This article was originally published in The Central Oregonian, Prineville, Ore., on Tuesday, July 1, 2008.

It is not often that you get to see the beginnings of change, and know that is exactly what you are looking at. But that is just what happened to me one day in mid-June. I was privileged to ride along with our Pioneer Memorial Hospital ’s CHIP (Community Health Improvement Partnership) coordinator, Sharon Vail as she took me to see two of the new steps in realizing community dreams.

Our first stop was at the Prineville Boys and Girls Club. The school year had ended, but about 50 children filled the playground at Crooked River  Elementary School with laughter and activity. These girls and boys are taking part in the fluoride rinse program initiated by the CHIP Dental committee.  Counselor Leonardo Gonzales blew his whistle, and the club gathered to show me their rinse technique. 

In the photo I’ve enclosed, you will see the pink lips and fingers on camper Bailey Brown as Gonzales fills her sample cup with fluoride rinse. The pink is from the pink disclosing tablets Club members chew to help them spot places they may have missed when brushing their teeth.

“The chance to partner with the CHIP program is a great opportunity for the Boys & Girls Club in Prineville,” states branch director Carol Parker. “Our Club members are getting a head start this summer on building stronger teeth and learning skills that will help them keep their teeth healthier for a lifetime. In a community where dentists are always busy, prevention is one way to relieve the pressure on these valuable health care providers.”

“Dentist Tony Ramos of Ochoco Family Dental has made it possible for the CHIP committee to purchase the rinse at a greatly reduced cost, with Pioneer Memorial Hospital donating the medicine cups used by the children,” states Vail.  “Dr. Ramos has donated the tablets, and his office manager Julie Nicholson has acted as the committee’s oral health coordinator, putting together our fluoride program and donating a lot of her time.  They both have really given us tremendous support,”

Along with Nicholson, dental committee members also include Dean Noyes, Trevor Douglass, Jennifer Chaney, Carol Parker, Terry Rich, Jill Rowe, Virginia Sandau, Alice Torgerson and new dentist Dr. Gary Dehm.

Other programs on the horizon springing from the CHIP dental committee include the first-ever rural rotation in our community of OHSU dental students, with Dr. Ramos acting as preceptor. The fluoride program will widen to include Crook County elementary school students enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade, plus Head Start participants. Look for community oral health education activities at the library and other venues later this year.  

Vail is in Kansas City , Mo. , presenting information about Prineville’s CHIP project at the Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Conference, in tandem with CHIP coordinator from Lebanon Community Hospital , Nancy Kirks, and Cassie Clark, OHSU rural health program coordinator.

Our next stop was at Perfect 4 U, where the CHIP mental health committee had arranged the purchase at cost of a new dishwasher for the Turning Point clubhouse. Co-Owner Samantha Kline demonstrated the features of the new machine to Shellie Hogue, Turning Point club member, other club members and mental health committee members Ray Cuellar, Terri Andreasen and Jane Aggers, committee chair. The dishwasher is destined to replace the defunct one in the Turning Point kitchen.  The new machine is an energy efficient portable Maytag with three sprayer arms, a sanitizing rinse capability and a food grinder so dishes do not have to be washed before they are placed in the washer. The model is one which may also be permanently installed under a cabinet.

“We really appreciate the dishwasher,” states Hogue.

Other new beginnings planned by the mental health committee include a de-escalation training in October, “How to Deal with People in Crisis,” for healthcare professionals and the business community. These sessions will be led by Accountable Behavioral Health Alliance (ABHA) trainers.

The first event put together by the CHIP prevention committee was the teen health fair at Crook County High School , held in February. The Healthy Lifestyles committee is planning to hold a Community Health Fest in September in conjunction with the Framer’s Market.

More than twenty community members donate time and energies towards these new community efforts aimed at improving our health.  If you would like more information about their activities, or would like to become involved in a project, contact Sharon Vail at 541-447-6254, ext. 380, or e-mail her at svail@cascadehealthcare.org.