The Nugget Newspaper's Partners in Health & Well-Being 2021 // 2021-09-15

2021

Partners artners in Health & Well-Being

The past 16 months of the COVID-19 pandemic has put unprecedented strain on the healthcare system across the nation. We here in Central Oregon are blessed with a cadre of exceptional providers who have answered the call to serve their fellow Central Oregonians in a time when their ordinary, everyday work demands commitment that is downright heroic.

St. Charles Health System has introduced a new treatment regimen that bodes well for keeping those who test positive for COVID-19 out of the hospital — and they have stepped up to face down surging caseloads when people do get severely sick.

Meanwhile, the offices of Sisters Dental and Gilmore Dental are working with their patients to make sure their dental health doesn’t fall by the

wayside — with implications for their overall well-being.

Sisters Apothecary and Sisters Park & Recreation District offer opportunities to take care of yourself — and have fun while you’re doing it. Natural products for self-care make life both healthier and more pleasurable, and organized activities, including fitness classes, offer the motivation and connection many of us need to stay active and fit.

Naturopathic medicine and gentle cranialsacral therapy from Forget Me Not Medicine offer ways of moving past long-term ailments and injuries; skilled orthopedic doctors from The Center are in Sisters to help folks get back to what they love doing after injuries.

Dealing with pain creates fear and anxiety — which makes pain worse.

Audrey Holocher uses hypnotherapy to

help people break that cycle.

When the need for care is at its most acute and challenging, Partners in Care offers specialized, patient-centered quality care with respect, compassion, and dignity.

And The Lodge in Sisters continues to provide a happy home and haven for seniors who want to live life to the fullest through their golden years.

Access to such a variety of providers and services is one of the great privileges of living in Sisters Country — where every day brings opportunities to live at our very best.

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief The Nugget Newspaper

A special section presented by The Nugget Newspaper

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Partners in Health & Well-Being • The Nugget Newspaper • September 15, 2021

Sisters clinic will serve local orthopedic needs Living and working in Sisters Country can leave a person banged up — from skiing, horseback riding, hiking, and biking injuries, to problems associated with overuse and overwork.

The Center’s clinic at St. Charles Family Care on the first Wednesday of each month is designed to help deal with orthopedic issues that interfere with quality of life.

The clinic is not for urgent care — it’s designed to help people with low-acuity injuries and chronic issues ranging from arthritis to carpal tunnel and trigger finger syndromes.

The clinic will be operated

by Dr. David Holt, specializing in adult and pediatric hand and upper-body orthopedic issues, and Dr. Timothy Bollom, who treats patients of all ages and diverse backgrounds with a focus on comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of knee and shoulder disorders. He is a sports medicine fellowship-trained surgeon.

“We’re excited to be in Sisters,” Dr. Holt said.

Dr. Holt practiced in Knoxville,

Tennessee, before heading west to Central Oregon, where he has been practicing with The Center for the past three years. He loves the outdoor recreation and sense of community he and his family found here.

Both doctors enjoy the active Central Oregon lifestyle themselves, so they understand the importance of helping people get back on the skis or back out on the pickleball court — or back to work — as quickly as possible. Dr. Holt notes that one of the main reasons he chose his field was the “opportunity to really improve people’s function.”

Dr. Bollom, too, was drawn to the medical field because he wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. Whether he is on the sidelines of a high school game or performing surgery, he has positively impacted thousands of lives in our community. And when he gets to see a patient he’s treated out and about again, he says it’s the best feeling in the world.

The Sisters clinic will also help screen patients so they can most efficiently take their next steps in care.

Keeping COVID-positive people out of hospital For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Charles Health System is offering a treatment to help people with mild to moderate COVID-19 fight off the disease and, hopefully, avoid hospitalization.

The treatment uses monoclonal antibodies to mimic the immune system’s natural antibodies, which fight back against harmful antigens such as viruses.

Where the body takes time to produce natural antibodies, monoclonal antibody therapy allows a sick person to fight the virus earlier, which may prevent them from getting sicker and needing to be hospitalized.

Currently, monoclonal antibody therapy is only available to people who are at high risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, and they cannot selfrefer themselves for the treatment.

A physician must make the referral, and infusion would ideally be administered within three days of a positive COVID-19 test or within 10 days of symptom onset.

The potential benefits of the treatment are well worth navigating the logistical challenges, said

Dr. Cynthia Maree, St. Charles’ medical director of infectious disease.

“Right now, this is the only medication we have that is approved under Emergency Use Authorization to be used for outpatient management of COVID-19,” she said. “It has the possibility of keeping people with COVID-19 from developing severe disease or from dying. Obviously, that’s something we want to be able to provide to the community.”

