Dear employer,


The health and safety of our community is our highest priority as we plan and manage the ongoing developments surrounding COVID-19. As circumstances evolve, it is vital that employers in our community are healthy and feel supported through this unprecedented time.

Currently there are no plans to close or limit hours of operation for our Grants Pass and Medford Occupational Health locations. After-hour drug screen services also are not affected at this time.

Should one of your employees have flu-like symptoms and needs medical care, we ask that the employee schedule a video visit through their Asante MyChart account or call the Asante COVID-19 hotline at (541) 789-2813. A representative will direct the employee to the appropriate care option.

If you are concerned that one of your employees may have been exposed or contracted COVID-19 through work-related responsibilities, please call Asante Occupational Health for additional assistance at (541) 789-4236.


Thank you,
​
Kathy Johal Manager of Practice Operations, Asante Occupational Health
​(541) 789-5435 or [email protected]

Last week I heard some bitter-sweet news – the kind of news you dread, but then you can’t be upset about it.   It seems that one of our local safety leaders has been promoted and will be leaving the area.  This is a person who has a humble demeaner, but at the same time is an effective leader.  I won’t give her name away because I haven’t asked her permission.  But I will talk about her as a positive example of being plugged into the safety community and the Southern Oregon Chapter of the ASSP.
 
I don’t think that any of our members join the ASSP just so they can use it as a stepping stool in getting to some lofty position.  I can’t think of anyone who would fit that description.  But I can say that I see a lot of folks who join because they recognize it is the premier trade organization of the safety profession!  As and example, when I became a safety professional, I asked my supervisor if there was an organization I could be a part of that would help me be better at what I do, where I could build professional relationships, see how other people make safety happen, and if possible, a place where I can help out.  He said I should join the ASSP and be involved in the local chapter. 
 
So, follow me on this:  In this bitter-sweet situation, we see a person who was, years ago, relatively new to safety and who decided she needed to be plugged into the local community of safety professionals.  She attended chapter meetings and helped on the Conference Committee.  Soon she was participating in various ways with the chapter leadership team.  Eventually, she became the president of the chapter and supported very necessary organizations such as WISE, O[Yes], and a variety of other functions.  She was sent to the ASSP leadership conference, attended safety conferences, and eventually obtained her Certified Safety Professional credentials.  As I see it, she didn’t join to make all this happen.  She joined because it was a part of her profession, and yet it was also a part of her journey to where she is today in this profession.  Because of her abilities, her skills, her leadership and her willingness to be involved, she has had success in our chapter and in her organization, which resulted in her being promoted several times to include this most recent promotion which will have her leaving our chapter.  There’s where the bitter-sweet comes in! I have seen similar results with so many of our members and to be honest, it just makes me smile to see such great things happen to such great people!
 
We will be sorry to see her move, but we can say that we are better for her time here and I am guessing she will say that she is better for her time being involved.  Being plugged in is essential to building ourselves as professionals.  We all have something to offer each other in terms of friendship, support, mentorship, teaching and learning.  We all make each other better at what we do.  We can gain insights and rise to new levels when we get plugged in and get involved.  While we congratulate her on her success, we will miss her when she moves.   We can’t help but be excited for our members who have built their success along with the group of members who make up the Southern Oregon Chapter of the ASSP.
 
Get plugged in and get involved as it is just what safety professionals do – it’s a part of the journey.
 
Chris Lawrence
President, ASSP – Southern Oregon Chapter
 
​With over 20 years in occupational safety and health, Chris Lawrence is a retired US Air Force Safety Professional who is the Regional Safety Manager for Boise Cascade.

One of the biggest career development opportunities for me was to serve on the Executive Committee for this chapter. The value of serving and growing with fellow safety professionals that are leading the way in safety for Southern Oregon has been immeasurable. I was recruited for my current position at SAIF by a mentor and fellow Executive Committee member, Mary Hoskins. This was after eight years of service on either the Conference Planning Committee or the Executive Committee or both. Mary was such a wonderful example to me at the peak of her career at SAIF and doing an amazing job at ASSP. She raised the bar high with her spirit of excellence and cheerful encouragement of all of us.
 
With that said, I have a two-fold announcement: I am pleased to announce the new slate of officers to be voted on in our May meeting. If we can meet in person, we will carry the vote by show of hands as usual, if not, we will send out a digital election survey.
 
Second, we still have a few openings on the slate. If you are interested in joining us, please let me know. The current slate will stand for the election, but we can have the president appoint for open positions as needed. We still need a vice president. This person will have an amazing opportunity to grow in leadership and attend regional meetings to represent our chapter. Lastly, we have the operations coordinator position open. This position helps to make sure we are meeting our timeline for chapter requirements. We are also looking for a treasurer in training for next year’s slate. Thanks for your thoughtful consideration and for all those who agreed to serve this year. I look forward to working with you to help advance safety in Southern Oregon.
 
2020/2021 ASSP Southern Oregon Chapter Slate of Candidates for Election
(The 2020/2021 chapter year runs from July 1st, 2020 to June 30, 2021.)
 
President – David Hanson
Vice President – Open Position
Past President – Chris Lawrence
Secretary – Roy Harper
Treasurer – Patti McGuire
Program Coordinator – David Spence
Membership Coordinator – Amy Stonehill
Communications Coordinator – Kyle Valley
Conference Planning Chair – Michael Hill
Government Affairs Coordinator – Ross Olson
Operations Coordinator – Open Position
 
The vote, that will occur on the first Tuesday in May, will be to approve the entire slate. Since we do not have any contested positions, we will be looking for your support of these leaders who have agreed to serve. Thank you for ​​being a member of the Southern Oregon chapter.
 
Michael Hill
Past President