Becki Knoblach has been named coordinator of East Linn County’s Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP).
“I’m very excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with the people of East Linn county on this project,” said Knoblach, a Lebanon resident for the past 4 1/2 years.
Knoblach graduated from Loma Linda University and has a Master’s degree in Public Health. In addition to her 15 years experience working with county public health departments, she has 11 years experience in pastoral services. She is currently an Assistant Pastor at the Seventh Day Adventist Churches in Lebanon and Sweet Home, where her husband, John, is pastor.
They have two daughters ages 11 and 14.
The one-year CHIP project is jointly sponsored by Samaritan Health Services and the state Office of Rural Health. CHIP is a community process that will involve the residents and health care providers of east Linn county in creating strategies to improve the health status of their community members and answer issues facing health care services.
Goals for the partnership are to assess community health needs by:
Explaining awareness of the health system’s resources and issues facing east Linn county.
Involving as many people as possible in the decision making process.
Educating the community about the role health care plays in economic development.
Supporting the creation of projects and programs in response to identified community needs.
Improving the health status of east Linn county.
“The activities of the Partnership will be determined by the residents of east Linn county. By working with residents, we will be able to address health care needs while involving the larger community in this collaborative effort,” Knoblach said. “This is an exciting opportunity for me to organize the community and put together a diverse group of people in an effort to increase an enhance health access. This is really the sort of work I love to do.”
Knoblach is in the process of recruiting interested parties to the 30-member partnership steering committee.
Paul McGinnis, manager of the community programs at the Office of Rural Health, developed the CHIP model and will assist East Linn county with its implementation. The model has been used by more than 100 communities throughout the nation.
For more information, call 451-6425.