by Michelle | May 23, 2019 | Why I'm In
Photo Credit: Cody Mann, Headlight Herald
The Tillamook County Wellness “Why I’m In” interview series highlights our community partners and what has inspired and motivated them to work toward the common goal of improving community health. You can learn more about our partners at tillamookcountyhealthmatters.org.
“WHY I’M IN …” Suzanne Weber, Mayor, City of Tillamook and Wellness Task Force Member
What drew you/your organization into the Year of Wellness, now Tillamook County Wellness?
Weber: I have always been committed to well-being and have been involved in health promotion at the state level and through my 30 years of prior teaching experience. This is invaluable work. I appreciate how this is being addressed from a greater scope, calling attention to issues affecting health.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Weber: There is an increased focus – a refocus – on how wellness can be achieved through improved nutrition, exercise and other aspects. People and organizations are coming together, learning from each other. It’s not just about physical health, but also about mental wellbeing. I am seeing progress. It’s making a difference.
One of the things the City has done is to expand walkability through sidewalk improvements, such as those along 12th Street near Tillamook High School. People are walking more. It’s a safety issue. The City has also incorporated physical activity into all transportation planning, including along the clinic-to-college route, which features a bike lane and the addition of sidewalks along Third Street. We have seen increased involvement with healthcare partners, such as the addition of an exercise station next to Adventist Health’s clinic on Third Street and Birch Avenue, the first of what is hoped to be many such stations along that route.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Weber: I have learned you don’t give up. You keep at it. You keep repeating things, telling people about ways to improve their health habits, giving them opportunities to engage.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Weber: Once the City Hall renovation is complete, we will have our own small gym space in the basement. We have a wellness committee and we plan to expand our program, adding competitions and will be looking at staff participation at the YMCA. We have 29 employees. The nature of our public works projects creates a lot of physical work requirements. We want our employees to be safe and fit.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing population health in Tillamook County.
Weber: My hope is that we increase interconnectivity between the cities that make up Tillamook County – that we are a “united county” in terms of improving population health for all residents. There is good work being done in various communities. It would be nice to see all of those things tied together as a reflection of our county-wide focus on improving health and well-being. I am amazed how many people from different walks of life have taken on this work as vital. All the different sectors are participating. It’s wonderful.
by Michelle | Nov 9, 2018 | Why I'm In
The Tillamook County Wellness “Why I’m In” interview series highlights our community partners and what has inspired and motivated them to work toward the common goal of improving community health.
“WHY I’M IN …” Dusti (Jessica) Linnell, Oregon State University Extension, Family & Community Health
What drew you/your organization into the Year of Wellness, now Tillamook County Wellness?
Linnell: I first got involved in the Year of Wellness when I joined the OSU Extension service in 2016. Nancy Kershaw encouraged me to start attending meetings since what was happening with the Year of Wellness was so aligned with my role in supporting family and community health.
I was struck by how many people were involved and how excited they were to be working together The passion of the leaders, and everyone involved, spoke to me. It felt like this was something that could really work and could have a deep impact in supporting the health of everyone in the county.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Linnell: There are so many different things I could talk about. One thing is how many people know about Tillamook County Wellness and how invested people are. From a professional perspective, the level of collaboration I have seen come out of this is really powerful. There is something special about this work and how it has brought people together to make connections in new ways. I hear conversations where someone says, “Hey, I am working on this project. You could really help me. How can we work together on this?” That’s been really huge. I’ve worked in other places where it just isn’t like that.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Linnell: I’ve learned that bringing about the kind of change we are talking about is hard work. It takes a lot of effort and diligence to get it right. It’s hard to find all the things that are going to work for everybody.
I’ve also learned there are so many assets we have that we can draw upon. People are willing to give their time and effort, and even sometimes money, to support what we are doing. There are a lot of amazing people in the county who want to do the right thing.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Linnell: My hope for this work as it relates to me personally, is building on the strengths of our community and continuing to create spaces for people to be healthy. I live here and I want to have access to all the healthiest foods and have great places to go and be physically active too.
Professionally, I am excited to get to work with people who seek the same outcomes as I do, people who are dedicated to building and supporting healthy communities. I also hope that, as we achieve these outcomes, we can continue to build on what we have already accomplished. My hope is that this lasts a long time. There will never be a shortage of initiatives we want to work on as a community. I am uplifted by this work and the potential it has for change.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing population health in Tillamook County.
Linnell: Our community is dealing with a lot of really tough issues, with diabetes being one of them. As a chronic disease, diabetes takes a long time to develop. There are things we can do to reduce the risk for this. I just hope we can generate some creative solutions that are really going to work for us. We have a great opportunity to take what we understand about how different things within our community affect our health and come together to develop the solutions that will help improve this in our communities.
