Oregonians speak out – a series of conversations about creating a healthy environment for everyone in our community.

Good Health: How Can we Make a Difference?

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Preventing disease

It’s critical that preventive health care becomes an important part of every Oregonian’s life. We’re spending $10 billion each year to fight chronic conditions like obesity, heart disease and diabetes Oregonians need to stop these diseases. We need to be more aggressive – educating people about changing their health behaviors and surrounding them with healthier choices.

This is especially important to Oregon business leaders. Preventing disease will decrease our health care costs. It will improve the productivity of Oregon employees. And it will create an environment where overall health – not a trip to the doctor – is the ultimate goal.

Bill Thorndike, President of Medford Fabrication and Chair of the Oregon Health Fund Board

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Empowering neighbors

To keep our neighbors healthy and connected, it’s important to get them to turn off their TVs, get out of their homes and talk with each other. For our rural communities, this is especially important.

Hood River is one of the most bountiful places in Oregon. But it’s also a place where poverty and isolation are taking their toll. That’s why we’re helping everyday people learn ways to empower their communities by organizing everything from kids’ sports leagues to cultural celebrations, which encourage good health and community involvement. Conversation and action can make anyone a leader. And when people come together, they can make a real difference.

Janet Hamada, Executive Director of The Next Door

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Making choices

Our transportation choices can have a huge effect on our community’s quality of life. And it’s not hard to see that when we’re given more options, it’s easier to make healthier choices.

When more people park their cars and walk, bike or use public transportation, awesome things happen. Our roadways become safer because motorists are used to sharing the road with bikes and pedestrians. The air in our neighborhoods becomes cleaner without excessive idling of cars. And people become healthier because every trip starts with exercise, whether it’s walking to the store – or to the bus stop.

Kim Curley, Community Outreach Manager of Commute Options for Central Oregon

Improving the public’s health is an issue we all support. We need to look at the root causes of problems and focus on ways to solve them. Then we can create a new, higher standard of health for everyone.

— Jim Hill,
Board Chair of Northwest Health Foundation


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