Coos County Public Health Superstars 2008-2023
| Super Star | Organization | Activity |
| 2023 (See more details) | ||
| Sam Baugh | Advanced Health | Sam is a strong supporter and advocate for public health in our community and brings this perspective to his role at Advanced Health as he works with the community members and service providers. |
| Ralph Mohr | Master Swimmers of Coos County | Ralph has maintained a massive email list of local swimmers who he keeps informed with information critical for swimmers. |
| Laura Philips | Coos Health & Wellness Home Visiting Program | She is a key player in the success of the Babies First! and Care Coordination home visiting programs. |
| Jeremy Pittz | Bay Area Hospital | Jeremy has been the ultimate community liaison for BAH throughout the pandemic. He organized and worked multiple events to meet the needs of the community. |
| Jen Shafer | United Way of Southwestern Oregon | As the Executive Director of the United Way of Coos and Curry Counties, Jen Shafer has shown outstanding leadership and ability to mobilize the community. |
| Matt Vorderstrasse | North Bend City/Coos-Curry Housing Authorities | Matt looks beyond the moment to really bring information and focus to housing issues in our community. |
| 2022 | ||
| Ko-Quell Wellness Center | Coquille tribe | The Ko-Kwell Wellness Center is dedicated to the whole person and is open to the public focused on blending health, wellness, and culture to improve access to health care and increase dental services for the community at large. |
| Bay Cities Ambulance | Bay Cities Ambulance | Provided community repid testing inv arious locations in Coos County and handling vaccinations in long term care facilities for seniors at their residences. |
| Chief Mark Anderson | Coos Bay Fire Department | Supported Covid vaccine clinics for Coos Health & Wellness and volunteers during the pandemic for vaccinations for the community at large. |
| Kat Burgess, Renee’ Menkens, RN | Coos County Medical Reserve Corps | Kat helped make sure volunteers were ready for the covid vaccine PODs (Points of Distribution) by making them efficient and effective.
Renee’ Menkens, RN, provided Covid vaccines for community members at the PODs and Farmers Market as well as aboard ships for foreign sailors. |
| Lena Hawtin, RN | Coos Health & Wellness | Lena coordinated vaccine and supplies for the PODs during Covid vaccinations throughout the county. She managed oversight of vaccine safety issues for storage and distribution. |
| Kelsey Orr, RN and Becky Fairhurst, RN | Coos Health & Wellness | Kelsey and Becky provided hours of service in contact tracing one of the key elements in the Covid response in Coos County. They served as team leads for all investigators for Public Health. |
| John Lemos | Kids Hope Center | John has volunteered at the KHC for the past five years to support children and adults who have experienced trauma in their lives. He also volunteers as a co-facilitator of the Darkness to Light curriculum educating the community about child sexual abuse. |
| Stephanie Polizzi | OSU Extension Family and Community | Stephanie works tirelessly to educate the community about nutrition and conducted research about nutrition and cancer reduction in the WECAN (Wellness Education for Cancer Nutrition) study. |
| Alyssa Pruess | Zonta Club for Southwest Oregon | Alyssa researched and designed The Sex Talk website to make reliable and accurate sex education available to the community. This website is a resource to help prevent unplanned pregnancies, promote sexual health, reduce sexually transmitted infections, and educate young people about services and resources available to them. |
| Barbara Van Slyke | Bay Area Hospital Cancer Center | In 2003 Barbara saw a need and began seeing patients who had no access to medical care. In 2003 she and others secured federal funding and Waterfall Health Clinic was established as a Federally Qualified Health Center in 2003. She was on the board of directors for 10 years. She recently retired from Bay Area Hospital Cancer Center as an oncology nurse. |
| 2020 | ||
| Patrick Wright | Operation Rebuild Hope | Created programs to support veterans in Coos County. |
| Kim Singh, President | Coos County Emergency Response Team (CERT) | Supported education about disaster preparedness and training in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations |
| Phillip Nel, Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager & Michael Burton, VISTA | Coos Health & Wellness, Coos County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) | They develop trainings for MRC members, seek funding to develop supply resources needed for emergency situations, and work with county and state government to assure Coos County is well versed in disaster management and that our MRC is ready to serve, when and if, needed. |
| Bernarda Liggett | Coos Elderly Services | Directly helping those in need, and comfort in the continuation of Coos Elderly Services mission to promote the dignity and security of vulnerable people who need assistance in managing their financial affairs. |
| Dale Hodge | South Coast Together | A community member who supports the work of SCT in educating the public about adverse childhood experiences with the goal to support a healthy Coos county. |
| 2019 | ||
| Kate Frame | Local Alcohol Drug Planning Committee | Supported regional prescription drug overdose prevention project. |
| Ann Marineau | Madison Elementary School | Manager of the Madison Community Garden as an option for healthy foods for school age children and their families |
| Becky and Grant Crim | American Cancer Society | Volunteer to educate us about cancer prevention, early detection and treatment, and also to raise funds to fight cancer |
| Rick Wetherell, Mayor | North Bend City Council | Recognized for helping to support health for families through creating healthier environments with no smoking signs in city parks. |
| 2018 | ||
| Char Luther, Director | New Community Coalition | Provided leadership about housing and vulnerable people in Coos County |
| Patty Sanden, Jeanette Sinclair, Robin Reed and Chelsea Schoeppner and their dogs Auggie, Leah, Vixey, Utah and Molly | The Coos County Search & Rescue Dog Team Unit | The team leads searches that can occur at night, under darkness, and in all types of weather. |
| Linda Furman Grile, Director | South Coast hospice & Palliative Care Services, Inc. | Created of the area’s first community-based non-profit hospice program |
| Linda Maxon, Director | Coast Community Health Center | A leader in bringing quality, low-cost, accessible health care to the people of Bandon and south to Langlois and Port Orford |
| 2017 | ||
| Elizabeth Spona | Connect the Boardwalks | Created awareness and support for the Coos Waterfront Park and Walkway |
| Jennifer Groth & Stephanie Kramer | Coos Bay City Council 2016 & Mayor Crystal Shoji | Supported ordinances expanding smoking bans at all city owned developed parks. |
| Joanne Shorb, Director | Kid’s Hope Center | Supported education to help the public understand what child abuse is and how this impacts our community. |
| Gail McClave, MD | Bandon Community Health Center | Volunteer and support for lab grade vaccine refrigerator for Coos Health & Wellness |
| Carla McKelvey, MD | FEARsome Clinic | Provided physical, dental and mental health screenings for Coos County foster parents and the children they serve |
| Tara Johnson, Director | Nancy Devereux Center | Provided support for the homeless population of Coos County |
| 2016 | ||
| Charlie Possee | The Power’s Lion’s Club | Acknowledged for their efforts to encourage active living through the Tour de Fronds cycling event. |
| Audrey Duke, FNP | North Bend Medical Center (NBMC) | Served at the first walk in clinic at NBMC and board member for Crossroads Community Cafe |
| Pat Dudas, FNP | Coos Health & Wellness & Coquille Tribal Health Clinic | Advocate for breast and cervical cancer screening |
| Phil Greenhill, CEO | Western Oregon Advanced Health | Vision and collaboration with Coos Health & Wellness in development of new campus |
| Anna Marie Slate | Western Oregon Advanced Health | President of Community Advisory Committee and raised awareness of health issues affecting vulnerable populations |
| Florence Pourtal-Stevens, Administrator | Coos Health & Wellness | Supported for work to revitalize the Community health Improvement Plan |
| 2015 | ||
| Karen Brown, RN | Coos Bay School District | Started Shoes that Fit program and coordination of Ready to Smile Program |
| Susan Fox & Ethel German, co-founders & Kathy Walsh, RN & Susan Walker, RN, Director | Crossroads Café & Southwester Oregon Community College Nursing program | Collaboration to support inexpensive hot meals for anyone and nursing student run health clinics |
