Sites and Services
Where can I receive Healthy Start services?
Healthy Start of Southern Oregon partners with agencies across Douglas and Josephine Counties to ensure access for families in our communities.
Josephine County
Josephine County Public Health
Healthy Start services at Public Health are integrated with WIC services–but are available to all families, regardless of their participation with WIC. Our staff are trained Community Health Workers and can offer lactation support. Services are provided virtually at this time.
Kaitlen Esparza
Family Services Program Lead
Speaks English
Kaitlen has been working with the Healthy Start program for 2 years and is a certified Car Seat Safety Tech. Kaitlen’s favorite program is Promoting Maternal Mental Health and when she applied to this program she knew that she wanted to positively impact the families within her community outside of a health care setting. Her favorite way to start a workday is with a group huddle to share and check in with coworkers. Kaitlen enjoys the outdoors, camping and playing soccer in her free time.
Christine Shepherd
Family Services Program Manager
Speaks English
Christine has been working with the Healthy Start program for 4 years and is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant with a Masters in Dietetics. Christine worked with WIC for 18 years before she started her current position and her favorite part of this program is engaging with her clients. Her favorite way to start a workday is listening to audiobooks and drinking tea on her drive to the office. She cherishes moments of humor which make her day more enjoyable and reinforces human connection.
Kayana McCraw
Healthy Start Community Healthy Worker
Speaks English
Kayana has been working with the Healthy Start program for 2 years and is a certified Lactation Counselor. She enjoys supporting families on their breastfeeding and infant feeding journey. This is Kayana’s first experience working in the field of maternal and infant health, but she is passionate about serving the community and loves connecting with parents and babies as they grow together.
Siskiyou Community Health Center
Healthy Start services at SCHC are provided by trained home visitors. Home visits are currently being conducted virtually.
Los sevicios estan disponibles en espanol.
**Receive a referral to either Josephine County site through Women’s Health Center
Cindy Miller
Family Support Specialist
Speaks English
Cindy has been working with the Healthy Start program for 10 years and is certified in Maternal Mental Health, Adult Mental Health First Aid, FAN and IMHE. Cindy’s favorite part of the program is providing home visits to families and watching them grow. When she applied to this program Cindy was drawn to the opportunity to give back to a program that she had been enrolled in. She enjoys the great Oregon outdoors and for self care she prefers to listen to music, craft, garden and exercise.
Mandy Galbraith
Family Support Lead
Speaks English
Mandy has been working with the Healthy Start program for 3 years and is a certified Lactation Counselor in addition to holding certifications for IMHE, Early Childhood Education, Mental Health First Aid and FAN. Her favorite part of the program is providing home visits to families and breaking down barriers for service. Mandy worked for Healthy Families for 4 years prior to her current position and is very involved in community events. She enjoys starting her day by drinking coffee and reads for self care.
Jacque Doney
Siskiyou Community Health Center Outreach Director
Speaks English
Jacque is the Director of Siskiyou Community Health Center’s Outreach Program. She 30 years of experience providing home visits to families living in remote rural areas of Josephine County and she enjoys working with children of all ages. She has supported little league, FFA, and 4-H, and taught multiple cooking classes to youth. Jacque enjoys starting her workday with joy and kindness and looking for funny minutes; this combination makes for a great day.
Amanda Harris
Home Visitor
Speaks English
Amanda became part of the Healthy Start team on June 19th. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology Health Science and she was drawn to this program by the opportunity it provided to meet and interact with clients face to face outside of an office environment. Her favorite way to start the day is with coffee. For self care, Amanda loves taking her three dogs on a walk or finding new toys at Petco for her cats. She looks forward to building strong relationships with her families at Siskiyou in the future.
Douglas County
UCAN
Healthy Start services at UCAN are integrated with WIC services–but are available to all families, regardless of their participation with WIC. Our staff are trained Community Health Workers and Certified Lactation Counselors. Services are provided virtually at this time.
Los sevicios estan disponibles en español.
