Life and Health

In 2008, Grande Ronde Hospital (GRH) launched its Community Benefit (CB) program, solidifying its commitment to enhancing health and well-being in Union County. This program operates under the guidance of the Community Benefit Subcommittee (Committee), which reports to GRH's Quality Committee and is led by Wendy Roberts, GRH's Community Benefit Officer. Roberts has cultivated a robust committee of community members, hospital staff and board of trustees representatives. Together, they oversee grants and initiatives designed to support community health and wellness.

Survey reveals needs

GRH conducts a comprehensive community survey every three years to identify pressing health concerns and areas for improvement. This comprehensive survey, consisting of more than 100 questions, covers various topics, including participants' health status, exercise habits, diet and overall well-being. The results help GRH and its partners determine where to invest time and resources over the next three years.

"The survey responses are critical in guiding our focus on the most pressing community health needs," Roberts emphasizes.

The survey's design is largely standardized, with 80% of the questions sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which gathers data on health-related behaviors, chronic conditions and the use of preventive services. GRH develops the remaining 20% of the questions in collaboration with local stakeholders, including the Center for Human Development (the local public health department), social service agencies, law enforcement, schools and other key partners.

Goal 1: Social determinants of health

Improving the community's health starts with identifying, understanding and addressing the social determinants of health, which include factors such as education, economic stability, access to health care, neighborhood environments, and social and community contexts that influence overall well-being. Engagement with the performing arts helps develop social cohesion, reduces loneliness and social isolation, and builds individual and group identity.

To support this goal, in FY2024, we provided a $5,000 grant to Friends of the Opera House—Summer Theater Camp. This funding was used to offer scholarships for local children and youth who might otherwise be unable to afford the opportunity.

The camp hosted two one-week sessions, serving over 200 youth from Union, Wallowa, Baker and Umatilla counties. The Friends of the Opera House programming has been supplementing the minimal arts programs available to students in these counties for over 17 years. This year, the grant helped 10 campers with full scholarships and 14 with partial tuition scholarships, ensuring that over 15% of the campers could attend.

The camp promotes positive outcomes by assisting participants in discovering their abilities, developing new skills, and engaging in physical activities like choreography and healthy breathing exercises through vocal training. With sold-out performances and positive feedback from participants and their parents, the camp continues to create a lasting impact on our community's youth.

Goal 2: Mental and behavioral health

More than 25% of adults living with serious mental health problems also have a substance use problem, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment survey results reported that nearly 25% of Union County adults rated their mental health as "not so good" on four or more days in the previous month, and 3% considered attempting suicide. 16% of those surveyed were binge drinkers. When asked about their frequency of recreational drug use in the past six months, 36% of Union County adults who used drugs did so almost every day.

We provided a $5,000 grant to the Union County Adult Treatment Court to support this goal of improving mental and behavioral health. This funding supports program initiatives that promote and provide access to a continuum of alcohol, drug, and related treatment and rehabilitation services for individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder. During the reporting period, the program served 53 participants, introducing them to pro-social activities and providing resources encouraging physical, emotional and mental wellness. Participants engaged in workout regimens, healthy eating initiatives and community-building activities such as fishing, disc golf and movie nights.

The program also tackled social determinants of health by reducing food insecurity with grocery cards and farmers market vouchers.

With the support of this grant, participants took over 3 million steps in the program's annual step-a-thon and reported significant progress in achieving long-term recovery goals.

Goal 3: Chronic disease prevention and wellness

Tooth decay is one of the most common childhood diseases. Poor oral health during childhood leads to missed school days, sleep issues due to pain and infections with the potential to spread throughout their bodies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 46% of children ages 2 to 19 had untreated or restored dental caries in one or more primary or permanent teeth.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) 2014 Final Recommendation Statement evaluates the benefits to childhood oral health of primary care providers, educating parents about oral hygiene and applying fluoride varnish. While they found insufficient evidence to support the benefits of parental education, the USPSTF concludes "with moderate certainty that there is a moderate net benefit of preventing future dental caries with fluoride varnish application in all children starting at the age of eruption of primary teeth to age 5 years."

Grande Ronde Hospital implemented the First Tooth Program in the GRH Pediatric Clinic by obtaining fluoride varnish application training for providers, nurses and medical assistants. The varnish is provided for children ages 1 to 5 years as part of their well-child visit. During the last reporting period, 47.5% of children received a fluoride application during a visit to the GRH Pediatric Clinic.

Making a lasting impact

These projects exemplify GRH's dedication to serving as more than just a hospital by addressing the unique health challenges of Union County. Whether through mental health initiatives that offer life-changing resources, arts programs fostering youth development or preventive health efforts like the First Tooth Program, GRH distinguishes itself as a partner deeply committed to the community's holistic well-being. We partner in ensuring the long-term health and vitality of the communities we serve. Investing in programs that address specific needs, we uphold our mission to deliver quality health care with compassion and a hometown touch. We thank our community partners, grant recipients and all those who make these initiatives possible. Together, we are creating a healthier, stronger community for generations.

Categories: Health and wellness