Caregivers from the St. Charles Bend Pulmonary Clinic are working in collaboration with nurses at St. Charles’ Redmond hospital and its Bend East Family Care clinic to perform infusions away from other patients and visitors, to protect vulnerable people. The health system worked to identify the right personnel to staff the clinic and provided training to ensure they were prepared to safely treat the patients, Maree said.

Monoclonal antibody therapy will be an important part of the health system’s efforts to treat COVID-positive people and to reserve space in area hospitals for the sickest Central Oregonians.

The Nugget Newspaper

• September 15, 2021 • Partners in Health & Well-Being

Sisters practice promotes

‘dynamic state of health’ Protecting and building the strength of our immune system has never been more important.

Many of us are striving to get our health back after illness, injury, and coping with the effects of more than a year of acute stress.

Forget Me Not Medicine has brought a holistic approach to health to bear in Sisters, through the professional talents of Naturopathic Doctor Lisa Del Alba and the Advanced CranioSacral Therapy specialty of Licensed Massage Therapist Benjamin Bell.

“We’ve been working more in the realm of environmental medicine,” Dr. Del Alba said. “This focus is increasingly what my patient population is needing in order to recover their health.”

Environmental medicine focuses on the interaction between people and their environment — and how environmental factors can affect health, from autoimmune disorders to allergies and “just increased inflammation in the body,” as Dr. Del Alba puts it.

Perhaps the most salient example of environmental impact is mold or mycotoxin toxicity, which may have devastating health effects on people and be difficult to identify and treat, since it often stems from the home and especially the bedroom.

Stress can trigger, exacerbate and intensify many conditions, from diabetes to autoimmune disorders.

In her practice, Dr. Del Alba works holistically not only to treat symptoms, but to move toward health. Treatments can include various therapies addressing oxygen utilization, modifications to diet and supplementation, detoxification measures, sleep hygiene, and other lifestyle-related counseling.

Dr. Del Alba also works with low-dose immune therapy.

“It’s been enormously effective with a surprising variety of conditions,” she said.

An in-depth initial appointment and lab work establishes a baseline and the frequency of follow-up visits can vary after that, depending on what is required to restore and maintain health.

Struggles with environmental impacts often require more intensive work, she said.

Bell’s craniosacral therapy work is highly complementary to other aspects of the practice and has significant benefits on its own. Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, purposeful touch technique that helps release abnormal tension in the connective tissues around the brain and spinal cord (the craniosacral system) and in its relationships with the rest of the body.

The therapy has especially dramatic benefits in mitigating the effects of injury — even old injuries. Bell treats people with injuries from car accidents and children with birth injuries or other issues.

“I’ve had a mostly pediatric focus since 1996,” he said.

However, he works with all ages.

Craniosacral therapy complements other medical interventions, and Bell has built longtime, fruitful relationships with dentists, pediatricians, chiropractors, and physiatrists.

He has worked successfully with many conditions, including migraine headaches, facial asymmetry, and plagiocephaly, ADD and ADHD, autism spectrum, developmental challenges, postnatal care, nursing challenges, reflux, colic, sleep issues, ear infections, motor-coordination impairments, spinal cord injuries, concussions and traumatic brain injuries, chronic neck and back pain, body alignment, depression/ anxiety, emotional difficulties, and post-surgical dysfunctions.

The treatment can make for a valuable physical “spring cleaning — just getting things going that were stuck.”

Licensed Massage Therapist Benjamin Bell has specialized in Advanced CranioSacral Therapy since 1986.

Holistic approach to...

environmental health, chronic illness, effects from injury • Allergy and autoimmune conditions • Mold-related health issues

• Neurological, cardiovascular, digestive health • Respiratory physiology and oxygen therapies • Nutritional and herbal medicine • Diet and lifestyle counseling • Hormonal health

Angela Frieze,

Office Manager

Benjamin Bell LMT, CMA (AAMA), Lic 3382

Dr. Lisa Del Alba

Naturopathic Doctor

TELEMEDICINE: Monday through Friday • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

OFFICE HOURS: Wednesday and Thursday • 10 a.m. to 5 p p.m.

IN-OFFICE DISPENSARY To order call 541-915-4464 or email lisa@forgetmenotmedicine.com.

541-915-4464 101 W. Main Ave., Ste. F • Sisters

www.ForgetMeNotMedicine.com

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Partners in Health & Well-Being • The Nugget Newspaper • September 15, 2021

Taking care of

dental health in a pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our lives — including dental health.

The stresses associated with navigating the past year and a half are literally showing up in people’s mouths. Amy Remick, office manager at Gilmore Dental in Redmond, reports that dentists across the nation are seeing a marked “increase in bruxism — clenching or grinding.”

That phenomenon is quantified: grinding is up 54.9 percent, with incidences of cracked or chipped teeth up 53.4 percent. Incidences of painful and sometimes debilitating TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) are up 53.4 percent. Decay is up 26.4 percent.

The bottom line is that pandemic stress is wreaking havoc with our dental health.

“What we want to help patients do is to recognize their status with what’s happening in their mouth,” Remick said.

Good oral health means a lot more than a nice smile. The condition of our teeth is critical to our overall well-being. Studies are increasingly showing connections between oral health and serious health concerns like heart disease. And yet most of us don’t make that connection — and we tend to put off going to the dentist. That can be a costly mistake on several levels.

For example, we might have an asymptomatic cracked tooth. It’s not really bothering us, so we put off doing anything about it — until it is a problem. But by that time, we’re dealing with pain that needs immediate attention, and much greater expense to address the problem — even tooth loss.

Dental neglect always ends up costing the patient more — in pain, risk, and dollars — than proactive measures would ever cost.

“The consequences of doing nothing can cause even more damage and irreparable problems,” Dr. Richard Gilmore said. “We see the consequences of doing nothing every single day.”

Previous dental work requires maintenance. You can’t expect fillings from childhood to last forever — they’ll eventually break down just like a high-mileage car. Such things require attention.

Gilmore Dental wants to help people take charge of their own oral health — to stay on top of it. Gilmore Dental keeps abreast of best

BEFORE

The consequences of doing nothing can cause even more damage and irreparable problems. We see the consequences of doing nothing every single day.

— Dr. Gilmore

practices and the most effective technology to improve the patient experience. They do most of their work on-site, and can create sameday bridges and crowns, which means patients don’t have to wait BEFORE AFTER days or weeks and put up with temporary devices. That’s all part of making the patient experience as pleasant as it can be.

Dr. Gilmore notes that the staff is always working on refining the way it communicates with patients — being understanding of reluctance or resistance while still promoting the importance of consistent, proactive care. Dr. Gilmore Being proactive with your dental health and the rest of the staff at Gilmore can allow cracked and chipped Dental recognize that going to the dentist is not high on most teeth to be restored. people’s list of favorite activities.

And they realize that there is a perception that works for the individual. that dental offices pressure patients to come One element of successful dental care is in regularly just so they can keep cash regis- proactive communication from patient to ters ringing. That’s not what it’s about at all, doctor. Even with the best diagnostic techDr. Gilmore asserts. For the staff at Gilmore niques available, there is no substitute for a Dental, it really is about wanting the best for patient verbalizing to their dentist or hygienall of their patients. ist if they are feeling any discomfort.

Good, proactive dental care is a passion Working together, dentist and patient can and a life’s work for Dr. Gilmore. work proactively to improve both function “He takes people’s dental health more seri- and aesthetics. And Remick says that patients ously than they take [it] themselves,” Remick are catching on. said.

“Patients are increasingly wanting to know Gilmore Dental meets a high standard what’s available to them — more now than in of care. They’re not just going to do a quick the past,” Remick said. cleaning — they need to know what’s going on As COVID-19 continues to be a factor, proin your mouth, which means thorough diag- fessionals expect to see knock-on effects on nostics, including X-rays. dental health from the disease and its treatThe staff at Gilmore Dental is continually ments. That only reinforces the need to stay evaluating how they can work more effec- on top of oral health and dental care, acting tively with patients, build relationships, and early to intervene with any problems. improve outcomes. Educational videos help Our teeth are much more than tools we use patients understand why proactive care is to chew our food and pearly whites we flash important. in a smile. They are a critical part of a com“We grow up and we’re taught to brush plex system that must be kept in good condiand floss — but we aren’t taught why,” Dr. tion if we are to lead healthy lives. Gilmore Gilmore observed. Gilmore Dental doesn’t Dental understands that — and the whole dictate to patients. They believe in “co-diag- staff is committed to helping folks in Central nosis,” identifying issues with patients and Oregon achieve good dental health as costworking together to determine the approach effectively — and as pleasantly — as possible.

AFTER

The Nugget Newspaper

• September 15, 2021 • Partners in Health & Well-Being

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Partners in Health & Well-Being • The Nugget Newspaper • September 15, 2021

healthy, happy living

Sisters Apothecary an emporium for Sheree Vance founded Sisters Apothecary in classic entrepreneurial fashion: She saw an unfilled need in her hometown, and a way to fill it.

