-term with fund-
ing from OHSU.
bin in Hermiston and a referral
to electors of these actions.
“The voters can repeal the
ordinance or let it stand,” Assis-
tant City Manager Mark Mor-
gan said.
Hermiston’s action differs
from the psilocybin ordinances
Umatilla County and Pendle-
ton passed, which only referred
a ban to the voters without first
enacting prohibition of the fun-
gus-derived substance.
Tune in July 29 to see
Oregon governor
candidates debate
candidate Betsy Johnson are all
scheduled to debate starting at
2 p.m. in Welches.
The forum is moderated by
Pamplin Media Group Presi-
dent Mark Garber. Questions
will come from editors of news-
papers across Oregon.
The debate will be lives-
treamed on the Hermiston
Herald’s website, beginning at
2 p.m. July 29.
BRIEFS
Hermiston City Council
bans psilocybin centers
The Hermiston City Council
at its meeting Monday, July 25,
unanimously approved a local
law banning psilocybin service
centers and manufacture of the
hallucinogenic drug.
The same ordinance referred
the prohibition to the voters at
the November general election.
While Oregon’s 2020 Ballot
Measure 109 to legalize the psy-
choactive mushrooms passed
statewide, 64% of voters in
Umatilla County opposed it.
The law allows cities and coun-
ties to vote anew to ban psilocy-
bin manufacture and services in
their jurisdictions.
Ordinance No. 2340 declared
a ban on psilocybin service cen-
ters or manufacture of psilocy-
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The three leading candidates
in the race to become Oregon’s
next governor will appear live at
a forum Friday, July 29, hosted
by the Oregon Newspaper Pub-
lishers Association.
Republican nominee Chris-
tine Drazan, Democratic nomi-
nee Tina Kotek and unaffiliated
— Hermiston Herald