March Newsletter
Events, Announcements, and Opportunities

As an OPHA Member, you receive monthly newsletters with events and opportunities happening around Oregon. Sign up to become a member today.

Honor and Celebrate

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month celebrates the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in every aspect of life, from education to employment to civic engagement. The 2025 theme, “We’re Here All Year,” emphasizes that community, accessibility, and opportunities for people with developmental disabilities should be recognized and championed every day, and not just in March.  

People with disabilities have been instrumental in advancing public health, advocating for accessibility, equity, and systemic change. Leaders like Judith Heumann, Alice Wong, and Paul Longmore have challenged barriers, influenced policy, and amplified the voices of disabled individuals. Their work continues to inspire a more inclusive and equitable public health system that serves everyone.

Learn, engage, and get connected:

• Learn about the History of Oregon's Disability Movement
• See the Oregon DHS programs and services for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
• Check out the OHSU Office on Disability and Health promotion programs
• Get involved with the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities
• Get connected to the Central Oregon Disability Support Network
• Volunteer for and donate to programs like Magic Wheelchair and Special Olympics Oregon
• Join the Learning Disabilities Association of Oregon
  
  

Women's History Month is a celebration of the strength, resilience, and impact of women throughout history. The Oregon Public Health Association honors the visionaries, changemakers, and leaders who have challenged barriers, driven progress, and shaped a better future for all. 

Women have played a pivotal role in advancing public health. Trailblazers like Dr. Virginia Apgar developed the Apgar Score to assess newborn health, and psychologist Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark led research on child development and racial trauma and gave testimony in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which helped to ending school segregation in the US. Today, leaders like Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, advocate for social justice and health equity, shaping more equitable communities through research, policy, and collective healing.

Honor women today and every day:

• Learn about women’s history 
  
  • The History of Influential Women in Oregon
  • The Evolution of Women’s Rights in Oregon 
  • Nevertheless, they Persisted: Women’s Voting Rights and the 19th Amendment
  • Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Discoverability Lab
  • National Women's History Museum
• Shop at women-owned businesses
  • Online Women Owned Business Directory 
  • Women owned businesses in Lincoln City
  • Women owned companies in PDX
• Read literature and watch films and documentaries about women who changed the world.
  
  

Announcements 

• Check your inbox for the OPHA Member Survey early next week! This survey will help us understand your experiences, needs, and priorities so we can strengthen our programs, resources, and community. Stay tuned for a special event where we’ll review the data together, share experiences, and learn about a resource we can all use for the path ahead.
  
  
• Join the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee! We’ll begin recruitment for the OPHA DEI Committee next week. Previously open to board members, the OPHA DEI Committee will soon be accepting applications from board members and members alike! If you’re committed to antiracism, health equity, and social justice, and would like to guide OPHA into the future, we hope to see your application.
  
  
• Join us in welcoming Heather Daniel as OPHA's Program Associate! Heather holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Design with a minor in Art History from the University of Oregon. Heather has a diverse professional background, including teaching English both internationally and in Portland, as well as roles in marketing and communications. As a small business owner, she specializes in graphic design, website creation, company branding, photography, and custom artwork. Heather is passionate about social justice and integrating the arts and creativity into education and everyday life. She loves traveling, going to concerts, spending time with family and friends, and savoring exceptional coffee.
  
  
• Thank you to Dana Merrill, OPHA Program Assistant, for all of her incredible work as OPHA’s Program Assistant! From supporting our sections and committees to managing the countless details of conference planning and logistics, Dana has kept everything running smoothly. Her enthusiasm, dedication, and unexpected love for all things IT (even when she didn’t sign up for it!) have made a lasting impact. While we will miss her greatly, we are excited for her as she steps into this next chapter, dedicating more time to her family and her new baby. Thank you, Dana, for everything - you’ll always be part of the OPHA family! 

Special OPHA Events

OPHA is hosting two upcoming events with our partners, the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and the Oregon Rural-based Practice Research Network (ORPRN).  See flyers for these events attached to this newsletter. Please share!

• Join us during National Public Health Week for Launching Your Public Health Career: OPHA Helps Students Thrive on Wednesday, April 9 from 12-1 pm, presented in partnership with the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. Learn how OPHA connect students and early-career professionals with resources, opportunities, and a supportive community to help career growth and success. Register today for this free event!
  
  
• Join us this Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22, 12-1:30 pm,for Surviving the Heat: Healthcare Providers Unite presented in partnership with the Oregon Rural-based Practice Research Network. This is town hall for ALL health providers, including doctors, nurses, public health professionals, community health workers, social workers, and many more. Learn how to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion/stroke, strategies for prevention education, and get connected to resources. Be part of a movement to address the growing impacts of extreme heat - your knowledge and actions can save lives. Earn 1.25 CME credits for this free event.

