2020 AwardsLifetime Achievement: Katherine Bradley, PhD Katherine was an administrator for the Oregon Public Health Division. She was responsible for the suite of programs of critical importance to families and local health departments - e.g. family planning, immunizations, WIC, Maternal Child, home visiting, etc. She was respected and valued by local health departments, state staff, and state leadership. This was a time of expanded access to reproductive services and home visiting. She lead the effort to do well with the maternal child health block grant and vaccine shortages. After leaving OHA and joining the OHSU faculty Katherine Bradley became an associate professor in the School of Public Health and a clinical associate professor in the OHSU School of Nursing, She is faculty in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program and the lead evaluator for the Interprofessional Care Access Network program. For the past several years, she has served as the School of Public Health’s interim associate dean for practice, She had key responsibility for accreditation, establishing the framework for community practice, workforce development, and expanding the school’s portfolio of internships and field experiences. She has been a hard and devoted worker for OPHA. She has been on the OPHA board and most of the working committees. This included particular stellar work enthusing the development committee. She has been an engaged member of the Nursing Section and helping the section succeed,. Her commitment to OPHA is exampled by her current position on the nominations committee. She has been a great example for all of us on how to commit to principles of collaboration, attention to the public's health, and doing the organizational work to make everything actually succeed. Katherine Bradley has been both teacher and mentor to me for over 7 years. As a teacher in my MPH program, her Program Evaluation class inspired my evaluation of my NP practice and our use of “One Key Question”. The presentation of that project opened doors I never dreamed of, both presenting at OPHA’s state conference for the first time and convincing the OHSU School of Nursing that I would be a good addition to their faculty. On arriving at OHSU, I learned that Katherine was the lead evaluation researcher in the I-CAN project, a project that was destined to be the focus of my clinical teaching and doctoral research. I-CAN is an innovative clinical teaching/practice project that has drawn together faculty and students from across the OHSU campus to actively address the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) in some of Portland’s most vulnerable communities. At the same time, it teaches students about SDH and the very real barriers faced by the people they have previously only seen in a clinical setting. Katherine’s research, publications, and devotion to this project have made it possible and seen it get both national and international attention and praise. Her work helped put OHSU School of Nursing in Robert Woods Johnson Foundation’s “NURSING EDUCATION AND THE PATH TO POPULATION HEALTH IMPROVEMENT” as one of their final 6 exemplars of teaching population health. Katherine is an example of what a lifetime of dedication to public health and nursing can be – making a difference from the individual to the entire population. What has made the most impact for me working with Katherine was her insight to gather all the home visiting programs in Oregon and create the steering committee that began new conversations about maternal child health care. I think that helped LPHA's be ready for conversations about Early Learning HUBS. As a member of the Early Learning Council, she was incredibly supportive helping support me in that new role. I worked with Katherine Bradly when she was a Section Manager for Maternal and Child Heath, Oregon Health Division. Katherine is an inspirational, forward thinking, compassionate leader. She builds a strong team and supports them. We were always encouraged to do grant writing. She brought millions of dollars of new funding to Maternal and Child Health. She is exceptional at building partnerships and jointly meeting strategic goals for all involved. It was a pleasure working with Katherine. My impression was that when confronted with an issue, she was very thoughtful, giving creative suggestions, and was supportive to try new ideas. I always found her helpful. She was able to see the big picture, the broader aspect of issues, things I hadn't considered. She was also adaptable, able to change when needed. The other thing I liked about Katherine was that she always seemed to have a positive attitude. She would see the plus side. Katherine led people when public health emergency responses were needed. She supported the Public Health Emergency Preparedness mission by integrating her staff with the plans and operations in the Agency Operations Center. There were responses for pandemic H1N1, winter storms and floods, and wildfires. Katherine was always so supportive and thoughtful when working with our county as a State partner or while at OHSU. We are very lucky she came to Oregon and made a difference. Katherine Bradley is one of Oregon's public health treasures. As an association professor at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, she is inspiring a new generation of leaders to strive for excellence. As a public health official at the state, she led the programs that touched a generation of Oregonians and improved their health outcomes. Katherine embodies the highest standards of integrity, wisdom and empathy. But I like her because she is fun as hell! Katherine Bradley is a visionary and a mentor. At the Oregon Health Authority she improved the lives of women, children and staff. At OHSU she inspired and mentored future nurses. At OPHA she helped make all ships float. I remember feeling like I was being listened to and that she was very approachable. She took me seriously. Katherine was the manager and mentor who opened the door for me to grow in State government. She hired me as a Lean leader for the Transformation Initiative, and protected and empowered my growth. I learned what a keen mind she has, her ability to teach and make you feel safe in learning. She makes you feel like a partner who she is interested in hearing, while making you feel like you have a supervisor who is behind you. I got to watch her in action as a leader, and see how she navigated all kinds of situations. Best of all is her laugh and smile that can light up a room. I am so thankful for her leadership, mentor ship and empowerment. I still channel the lessons learned from and with her. State public health is lucky to have her leading from whichever chair she occupies. Her passion and protection for individuals and communities is evident in all her efforts. In my capacity as State Public Health Deputy Director, I had the privilege of working with Katherine Bradley PhD, for over 5 years at the State Public Health Division. During that time, Katherine brought exceptional leadership, knowledge and genuine support for the programs within the Family Health Section of the Division. Under her outstanding leadership, state financial support in the areas of Children and Maternal Health, Babies First!, Family Planning, School Based Health Centers, and Immunizations thrived. Under Katherine’s leadership, when budget constraints called for programmatic reductions, legislative support always backfilled most of the reductions, recognizing how vital these programs are. As a member of the Division’s leadership team, Katherine was an exceptionally focused team member in meeting organizational challenges, legislative strategies; working with County partners (CLHO) and always thrived to move the public health programs forward for Oregon. At the time when the Oregon Health Authority undertook a massive organizational challenge and needed leaders to coordinate, coach and facilitate internal implementation of Lean principles, Katherine was the first Division administrator to volunteer. Fully trained in emergency preparedness, she immediately served in the capacity of Command staff during the H1N1 at the Division’s State Emergency Operations Center.There are many more examples I could express of Katherine’s professionalism and dedication to public health, and I know that many of her colleagues and staff will share this same admiration! \ Katharine has demonstrated a lifetime of commitment to nursing, public health nursing and public health. As the Administrator for Oregon Maternal & Child Health program, she supported funding and collaboration with local health departments to create a system of MCH public health services across the state. She was active in the national MCH Title V directors association to ensure ongoing federal funding for MCH services. As a member of the OHSU nursing faculty she taught and inspired the new public health nurse leaders. Her most recent position and work was focused on collaborative work with OHSU and PSU for establishing MPH program at the universities. Katharine has been a collaborative thinker and doer across national, state, local and academic institutions. She has been an active member of OPHA and OPHA Board of Directors including leading efforts to solicit sponsorships and support for the annual conference. I was fortunate to serve with Katherine when she and I headed up two of Oregon Public Health’s divisions. She and I were 2/3s of a 3-part team participating in the National Public Health Leadership Institute. I knew her well — as a peer, a teammate, a colleague and a friend. Katherine brought an incredible wealth of scholarship to the practical application of public health initiatives that benefited the people of Oregon — and that will continue to do so for years in the future. Her common sense, her commitment to data-driven policy development, and her insistence on examining and addressing health inequities are what always stayed with me. She knew that improving the health opportunities and outcomes for the most vulnerable in Oregon was the surest and most ethical way to achieve and protect the health of all Oregonians. I strongly endorse Dr. Katherine Bradley to receive OPHA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Katherine Bradley worked for 8 eight years (2004-2012) as the Administrator for the Office of Family Health in the Public Health Division, Oregon Health Authority. She provided public health leadership and direction the programs and services provided by these sections: Women’s and Reproductive Health, Nutrition and Health Screening (WIC), Immunizations, Adolescent Health and Genetics, Maternal and Child Health Programs that encompass Perinatal, Child and Oral Health, and other State and Federal programs aimed at improving the health of children and families. Over her tenure, programs under the Office of Family Health expanded, new grants were secured, new data systems were developed, epidemiology and evaluation capacity were enhanced, and partnerships were strengthened. She was a tireless advocate for improving the health of women, children, youth and families across Oregon and nationally. Katherine served on the Board of Directors for the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP), which is a national resource and partner for state public health leaders and others working to improve the health of women, children, youth and families, including those with special health care needs.
It was a gift to have the opportunity to work for her. She has a passion for public health and is a dedicated and talented leader that influenced my life and others. Katherine was a mentor to several individuals, guiding them thru education pursuits and public health careers. With her support and guidance, I went back to school and received a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Management and Policy. I would never be where I am today, working in public health for over 15 years, without her direction. I consider her a friend, and she will always be an inspiration to me. Katherine is a great nominee for the OPHA lifetime award. She has been dedicated to bringing forward population health issues throughout her career at OHSU School of Nursing and uses her knowledge of systems and population health to make differences in the School of Nursing curriculum and in bringing these perspectives forward. Policy Champion: The Oregon State University Tobacco Policy Team, Marion Cerason This nomination recognizes the OSU tobacco policy team - with leadership from Ms. Ceraso, Dr. Braverman, Dr. Viggiani and Ms. Haubenreiser – for their work to research, craft, and advocate for a comprehensive,100% tobacco-free policy for the OSU system. The OSU Tobacco Policy Team is comprised of the following individuals:
Land grant institutions like Oregon State University have a central role to play in creating healthier, more equitable environments through evidence-based, comprehensive tobacco-control policies. College-age young adults, people of color, rural communities, and LGBT individuals are among those who have all been targeted by the tobacco industry and suffered a heavy burden from tobacco, which is the number one cause of preventable death. This nomination recognizes the OSU tobacco policy team - with leadership from Ms. Ceraso, Dr. Braverman, Dr. Viggiani and Ms. Haubenreiser – for their work to research, craft, and advocate for a comprehensive,100% tobacco-free policy for the OSU system. In October of 2019, this policy replaced the weaker, more limited policy that had been in effect since 2012. The new policy covered all tobacco products (including smokeless tobacco) and extended the policy to all OSU-owned and controlled locations across Oregon, including the Corvallis campus, the OSU-Cascades campus in Bend, OSU county Extension offices, agricultural research branch experiment stations, the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, and OSU’s Portland facilities. Comprehensive tobacco-free policies can improve health and health equity by reducing tobacco use and exposure and changing social norms around tobacco use. By successfully expanding OSU’s policy, in particular to cover all locations and their respective communities of students, employees, visitors, and program participants, the OSU tobacco policy team broadened protections to a larger, more diverse population. Advancing policy change takes time, resources, partners and persistence. In order to move this initiative forward, Ms. Ceraso and Dr. Braverman applied in February 2017 for a grant from the American Cancer Society’s Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative. The proposal was funded and the project launched in fall 2017. Further, Ms. Ceraso and Dr. Braverman convened and led the OSU Tobacco Policy Task Force, which included the Benton County Health Department and representatives from the following OSU units: Student Health Services, Office of Human Resources, University Housing and Dining, Office of Student Life, INTO OSU (serving international students), International Services, Corvallis Community Relations, Campus Safety, Associated Students of OSU, and OSU Athletics. It was through the advice, hard work and insights of the Task Force that a strengthened policy was forged, and a range of policy implementation issues tackled, including communication, enforcement, evaluation and data gathering, and cessation support for current tobacco users. Evidence is also needed for strong policy! Dr. Braverman, Ms. Ceraso, and the team’s student researchers conducted several kinds of evaluation research activities. Foremost among these was an online campus survey that went to all OSU-Corvallis students, faculty, and staff in fall 2018. The survey received responses from 25% of all students (N=5,912) and 40% of all faculty and staff (N=2,096). One of the major findings was that there is strong support for making the university 100% tobacco-free, which was supported by 63% of all students and 68% of all faculty and staff. The grant team prepared a comprehensive report of the survey findings that was shared with the Office of the President and other OSU administrators, as well as an executive summary that was shared widely with students, employees, administrators, and outside stakeholders. The grant team (Ms. Ceraso, Dr. Braverman, and student research assistants) reached out to the OSU community to offer a series of policy-related communication activities and informational events to raise awareness, including an open policy forum for faculty, staff and students in March 2018, a vaping information session for OSU students in November 2019, Instagram social media outreach, and promotional events on campus. Dr. Braverman and Ms. Ceraso also engaged with local media at OSU and in the Willamette Valley. Student members of the policy team also reached out to their peers in student cultural centers at OSU as the policy was being developed to incorporate the diverse opinions and perspectives of students across a range of cultural backgrounds. Finally, good follow-up and assurance is essential to successful policy implementation. In the time since the policy went into effect in October 2019, Dr. Viggiani has led a working group, appointed by the Provost’s Office and including many members of this tobacco policy team, which has planned the implementation and roll-out of the new tobacco policy. These activities are centered on ensuring that the policy protections fully reach all of the OSU system’s diverse locations and populations. Signage, a website, professionally produced videos to be posted online and displayed in high-traffic spots, an enforcement plan that focuses on education rather than punitive measures, and informational materials for Extension county offices have all been developed Emerging Leader Award: Allison E. Myers, PhD, MPH I am delighted to nominate Allison E. Myers, PhD, MPH, for the Emerging Leader Award. Allison is a