Health organizations take closer look at hidden impacts of COVID-19

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — As Southern Oregon begins to move into phase two, some of the risks are just being realized for diverse communities in the state.

“Those inequities exist in health care it may not be as obvious it may not be as violent but they’re just as prevalent,” La Clinica CEO, Brenda Johnson said.

While America has been at home waiting out this pandemic, COVID-19 has reportedly been disproportionately affecting low-income communities and people of color. But, it didn’t just start when the pandemic began.

“Everywhere we look we see instances where poverty and various social situations go hand in hand with certain public health risks,” Jackson County Public Health, Dr. Jim Shames said.

A New York Times article in May found Oregon is one of many states where the Latinx population has shown a higher level of impact from the virus. La Clinica CEO, Brenda Johnson said that rings true in southern Oregon.

“Disease and injury are higher for black and indigenous people of color and in communities,” she said. “When we see the data, not just in Jackson county, but across the country about how COVID is disproportionately impacting people of color we have to ask the question of its cause.”

Dr. Shames said Jackson County Public Health has also seen these disparities and are working to address it. Especially as farms begin to harvest.

“We can be prepared as those workers come into our communities we can be prepared to provide testing and surveillance and guidance to minimize the risk to them,” Shames said.

After years at La Clinica, Johnson is taking an extra step to help clients. She’s working on the state health policy board to create change, hoping to address some of the systemic issues creating the problems in the first place. Johnson also said the beginning of fixing some of these disparities both in the healthcare system and our communities starts with you.

“It’s simply recognizing that we’ve got individual belief systems and in those belief systems they are what create the conversations that we have around our dinner tables,” she said. “At the individual level, how do we learn more so we can do better?”

There are options for healthcare here in southern Oregon for those who need it most. Along with La Clinica, there are coordinated care organizations like All Care Health’ who work to bring health care to diverse communities in the area.