Resouces and Publications

• The American Public Health Association (APHA) continues to organize and be a guiding light for us at the national level through the gathering and sharing of information and resources, and for their relentless advocacy in advancing health equity, shaping policy, and strengthening the public health workforce. See their latest resources: 
• • The Public Health Newswire keeps you updated and current.
  • APHA in the News shows the voice of public health in the media. 
  • For Our Health is a new initiative that provides a unified voice defending evidence-based health initiatives and safeguarding critical public health protections.
  • The Public Health Under Threat webpage highlights current threats to public health, how APHA is taking action, and gives resources so you can take action too
  • Learn about APHA’s advocacy efforts and get engaged. 
• A Quick Guide to Public Health Misinformation from the Public Health Communications Collaborative helps public health communicators respond quickly and effectively to false narratives.

• See the articles, Why You Need to Stop Using These Words and Phrases and Ableism/Language, to learn more about and understand disability and practice accessibility. 

• The Accessibility Checker is a free tool to analyze the accessibility of websites.

• In the blogpost, The Cost of Efficiency, epidemiologist, Katelyn Jetelina, MPH, PhD, discusses how efficiency is more than just balancing the budget - and that investing in public health is a worthwhile endeavor. 

• The Public Health Foundation has a free, downloadable, resource guide, the Retention and Recruitment Toolkit, which shares practical resources and strategies to support public health retention and recruitment.

Webinars and Podcasts

• Navigating the Vaccine Debate: Science, Misinformation and Policy, April 1 from 4-5:30 pm. 

• Complying in Advance: Understanding Risks and Opportunities for Health Equity Work in a Time of Uncertainty from Health Begins. Learn the facts about current policy threats to health equity and social needs to help your organization respond in this moment.

• Staying Focused on Advancing DEI is a new podcast episode that explores educating people on what DEI is – and isn’t – and how to navigate threats to health equity.

• Transpositive PDX  on KBOO is an audio series highlighting activism within the Transgender, Two Spirit, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming community. Underrepresented voices like BIPOC and Homeless Youth, are highlighted, as well as arts and cultural events.

• Rising Temperatures, Rising Risks: Safeguarding Children’s Health, April 10 at 12 pm.  This webinar from Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment (MACCHE), addresses the physiological, environmental, and social factors that increase children's vulnerability to heat-related illnesses. 

• Redlining and Whiteness: Colors of Racism AJPH podcast episode discusses the often-overlooked role of whiteness as a determinant of health. 

• Rural Health, the latest episode of the podcast, Health Wanted with Laurel Bristow, MSc, focuses on rural communities and the significant health challenges they face due to inaccessible health care, economic instability, and occupational hazards.

Events and Trainings

• 2025 Youth Prevention Institute, April 8–9 in Redmond. This event will equip professional with knowledge and skills to cultivate connection and health-promoting relationships with youth as protective factors across systems of influence. 
  
  
• Beyond the Facade: Addressing Pseudo-Allyship and the Legacy of White Feminism in Nonprofit Leadership, April 9 from 9-10:30 am,  is an engaging panel discussion exploring pseudo-allyship, white feminism's historical impact on nonprofit leadership, and how these dynamics shape trust and authentic allyship within organizations. 
  
  
• International Workers’ Day, May Day March,  May 1 at 12 pm. The march begins in Salem at the Capitol Steps to stand in solidarity for workers’ rights and against mass deportations.
  
  
• The Public Health Management Certificate,  August 18, 2025 – July 31, 2026, is a year-long program is designed for public health professionals who manage teams or programs or are ready to step into a management role. Early bird deadline is April 11.

Stronger Together

Invite your friends and colleagues to be part of OPHA!

OPHA creates community and connection for public health professionals across Oregon. Members enjoy a discount on their conference registration - one of the many reasons to join OPHA today. 

Our members include nearly 600 public health professionals, providers, students, advocates, and leaders from across Oregon. By joining OPHA, every individual and organization helps strengthen the movement to improve health outcomes and promote access to healthcare services for all. 

Invest in Public Health

Your donation helps us defend public health, advocate for policies that protect communities, and ensure that everyone in Oregon has the opportunity to live a healthy life. Together, we can safeguard the future of public health and create lasting, positive change.

Have an announcement, event, or opportunity to share with Oregon’s public health community? Send submissions for our newsletter to Dana Merrill at [email protected]

Brought to you in partnership with the Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials.