Deschutes County honors ‘Health Heroes’
In recognition of National Public Health Week this month, and Mental Health Month in May, this week the Deschutes County Behavioral and Public Health Advisory Boards (PHAB) announced their annual selections for the 2014 Health Heroes Awards.
The awards honor an individual and a group that have demonstrated excellence in promoting and protecting behavioral and public health through their work and in their daily lives. “The dedication of health ‘Heroes’ to Deschutes County residents is irreplaceable,” said Deschutes County Public Health Advisory Board Chair Jock Pribnow.
The Group Health Hero Award winner is La Pine Community Health Center, represented by Chief Executive Officer, Charla DeHate. The La Pine Community Health Center is a federally funded non-profit clinic that focuses on providing health care to the uninsured and underinsured residents in south Deschutes County. Not only does the clinic provide primary patient care, several other services available including medication assistance, behavioral health, x-ray, lab testing and more. In addition to the traditional medical services of primary care, the La Pine Community Health Center’s outreach services assist the social and cultural needs of the community. The Center’s professional staff is trained in enrollment assistance for OHP & Healthy Kids and the Center supports a wide range of resources including education, transportation, support groups, wellness classes, interpreting, mental health, patient assistance, medication coverage, parenting help and much more.
This years’ Individual Award winner is Deschutes County Health Services Department Director, Scott Johnson. Scott, who is retiring in June this year, was commended for guiding both Behavioral Health and more recently, Public Health, through a period of tremendous growth and change. Scott excels at fostering good relationships with the State of Oregon, Deschutes County leadership and related advisory boards. He is a caring professional with a tremendous ability to lead and develop programs for residents needing behavioral health care.
