Columbia Pacific CCO launches new Regional Health Assessment, seeks input on community priorities
(SEASIDE, Oregon) May 1, 2023 —Today, Columbia Pacific CCO launched the story collection phase of its third-ever Regional Health Assessment. This phase gives residents of Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties an opportunity to weigh in on the future priorities of Columbia Pacific as it continues to work to improve community health. Feedback will be used to inform Columbia Pacific’s next Regional Health Improvement Plan, spanning 2025-2029.
“Our Regional Health Assessment is very important to us as an organization and as a community partner,” said Mimi Haley, Columbia Pacific’s executive director. “It’s about more than just listening to the community. This is an opportunity for the community to shape our future work and funding priorities.”
Between May 1 and July 31, Columbia Pacific staff members will visit clinics and social services agencies and attend in-person events to collect stories from residents of all three counties about their health-related experiences, via a survey designed with community input (learn more about story collection below). Community members can also visit Columbia Pacific’s website to take the survey (in English or Spanish): Regional Health Assessment (colpachealth.org)
“Our community advisory councils believe that everyone’s voice is important, and participating in the story collection process is a good way to make your voice heard,” said Susan Prettyman, chair of Columbia Pacific’s Clatsop Community Advisory Council and a member of its Regional Community Advisory Council.
Columbia Pacific is working to ensure that voices from across the communities it serves are represented in the community feedback process. As it has in the past, Columbia Pacific will seek a high level of survey participation from communities that have historically been underrepresented in public discourse, including Indigenous peoples, people of color, Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members, English language learners, and OHP members who are functionally diverse.
Columbia Pacific has created a variety of ways for community members to get involved, including opportunities to:
- Share stories at in-person events: Visit Columbia Pacific on Facebook to find out where staff members will be collecting stories in the coming months: Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization | Portland OR | Facebook
- Submit stories online: Regional Health Assessment (colpachealth.org)
- Spread the word: Encourage at least five friends, family members and/or colleagues to share their stories (at the link above), and then ask them to do the same, and so on.
More than 1,900 community members provided feedback that informed Columbia Pacific’s current Regional Health Improvement Plan (spanning 2020-2024). In response to community feedback, Columbia Pacific has worked with community partners and invested millions to address the plan’s priority areas, which include access to affordable housing, trauma informed care and social services. Learn more about these initiatives: Regional Health Improvement Plan (colpachealth.org)
About the story collection process:
Columbia Pacific gathers primary data for its Regional Health Assessment by working with community members to design and administer a survey (a process called narrative story collection) that asks people about their experiences inside and outside the health care system. Community members are asked to share stories about their experiences accessing services, barriers they’ve face and factors affecting their health. Story collection, also used by the World Health Organization, is a technique that helps organizations ground their decision making in community wisdom and insight.
About Columbia Pacific CCO
Columbia Pacific CCO, part of the CareOregon family of companies, is proud to serve more than 38,000 Oregon Health Plan members living in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. As a nonprofit coordinated care organization (CCO), we provide physical, dental and mental health care through a growing network of health care providers. Our priorities are guided by our local board of directors, community advisory councils and clinical advisory panel, and are informed by extensive community engagement. Columbia Pacific is committed to promoting the health of all those in our region. We focus on increasing access to language services, offering treatment for those experiencing substance use disorders, and fostering connections that promote social health.