“I found myself going to Bend three or four times a month to find natural products that I really love,” she said.

She decided that if she wanted to have such products available in Sisters, she was the right person to make it happen. Vance decided to open her own shop catering to those looking for good skin-care products, good vitamins, and a range of specialty items that enhance health and well-being.

Vance also loves interacting with the public and sharing her love for the lines she carries.

“I’m just a very passionate, outgoing human,” she said. “I’ve met some of the greatest people here, and I love it!”

Sisters Apothecary’s product lines are personally curated and most of them are products Vance personally uses.

“Everything in the store, I’ve hand picked,” Vance said.

That includes an expanding selection of Ayurvedic and essential oils; Tea Forté loose-leaf and single-steep teas; bath elixirs, soothing salts, and lotions; honey

tonics from Mickelberry Gardens out of Portland, and more.

Sisters Apothecary also carries Frunutta dissolvable vitamins.

“We have a small selection of them right now, but they’ve been very well received,” Vance said.

Vance is also carrying fullspectrum CBD products — lotions, gels, and balms — that have no THC crossover. The products are from High Desert Pure, and Sisters Apothecary has an exclusive on their products in Sisters.

Vance has also brought in several lines of men’s grooming products, including old-school shave kits, beard oils and shampoos, and body washes designed for the masculine.

While the store is full of a wide variety of products — including some clothing items — it still feels open, clean, airy, and welcoming.

That’s by design.

“I don’t want to pack the store,” Vance said.

She wants Sisters Apothecary to feel like a place a person will be comfortable exploring and discovering new items to enhance their lives.

Some of what she carries is just plain fun. One of her hottest products is ROKZ natural infusions,

photo provided

created by a husband and wife team in Eugene. Spirit infusions are used to create craft cocktails — and Vance says she sells out of them almost every weekend.

That kind of response is indicative of the welcome she’s found in Sisters since she opened Sisters Apothecary’s doors last June.

After living in Central Oregon for 27 years and working in everything from the medical field to farming to restaurants, Vance feels like she’s landed exactly where she wants to be.

“I absolutely love Sisters and I always wanted to have a shop here,” she said.

The Nugget Newspaper

• September 15, 2021 • Partners in Health & Well-Being

Breaking the cycle of pain, fear, and tension Chronic pain and other conditions don’t just manifest themselves physically. Being unwell can create tension and fear, which in turn can worsen physical symptoms. This kind of feedback loop can make it very difficult to manage or overcome ailments that significantly impact our quality of life.

“When you disrupt that [feedback loop] a whole lot of transformation can happen,” said Audrey Holocher.

Such transformations are the core of Holocher’s practice. She is a Certified Medical Support Clinical Hypnotherapist, CMS-CHt. As a graduate of the Hypnotherapy Academy of America and Fellow with the International Board of Hypnotherapy, she holds one of the highest levels of certification available, with 500 hours of lifetransforming techniques. Graduates of the Hypnotherapy Academy of America use evidence-based protocols and have double to triple the training that other schools and training programs provide.

“It’s important to me to have something that’s proven, because I’m a scientist by training,” she said.

Holocher’s work involves mindbody relaxation that helps to break the pain-fear-tension cycle.

“We’re quieting the conscious mind and working with the subconscious mind,” she explained.

“That’s where change happens.”

Holocher’s work supplements medical care; it does not supplant it or serve on its own as an alternative.

“I’m not positioned as ‘alternative,’” she said.

While they don’t need a formal referral, clients are required to have their licensed healthcare provider approve of a client accessing hypnotherapy before its starts.

“I don’t start helping someone who is suffering from low back pain who hasn’t seen a doctor or a chiropractor,” Holocher said. “That’s not safe.”

Most people have impressions of hypnosis that are based on myth. Holocher is a highly trained hypnotherapist, not a “hypnotist,” like those who visit schools or put on Las Vegas shows for entertainment.

“The root word is the same but it has nothing to do with what a hypnotherapist does

on a day-to-day basis,” she said.

First sessions address myths and help clients to clarify their hypnotherapy goals.

“All hypnosis is self-hypnosis,” Holocher said. “Nobody can do anything to you. That’s a myth.

You are always in control. Always.

Nobody can make you relax.”

Sessions, which are all conducted remotely, include videoconference sessions with Holocher, along with customized audio files that incorporate imagery and affirmations that use words tailored to speak to each individual.

“Everybody walks away from a session with tangible, active steps that they can take that day,” she said.

In addition to chronic pain conditions, Holocher works in smoking cessation and weight management, and general stress management — which has become a significant matter for so many in recent times.

“I get a lot of [clients with] stress these days,” she said.