My role in the OSU Extension Service is to support the community. I get to be of service here and bring whatever resources I can. I love living here and I want to personally contribute to help make this a success.
by Michelle | Oct 25, 2018 | Why I'm In
Tillamook County Wellness continues its work because of the extraordinary level of engagement and collaboration among partners, volunteers and the community. The series “Why I’m In,” features what has inspired and motivated people to work toward a common goal of improving community health.
“WHY I’M IN …” Anne Goetze, Senior Director of Nutrition Affairs, Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council (ODNC)
What drew you/your organization into Tillamook County Wellness?
Goetze: The Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council serves on behalf of farmers and processors in Oregon to build confidence and trust in dairy and the important role dairy foods play in a healthy diet. In 2014, we proposed a Learning Connection Town Hall event to our statewide partners in nutrition and health, and they all pointed to Tillamook County. We found a group of very strong leaders committed to wellness and were off and running. At the Town Hall in 2015 Commissioner Baertlein shared his vision for a “Year of Wellness” and launched what has become a successful countywide effort. It was a natural fit. It was the right thing to do.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Goetze: Through this work, the community is generating connections at an even deeper level to work toward a common goal for greater impact. For example, the YMCA is now collaborating with the Columbia Pacific CCO to offset membership fees for families on the Oregon Health Plan and they are partnering with Northwest Senior & Disability Services and local healthcare providers to offer year-long Diabetes Prevention Classes. At the end of our first year, the Y reported continuous increases in membership since the Year of Wellness began – something that had never happened before.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Goetze: This experience has reinforced that theoretical principles can be translated in practical ways. I have never worked on a project quite like this. It has all the right elements. It’s based on solid, reliable, evidence-based research and it incorporates community connectivity and shared values. Bringing people together with a common vision is really powerful.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Goetze: We know that healthy eating helps prevent disease and that dairy products are an irreplaceable part of a healthy diet. Every week there are more studies that support the consumption of dairy foods, whole grains, vegetables, fruits and protein foods to prevent diabetes and improve health. We are excited to share this through Tillamook County Wellness.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing population health in Tillamook County.
Goetze: Of course I want people to make healthier food choices and be more physically active. I want people to love food and to be well. This doesn’t have to be complicated. People often put off making these changes because they feel overwhelmed. It’s really about taking small steps. There’s something here for everyone.
by Michelle | Oct 12, 2018 | Why I'm In
The Tillamook County Wellness “Why I’m In” interview series highlights our community partners and what has inspired and motivated them to work toward the common goal of improving community health.
What drew you/your organization to Tillamook County Wellness?
Swanson: As a member of the media, covering stories on health and wellness is important to me. I’m all about education and outreach. It’s important to get this information out into the community.
There is so much bad news in the world. This is about sharing the good news and that’s really what people want to hear about. I feel like our community was ready for this.
I’ve been involved with the wellness efforts from the beginning. We always wanted this to be about positive messaging. No shaming. Just simple, practical tips – eat a little better, walk a little more – that kind of thing. That’s what appealed to me and made me want to get involved.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Swanson: If you did a Marketing 101 study, this would be an example of how well a campaign will work when the community is ready. I have been amazed at how quickly this concept of Wellness has caught on. The fact that about 85% of people recognize Tillamook County Wellness as a brand is absolutely amazing.
The other thing that has been so great is to see all of our community partners working together and that this is truly county wide. It’s been so much fun to work with innovative people and see some of the outside-of-the-box thinking.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Swanson: I have learned how to slow down and assess things. I’m totally a boots-on-the-ground, let’s-get-started kind of person. Yet, early on, it was clear that what we were doing wasn’t sustainable.
When we stepped back from the original YOW effort to focus on Diabetes prevention, I was afraid we would lose momentum. I have learned that sometimes you shouldn’t just jump in. Sometimes, even if we don’t want to, we need to stop the horse and make sure we are on the right horse, on the right road, going the right direction and doing it for the right people.
That was really hard for me – to hit pause – but now I see that this was the right path.
The other thing I have learned is that change can be really hard both for individuals and for organizations, and it doesn’t happen overnight. All good things take time.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Swanson: As a media representative, my job is incredibly stressful. If I could, I would prefer to just cover the good things like health and wellness, outdoor activities, gardening and food. Even though that’s not realistic, this work is shaping our focus for the Tillamook County Pioneer. We really want to help our community through this platform. The work I am doing in Wellness aligns with what we want to do as an organization, providing the best possible news and resources we can for our community.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing population health in Tillamook County.
Swanson: My hope is that we can keep building on what we have started, taking it to a larger scale to impact more people.
I also hope to see more of us embracing change. That’s part of developing community resilience and building a sense of community. You see that when mother nature deals us a blow – how people step up and help each other out in times of crisis.
I also like the idea of templating this and bringing it to other communities.
by Michelle | Sep 27, 2018 | Why I'm In
The Tillamook County Wellness “Why I’m In” interview series highlights our community partners and what has inspired and motivated them to work toward the common goal of improving community health.
