Walk-up mammogram appointments available throughout the conference day via the Saint Alphonsus Mammogram Bus.

Ongoing wellness activity held in the Payette River Wellness Room throughout the conference day.

Andrea Williams is President of Oregon Food Bank. During her keynote, “Building Healthier, More Resilient Communities,” she explores how collaboration, belonging, and collective action build healthier, more resilient communities, drawing on the experience of the Ontario Community Food Center and the connections between food access, housing, healthcare, and community wellbeing.

Presented by Tammy Vogt, a certified Neuro-Relational Integration (NRI) coach. Drawing on the Hero’s Journey and the NRI model, this session explores how our nervous system responds to stress and offers practical tools for understanding emotional numbing, regulating the nervous system, and navigating hardship with resilience and hope.

Presented by Nickie Thornton and Amanda Sharkey of the 211info Outreach team. Attendees learn how 211info connects residents with resources and social services, with time to network, review agency records, and explore the data dashboard in a hands-on, collaborative session.

Presented by Cindy Lucht, TVCRN, a certified Darkness to Light (D2L) facilitator. This evidence-informed two-hour prevention training (Hour 1 in Session 1, Hour 2 in Session 2) empowers adults to recognize, prevent, and respond to child sexual abuse, moving participants from awareness to meaningful, everyday prevention action.

Presented by Christine Soza, LPN, founder of True North Awakening and Certified End-of-Life Doula. Explores how awareness of life’s finite nature can be one of our greatest teachers, reframing conversations about death as conversations about how to truly live.

Growing Together: A Community Art Project, led by Michael Paul (visual artist) and Eddie Melendrez (Community Organizer, Oregon Food Bank). Participants create art celebrating the community and imagining the future of the Oregon Food Bank’s new Ontario Community Food Center; artwork may become part of a larger installation displayed at the Food Center when it opens in 2027.

Presented by Yami Gonzalez & Belle Shepherd, OHA Innovator Agents. Overview of new federal H.R. 1 rules and their impact on Oregon Health Plan members, including work/activity requirements, more frequent eligibility renewals, coverage shifts for certain non-citizen groups, and reductions in federal Medicaid funding.

Panel discussion with Eastern Oregon Funders Forum (EOFF) members, who spent two days visiting Jordan Valley, Adrian, Vale, and Ontario. A fishbowl conversation on strengthening shared impact in Malheur County and growing philanthropic commitment to rural communities, focused on engagement and collaboration.

Presented by Becky Wolery, founder of Insight Counseling & Therapy and Insight Matters, Inc. Introduces ANCHOR, a six-component resilience framework uniting schools, healthcare, mental health, and community organizations around shared prevention goals, shifting from crisis intervention to prevention.

Presented by Evan Manger, Baker County Health Department. Overview of food safety and proper food-handling practices for private and public consumption, with practical strategies for safe preparation, storage, and serving, plus how to access a Food Handler permit.

Presented by Sara Crowell (EOCCO), Kathleen Brown (Eastern Oregon University), and David Starr & Emily York (Center M Connective). Hear from recent Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Catalyst Grant recipients about active Malheur County projects, lessons learned, and strategies for building partnerships for the next funding round in 2028.

Presented by Chris Blythe, Lifeways, with Madison Thomas, MSW. Covers key principles of trauma-informed organizations – safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment – and practical strategies to build trust and strengthen collaboration, with examples from healthcare, schools, and social services.

Presented by Emily Hurd & Lisa Ladendorff, Northeast Oregon Network (NEON). Looks at the logistics of creating inclusive spaces through group facilitation, covering stages of group development and real-world application to help build and lead community.

Liana Haywood, M.P.H., communications manager for the Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness at OHSU, presents a condensed screening of a new documentary on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) – the 100-Year Effect – showing how nutrition and environment before and during pregnancy shape health outcomes for generations to come, told through the experience of a rural Oregon community. Learn more at www.100yeareffect.com.

Presented by Lindsey McConnell-Soong, Regional Health Agent and Beegle Certified Poverty Coach. Examines the connection between communication style and social class, helping participants assess their own print vs. oral communication skills and consider evidence-based strategies for engaging people living in poverty.

Presented by Wasi Khan (Galaxux Inc.) and Amy Church (ODHS). Explores the Food Locker Pilot, providing secure smart lockers for 24/7 access to food and essential supplies with no appointment or waiting room, and discusses the Eastern Oregon rollout and how partners might bring lockers to their communities.

Presented by Lisa Dickard & Amber Dailey. Strong families thrive through meaningful relationships, support, and opportunities to learn and grow together. This session explores how playgroups, parent education, youth programs, and community partnerships strengthen family well-being, reduce isolation, and build resilience.

Presented by Rhonda Holtby, Ashlie Presley, Jenna Witzleben, and Suzanne Settle. Overview of the Burns Paiute Tribe’s Food Sovereignty Program, highlighting its community garden, educational programs, and efforts to strengthen local food systems, including community impact and future plans.

Presented by Jon Buckridge, Eastern Oregon Outreach Coordinator for YouthLine. This interactive workshop explores how authentic relationships, trusted adult connections, and youth leadership serve as protective factors for suicide prevention in rural communities, with practical strategies grounded in radical inclusion and collective care.

Presented by Alma Ponce, Cristina Hernandez, Maria Vargas, and Levi Anderson, OHA Office of Community Health and Engagement (OCHE). Showcases what certified OHP Assisters do, introduces the organizations involved, and highlights how additional organizations can join the team.

Presented by Kevin Purnell, Malheur ESD School Safety and Prevention Specialist. Explores how Malheur County Schools use the Salem-Keizer Cascade Behavioral Safety (Threat) Assessment (BSA) protocol, an evidence-based Level 1/Level 2 process addressing bias and equity to promote student and staff safety.

Wind Down with Chair Yoga: a gentle, restorative session combining mindful breathing, easy seated stretches, and relaxation techniques to ease tension and quiet the mind – no yoga experience or getting on the floor required.

Presented by T.J. Westphal, Veteran Outreach Specialist, and Shawna Sauer, Branch Manager. Overview of Family Resource Home Care’s home care and caregiver support services, with a focus on options available to veterans and resources that help individuals maintain independence at home.

Presented by Amy Church & Chris Black (ODHS) and Wasi Khan (Galaxux Inc.). The Community Resource Network (CRN) is a real-time community engagement platform connecting local resources to unmet needs. This session covers the launch of the Eastern Oregon CRN (EOCRN) in Union, Baker, and Wallowa Counties and lessons on strengthening rural community resilience.

Presented by Erica Trinidad-Teran and Janice Grengs, Mal ESD. Introduces services available through the Pyramid Model, Coordinated Care Resources and Referral, and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC), showing how these supports create inclusive environments and strengthen adult-child relationships.

Presented by Kailee Evans, CIT Coordinator since 2019. High Desert CIT, established in 2015, brings together law enforcement, first responders, mental health providers, healthcare, educators, and community resources to serve people experiencing crisis, with an overview and interactive examples of active listening and de-escalation.