| Jardin Kazaar, RN & Kristen Hoefer | Black Market Gourmet | Educating the community about healthy eating |
| Betty Albertson | Western Oregon Advanced Health | The Community Advisory Council was acknowledged for their work to improve the health of WOAH members |
| 2014 | ||
| Stephen Groth, MD | Coos County Health Department | Provided reproductive services for low income women in family planning clinic |
| Donna Rabin, MD & Jon Yost, MD | Community Connections Network | Coordinated care for children with special needs |
| Tom Holt, DDS | Ready to Smile Program/Neighborhood Dentist Program | Contributions to children dental health |
| Brent Pahls, DDS, Heidi Pahls, DDS, & Herman Pahls, DDS | Ready to Smile Program/Neighborhood Dentist Program | Donated dental care services to school age children |
| 2013 | ||
| Maud Capps, MA | Bandon Community Health Center | Started clinic Prescription Assistance Program |
| Kathy Laird, RN | Waterfall Community Health Center | Advocate for medical care for the uninsured |
| Michael Lanza, MD | Provided greenhouse to Myrtle Crest School to support healthy eating and reduce obesity | |
| Judy Moody, Director | Woman’s Safety & Resource Center | Support for services to prevent intimate partner violence in our community |
| Debbie Webb | Coos County Friends of Public Health | Provided services through the Living Well Program for people with chronic conditions |
| 2012 | ||
| Susan Chaney, CNM | Bay Area Hospital | Advocat4e for pregnant and parenting families |
| Don Luce | South Coast Striders | Connected individuals to hiking on the south coast |
| Stephanie Polizzi, RD | Oregon State Extension Office | Collaboration with Health Department Tobacco Prevention program about tobacco use policy at Coos County Fair |
| John Sweet & Elizabeth Day | Ford Family Foundation & The Mudd family Foundation | Support for Ready to Smile Program |
| 2011 | ||
| Judy McMakin, Director | Coos County Commission on Children and Families | Early childhood education programs at health department |
| Barbara Eakley | Bandon Community Health Center | Developed cook book to raise funds for health care |
| Astrid Diepenbroeck | Coos County Health Department | Provided services in the Ready to Smile program for school age children |
| Pat Ciccarelli & Carla Fellows | South Coast Head Start | Brought Early Head Start to Coos County, serving pregnant women, infants and young children |
| Jenifer Stephens & Jeff McKeown, Mayor | City of Coos Bay | Smoke free parks in Coos bay |
| Julia Willis, Administrator | Coquille Tribal Community Fund trustees | Support for Coos County Public Health programs |
| 2010 | ||
| Mary Schamehorn, Mayor | City of Bandon | First city in Coos County with smoke free parks |
| Lindi Quinn | Bay Area Zonta Club | Organizing Mother’s Day walk |
| Dan Bissell | Coos County Health Department | Emergency Preparedness |
| Crystal Shojii | Coos Bay North Bend Rotary | Support for CaCoon Program for medically fragile children |
| Mindy Dean | Bree’s Upscale Resale | Provided mammograms and information on breast health |
| H1N1 Response Team:
Angie Webster, RN and Karen Brown, RN, Coos Bay; Tim Amato, RN and Carrie Bohanan, RN, North Bend; Donna Martz, RN, Myrtle Point; Peggy Jennings, RN, Coquille; also Ellen Baldwin, Powers and Diane Buche, Bandon. |
Coos County Health Department & School Nurses | Flu immunizations for community and schools |
| 2009 | ||
| Rita Hoover, RN | Bay Area Hospital | Diabetes Education with South Coast Diabete4s Association |
| Jim Wathen, CEO | Southern Coos Hospital | Fist hospital with smoke free campus |
| Angie Webster, RN
Melissa Grimes, RN |
Coos Bay School District | Improving dental health in grade school children |
| Kelley Rowe, Director | North Bend Medical Center | Provided health education and outreach with health coalitions |
| Kathy Cooley, RN | Coos County Health Department | Healthy Start parenting education program |
| 2008 | ||
| Carolyn Jacobson, RN | Coos County Healthy Start Program | Birth family screening |
| Renee’ Menkens, RN | Southwestern Oregon Community College | Coos County Public Health Family Planning Advisory Board |
| Lonnie Scarborough, Director | Southern Coos Hospital | Community flu shots |
| Ingrid Tyson, RN Shannon Weybright, RN |
School Based Health Center at Marshfield High School | |
| Joanne Verger, Senator | Oregon State Legislature | Legislation to expand Oregon bottle bill and healthy snacks in schools |