member of the Oregon Public Health Association (OPHA) and is currently the Director of the Oregon State University (OSU) Center for Health Innovation in the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences (CPHHS). Because of her exceptional leadership to improve public health; strong commitment to a career as a public health professional; her dedication to improving the lives and health status of disadvantaged populations; and the innovation and creativity she has demonstrated at the beginning of her public health career, I believe that she is most deserving of this award. Allison moved to Oregon in 2018 making a daring shift when she left her family in North Carolina to join the CPHHS at OSU. The public health opportunities and challenges that OSU and Oregon offered Allison attracted her to Corvallis. She was eager to contribute to Oregon’s transition to value-based care in the Oregon Health Plan, the Public Health Modernization policy, and the mission-driven CPHHS with Family and Community Health (FCH) Extension programming in all 36 counties. Below I provide examples of Allison’s leadership, innovation, and creativity in the beginning of her Oregon-focused public health career. Leadership. Oregon’s Statewide Health Improvement Plan for 2020-2024 includes a priority to promote mental health and prevent substance use disorders. Approaching mental health issues with a community-engaged, upstream lens is also a priority for the CPHHS. In partnership with FCH Extension colleagues, Allison and her team designed the Coast to Forest Program and secured two sources of federal funding to serve the state. First, the Rural Health and Safety Education grant ($288,991) from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture began in Fall 2019 and is focused on local programming in Union, Baker, Tillamook, and Lincoln counties. Second, the Rural Opioid Technical Assistance grant ($1,100,000) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will be implemented August 31, 2020, be fully online, and serve the state. Importantly, elements of the Coast to Forest program are responsive to local- and state-level needs and informed by strong community partnerships. Allison also demonstrates leadership through her dedicated mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students in the CPHHS. Since joining OSU, Allison serves as a mentor in CATALYST, a college-wide mentorship program “designed to foster relationships between students and public health professionals and to provide opportunities for self-exploration and development of leadership and professional readiness skills.” In Fall 2019 she volunteered to teach a section of H399 Imperfect and Thriving, a course to support transfer students during their transition into the College. Within the OSU School of Public Policy, Allison serves as a public health subject matter expert for the Presidential Student Legislative Advocates program. Finally, she is participating in the OSU Honors College, serving as a thesis advisor and co-instructor for an experiential colloquium course on public health policymaking. Innovation Allison collaborated with teams to conceptualize, fund, and implement novel public health projects. One example is Linn Wellness in Neighborhood Stores (Linn WINS), a partnership with Linn County Public Health and Linn-Benton-Lincoln Regional Health Assessment Team. The goal of the project is to promote food access and security for members of the Intercommunity Health Network Coordinated Care Organization. The team is developing a standardized food-focused store assessment tool for use by community groups, in partnership with owners and managers of stores, to make concrete store-based changes. A second example is a partnership among the OSU Outdoor Recreation Economy Initiative, the CPHHS, and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). The goal of this Healthy Longevity partnership is to ensure that the health benefits of outdoor recreation are accessible to everyone, and to create a workforce development curriculum for outdoor recreation employees. Creativity Before she arrived at OSU, Allison co-founded and led a non-profit organization in North Carolina. She now focuses her entrepreneurial, creative spirit on building the OSU Center for Health Innovation. For example, charged with “thought leadership activities” in her role as director, Allison has elevated the voices of others through sponsorships. She has dedicated scarce resources to bring voice to the science on vaccine hesitancy, to integrate mental health with intellectual and developmental disability care for children at a statewide conference, and to bring visibility to the successes of the Community Doula program. She is nimble and acts quickly to address emerging public health needs. In Spring 2020 as the OSU TRACE-COVID-19 project was being launched, Allison established a Call Center in a matter of days to respond to community inquiries and needs of study participants. Voluntary Involvement in Public Health Service. Outside of her work at OSU, Allison volunteers for the Oregon Public Health Association, serving as the Healthy Environments Section Representative on the OPHA Board of Directors and as Chair of the Development Committee. She is also Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Shangri-La Oregon, a 501c3 non-profit human services organization dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities and families with disadvantages recognize and achieve their potential. Lastly, Allison volunteers at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice and is eager to serve patients and families after the resolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. In summary, for the reasons outlined above I am pleased to nominate Allison E. Myers, PhD, MPH, for the OPHA Emerging Leader Award. She is a rising star in the public health field and will continue to make significant contributions to the profession. Her efforts and achievements will help to build the nation’s capacity for innovation, leadership, and action to address the broad range of factors affecting the health of the public. In my considered opinion, you could not find a more qualified person for this award. Champion for Healthy Environments Award: Mike McNickle, Clatsop County Health Department
Outstanding Student Poster Awards: Maddie Dirren, Jenny Leon-Perez. See Virtual Poster Here. Thomas Packebush. See Virtual Poster Here. |
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