Chamber Member Spotlight
BGHP Client Services team of volunteers and staff. Photo provided by BGHP.
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Breast & GYN Health Project
n 1996, there was a breast cancer movement happening in the United States. One in eight women could expect to get breast cancer, and treatments were so harsh that people demanded changes. The breast cancer awareness stamp had been released as part of the movement. Locally, Julie Ohnemus, MD, and family practice physician at North Country Clinic in Arcata had been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35. After getting treatment locally, her breast cancer came back, so she sought out a breast cancer specialist at Stanford Medical Center. That breast cancer specialist happened to be Dr. Ellen Mahoney, before Dr. Mahoney moved to Humboldt. Julie Ohnemus also got services at a nonprofit that Dr. Mahoney helped start called Palo Alto Breast Health Project (now Bay Area Cancer Connections). Palo Alto Breast Health Project was run by breast cancer survivors for people diagnosed with breast cancer. Julie Ohnemus found information she had not been able to find (even as a doctor) and she immediately experienced the hope and compassionate understanding of the breast cancer survivors she met. She came home to Humboldt and gathered her circle of support around her kitchen table. Julie told them about the Palo Alto Breast Health Project and her vision to create a similar organization here. They were all eager to help local breast cancer patients, so Humboldt Community Breast Health Project got started in 1997. Eventually, HCBHP expanded to serve people with gynecologic cancers, and the name was changed to Breast and GYN Health Project (BGHP). Facing breast or gynecologic cancer can be a scary, overwhelming, and confusing time because 12
it is a life-threatening illness and all the decisions cancer patients face. Because BGHP works with breast and gyn cancer patients every day, its staff and volunteers provide excellent emotional support, education, and even hope to help local people with breast or gyn cancers step by step along the way. BGHP is located in a sweet little house in Arcata by the Arcata Co-op. In 2021, it helped 344 local people with breast or gynecologic cancer or cancer concerns. A group of seven experienced “Warmline” volunteers, many of whom are cancer survivors themselves, work alongside staff to provide cancer resource support services as people travel their cancer journey. The volunteers and staff include nurses and a Medical Consultant so they can provide high level education and support services. Now in its 25th year, BGHP offers “an extra layer of support,” which includes a lending library, eight different support groups (on Zoom currently), patient navigation, decision support consultation, wigs, and much more. ALL services are free of charge, thanks to thousands of local donors, vacation raffle ticket buyers, and grant funding. Anyone curious about how BGHP might be able to help is encouraged to call (707) 825-8345 or visit www.bghp.org.
Humboldt Area Foundation and the Wild Rivers Community Foundation
Humboldt Area Foundation and the Wild Rivers Community Foundation, along with supporting organizations - including the Native Cultures Fund, Equity Alliance of the North Coast, and Humboldt Health Foundation - serve the four-county region of Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity counties in California and Curry County in Oregon. Their vision is to enable and empower our unique region to thrive as a just, healthy, and equitable place for current and future generations. For nearly 50 years, they’ve been recognized for their innovative work and approaches. From incubating grassroots organizations to leadership