Judy Cheek
WIC & Healthy Start Program Manager
Speaks English & Spanish
Judy has been working with the Healthy Start program for 4 years and is a certified Lactation Educator and State Certified Community Health Worker. Judy enjoys supporting families with safety items and providing education on proper training. She has over 20 years experience in WIC and working with pregnant women and infants. Going from many years in a hospital, she likes being able to connect and interact with families on a more personal level. Judy feels very fortunate to live in a rural setting where she can garden, grow her own foods and spend time with family.
Wendy Osincup
CHW Case Coordinator
Speaks English
Wendy has been working with the Healthy Start program for 6 years and is a certified Lactation Counselor, Car Seat Safety Tech and State Certified Community Health Worker. Wendy’s favorite program is the Baby Bounty, which provides safety items for the community. She was originally drawn to this position by the ability to give back to programs that helped her when she was in need. She likes starting her day by checking in with coworkers and she enjoys helping out her fellow colleagues and community. For self care she prefers to color, garden and rock hound.
Catrina Miller
WIC Nutrition & Healthy Start CHW
Speaks English
Catrina has been working with the Healthy Start program for 4.5 years and is a certified Lactation Counselor, Car Seat Safety Tech and State Community Health Worker. Catrina’s favorite program is the Baby Bounty because she enjoys being able to get to know people and help them get items that may otherwise be unaffordable. When she applied to this program she was drawn to the opportunity to be involved with families for a longer amount of time. Catrina enjoys arriving at the office early so that she has extra time to settle in for the day.
Aviva Health
Healthy Start services are available for women who are receiving OB care at Aviva or for families who are receiving pediatric care for their newborns. Our staff are trained Community Health Workers and Certified Lactation Counselors. Services may be provided in person or virtually, following public health guidelines.
Los sevicios estan disponibles en espanol.
Koryssa Davis
Healthy Start Case Coordinator
Speaks English
Koryssa has been working with the Healthy Start program for 7 months and is a certified Lactation Counselor and Clinical Medical Assistant, in addition to being certified in Infant Massage. Koryssa was a medical assistant for 6 years in OB/GYN and enjoys learning about each client’s hopes, dreams and growth while providing Belly Castings. When she applied to this program she wanted to make a bigger difference in her community. Koryssa likes to start her day with a morning huddle and for self care she prefers to go on walks.
Tayah Burton
Healthy Start Case Coordinator
Tayah has been working with the Healthy Start program for 10 months and is certified in Infant Massage. This is her favorite service to provide as she loves helping family bond and gain confidence in themselves. Tayah worked as a pediatric medical assistant for 2 years prior to her current position. She has a passion for working to improve health outcomes for parents and infants, and advocating for families. Tayah has lived in Oregon her entire life and enjoys eating mexican food, thai food and sushi.
Natalie Jones
Deputy Chief Medical Officer
Speaks English
Natalie Jones, FNP, received her Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree through Umpqua Community College. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Oregon Health and Science University, her Master of Science in Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner through Frontier Nursing University, and is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Natalie has experience in Public Health, with a focus on Maternal and Child Health. She provides primary care to patients in the pediatric department at Aviva Health. Natalie enjoys working with children to provide an upstream approach in helping them attain lifelong health.
Healthy Start Spotlight
UCAN’s Healthy Start program — “Baby Bounty” — distributes infant safety items, educational materials, and supplies like diapers and wipes to families in Douglas County. To date, more than 250 families have received support with large items like car seats, baby gates, and safe sleep spaces. More than 50 cases of diapers and wipes have also gone out!
What kinds of services are provided?
Healthy Start services are always individualized to meet a person’s needs. Women enrolled in Healthy Start can expect to find support, education, and/or community referrals to address the following:
- Birth Plan/Childbirth Education
- Breastfeeding Information
- Counseling Support
- Medical and Dental Appointments/Insurance
- Family Planning
- Fatherhood Support
- Housing Assistance
- Nutrition Information
- Prenatal Care
- Postpartum Care
- STI Treatment/Prevention
- Substance Use/Abuse
- Well-Baby Care
- Women’s Health
To learn more about Healthy Start of Southern Oregon, or refer a client to the program, please contact Amy Thuren, Healthy Start Program Manager at (541) 690-7986.