“WHY I’M IN” with Stacie Zuercher, Community Programs Supervisor, Northwest Senior & Disability Services (NWSDS)
What drew you/your organization into Tillamook County Wellness?
Zuercher: Commissioner Bill Baertlein was on the NWSDS board and was very involved in my agency, which is how I initially got involved in the planning for the “Year of Wellness.”
I like that this is a ground-up initiative and not top-down. The “suck in” is for me is that the doors are open for anyone who wants to participate. What are families saying they need? This about asking our community members about their health needs and responding in a thoughtful way – not just looking at statistics.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Zuercher: In our first year we were able to establish a lot of important resources like the tillamookcountyhealthmatters.org website. Initially, there were a number of wonderful agencies doing a lot of collaborative work and we were creating a lot of programs and opportunities for community engagement but this was a lot of work and all of these agencies were going in different directions.
A major shift came about when we realized there was so much good work already happening and we asked ourselves, “What could Tillamook County Wellness do to support what was already happening and even enhance it?” That’s when we shifted our focus to reducing risk for Type 2 Diabetes.
Now this is about supporting other work by providing coordination and alignment toward a common goal. Instead of being a “one hit wonder,” we are all setting our organizational egos aside and are working together to really improve community health in a big way.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Zuercher: My career experience, before coming to Tillamook, was in memory care, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. In all honesty, I really had blinders on about public health. I came into my current job right as Tillamook County Wellness was forming, which was great. This experience has helped me gain an understanding of how investing in health and wellness provides a trickle-down effect for everyone in the community.
This has also allowed me to develop a whole new set of skills in community collaboration, outreach and marketing, which help me advocate better for the needs of seniors and people with disabilities.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Zuercher: Personally, I just love Tillamook. I am excited that I get to be part of something that helps Tillamook County. I hope that it motivates people to want to be more engaged in their own community, to take advantage of all the resources that are here and makes people proud of where they live.
Professionally, my goal is for seniors and people with disabilities to feel like they have access to resources. If you are an isolated senior or have health needs, I want you to feel confident that you can find the help you need.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing population health in Tillamook County.
Zuercher: From a population health perspective, I hope that individuals feel supported by their community. That health issues are not a scary thing that people avoid but instead, that they’re thinking about being proactive in ways that help them be as healthy as they can be.
If there is a message we can get out there – whether it is about having healthy families, preventing chronic disease, safety for isolated seniors, or whatever – I just hope that the resources we have created will debunk the myths and fears people have about being healthy.
So often people think, “Diabetes runs in my family. I am at high risk because my mom had it or my dad lost his limb to it, so, this is scary and I don’t want to face it.” Instead, I want people to realize that there are resources here for them. This doesn’t have to feel scary or overwhelming. Hope is what gets people through life’s difficulties.
by Michelle | Sep 20, 2018 | Why I'm In
The Tillamook County Wellness “Why I’m In” interview series highlights our community partners and what has inspired and motivated them to work toward the common goal of improving community health.
“WHY I’M IN …” Interview with County Commissioner Bill Baertlein
How did you come to be involved in the Year of Wellness, now Tillamook County Wellness?
Baertlein: When I was first elected as county commissioner, I noticed there was a lot of competition and siloed work between our local health care and mental health care agencies. Everyone was – and is – doing good work but it wasn’t having the impact we would all hope to see. My initial thinking was that, maybe, if we had one project, where we could all work together, we could make a difference in community health.
In 2014, I attended a community-wide strategic planning session hosted by Adventist Health. It was there, in a breakout session on Chronic Disease Prevention, that I floated the idea of having a “Year of Wellness.” People were very receptive to the idea. From there, I reached out to Marlene Putman, our County Public Health Administrator, and asked her to help bring the idea to fruition.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Baertlein: Intuitively, I see more people out walking. People seem to be talking about health more and in ways that show they are more aware of the benefits of healthy living. I can’t put it into numbers but that is something we hope to track as we move forward.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Baertlein: I have learned that all our community organizations really do want to collaborate. Despite the inherent competition among some agencies, there is a willingness to set those things aside and work toward a common goal. This is something really remarkable.
Personally, I have learned to change my own eating habits. I have always been a walker but I knew I needed to eat better. This has given me the motivation to improve my habits.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Baertlein: My hope is that, 20 years from now, we will see the changes we have started will have led to improved lifestyles and a decline in chronic disease rates. This is the difficult part of public service. We don’t always see the results of our work right away. The changes in policy we make now, often affect things way out in the future. Prevention is a long-term investment. Of course, we want to help people right now. We need to be compassionate. But we also have to be strategic with how we invest our limited resources.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about this work as it relates to changing population health in Tillamook County?
Baertlein: This has been a lot of fun. It has been very satisfying to look back and see the changes we have initiated. We are building something from the ground up. It is something we can all be proud of.
