Cottage Grove, ORE. – Starfire Lumber Co., in Cottage Grove, has partnered with the Cottage Grove Community Medical Center Foundation to start the Community Health Fund, helping to ensure healthcare access and accessibility in South Lane County. The impact of the Community Health Fund includes:
- Supporting nursing caregivers and providers in sharing their expertise at community wellness fairs and events.
- Working with local schools to support healthcare profession workforce pipeline efforts.
- Ensuring our community health worker and partners have the access to making small investments to the vulnerable in our community, preventing future hospitalization or disability.
“There’s a spectrum of reasons we think it’s important to get this fund going,” said Sean Smith, CEO of Starfire Lumber Co. “Cottage Grove is a town large enough to need a broad range of medical capabilities, but also one that needs the resources necessary to offer services to people in all different circumstances. Anything we can contribute to make Cottage Grove more livable benefits all.”
Starfire Lumber Co. has been a longstanding supportive pillar of the Cottage Grove Community for 41 years. “Promoting a healthier community is a win-win proposition for any local business,” said Rob Thomas, CFO of Starfire Lumber Co. when commenting on the reason of starting the Community Health Fund.
Smith, CEO of Starfire Lumber Co., added, “The more amenities we have locally that make people feel more secure and less isolated, the better luck we’ll have recruiting quality people to come work for us. Families and households with young children or medically vulnerable members have a deep need to know healthcare is close by and accessible. This isn’t a logging or mining camp, it’s a town with families! We have to do our part to make sure it’s family-friendly to maintain a local workforce and, ultimately, a healthy local economy.”
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a non-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, more than 3,000 providers, more than 160 clinics and 9 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
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