Who We Are
HCCSO’s successful track record of securing and managing federal and state grants, includes Rural Health Outreach, Federal Healthy Start, Oregon State Innovation Models, Oregon Health Authority Office of Equity and Inclusion, and Health Insurance Outreach and Enrollment Assistance.
As a Collective Impact organization, HCCSO acts as the collaborative backbone organization for Initiatives advancing health equity. Currently, HCCSO convenes the Southern Oregon Perinatal Task Forces and the Douglas and Josephine County Healthy Start program.
Our Mission
To improve health outcomes in the earliest years for families, with a focus on equitable services for all.
Our Vision
Maternal and infant health will be a priority focus for organizations in Southern Oregon and HCCSO will champion this through education, securing resources, and facilitating community collaborations.
Our Values
HCCSO’s values guide the way we work together and help shape the decisions we make.
Curiosity
fostering a culture of continuous learning and exploring
Creativity
cultivating innovative ideas to improve systems and knowledge
Diversity:
intentionally involving people from various backgrounds, identities, and cultures
Connection
building relationships with one another and partnerships between sectors
Service
bettering our community without expectation of reciprocity
Respect
honoring the integrity and dignity of individuals, community, and environment
“HCCSO holds at its core a deep desire and drive to address health disparities and improve health outcomes of vulnerable populations.”
– Alicia Beachy, Former Board Member
Key Strategic Priorities 2021-2024:
1. Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes in Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon is home to higher than average rates of infant mortality and consistently poorer health outcomes than much of the rest of the state. Healthy Start aims to reduce these disparities through direct service to families and collective action by convening the Perinatal Task Force.
2. Promote Cultural Responsiveness in Community-Based and Health Care Organizations
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are essential building blocks that need to be embedded into our organizations to ensure our programs are serving populations equitably. By working together with diverse voices to make decisions, those decisions will better represent our community as we address health inequities.
3. Engage in Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) work at the county and state levels to promote the link between Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and Health Care
The CHIP work helps drive the focus for community health. As a Health Care organization covering three counties, we will work to be the voice for rural health at the state level, advocating for health equity.
Annual Message from the Director
While our Southern Oregon community has so much to offer in terms of natural resources and community involvement, there’s still a great deal to accomplish when it comes to health disparities among populations in our region. Through the Health Care Coalition of Southern Oregon, we are working to bridge gaps between local programs by expanding our work through training, research, data distribution, collaboration, and grant management. When our local organizations link resources and band together, we are able to trace social and health issues to the source, and make a difference through collective impact.
Looking to the future of HCCSO and Southern Oregon, I believe it’s essential that we remember the work of health equity doesn’t have borders. We are ready to move ahead as a region and a state, and be a part of Oregon’s bigger picture as it relates to improving public health outcomes. We will continue to uplift, connect, and support the programs that bring so much value to our communities in the years ahead. Together, we can lead change for the better.
– Amy Thuren, Executive Director