Holocher has found hypnotherapy powerful in her own life.

“The crux of it was going through a chronic condition myself,” she said. “So this isn’t theory for me.”

Her own experience made her want to help others dealing with the grinding effects of chronic pain.

Through hypnotherapy, she said, “I felt empowered instead of powerless in the face of pain.”

Holocher, her husband, Peter, and their bulldog, Bella, moved to Sisters last fall, in part to be closer to family on the West Coast. They love the high desert and mountain environments and the outdoor activities to be found in Sisters Country.

“It’s important to me to have something that’s proven, because I’m a scientist by training.” — Audrey Holocher

NEED RELIEF NOW FROM STRESS, CHRONIC PAIN AND UNHEALTHY HABITS?

Try hypnotherapy for a rapid, natural approach to improved health and well-being!

• Reduce stress and anxious thinking • Control chronic pain • Achieve body image/weight goals • Stop smoking/vaping • Improve sleep • Create healthy lifestyle habits • Manage overactive bladder (clinically proven program) Call for a free, 20-minute consult!

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Stay in the comfort of your home. All sessions are remote.

Audrey Holocher, Hypnotherapist

Fellow International Board of Hypnotherapy, #F11018-572

www.holocherhypnotherapy.com

photo provided

Hypnotherapy is not a substitute for medical treatment or psychotherapy. Audrey Holocher does not practice medicine or psychotherapy in any form or manner. Her services do not constitute counseling, psychotherapy or psychiatric or medical treatment, and are not offered as a replacement for any of the foregoing. Products or services offered on this website and/or printed promotional material are not intended to target, diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, illness or health condition (whether medical, mental, psychological, or dental).

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Partners in Health & Well-Being • The Nugget Newspaper • September 15, 2021

Joy, community, adventure fill

Golden Years

Alea Schliep has a mission as evenings in their own rooms. Caroline.”

“It gets pretty loud with life enrichment coordinator at Resident Ron Bell is noted for The Lodge in Sisters: “I want to be his fly-tying. Some residents are ‘Sweet Caroline,’” Schliep said.

“Especially with the ‘boom-boomsure there’s something for every- learning to play ukulele.

Some activities are undertaken boom.’ ” body to do.”

As with other activities, the Jerry Dody, Pat Morris, and Pat in The Lodge’s well-appointed exercise programs offer variety Wolfe can attest that she succeeds kitchen.

“We can bake,” Dody said. “We and choice.

— on a daily basis. The residents “They can pick and choose what at the senior living facility enjoy a bake every Thursday — whatever they want to do,” Schliep said. dizzying array of activities — from we want to.”

A large proportion of the resiChoices tend to run to cinnacrafts to baking, from shopping trips to jumping out of a perfectly mon rolls, coffee cake, and Dody’s dents exercise on a regular basis.

Wolfe noted the work of Helen famous cheesecake. And that, in good airplane at age 75.

Peterson, and Kathy Hemmen That’s right. Dody decided she turn, leads to another activity: “After Jerry’s baking cheese- — skilled gardeners who planted wanted to go skydiving, and last month Schliep made it happen for cake, we need our exercise,” a beautiful bed of flowers this season.

Schliep said. her.

“I really enjoy them, because Exercise programs happen “She talked our staff into doing it with her,” Schliep said, most every day, and they are I can see them from my room,” scaled to be accessible to every- Wolfe said. laughing.

Not all the activities take place Other residents took a bus out one. Chair-based sessions are at The Lodge. Schliep also arrangpopular. to watch.

In the “Fit and Fab” program, es excursions — sightseeing trips, Granted, most of the activities at The Lodge are a little more low- residents exercise to music. visits to restaurants and shopping key than ones requiring a para- Frank Sinatra is a frequent pick, excursions. Schliep seeks input chute — but Dody’s example dem- and so is Neil Diamond’s “Sweet from residents about places they want to go and where they onstrates a key element of want to shop. the programming: “It’s not Schliep noted that there just me picking things out,” is a concerted effort to pay Schliep said. “I work with attention to all the resithem.” dents. Not everyone is as Every day is full of active as Dody, Morris, and opportunities to keep the Wolfe. mind and spirit engaged “You get one or two who and the body moving. are kind of a homebody,” “I find that I’m so busy said Schliep. that I get real tired,” said She makes sure to visit Pat Wolfe. “I love it!” with them, and they are “I like to do the crafts always welcome to join in Alea has,” Pat Morris said. or not as the mood strikes She was most pleased them. when her daughter Beverly All the activity and asked her if she could have camaraderie creates a a butterfly she crafted. tight-knit community — The crafts are fun — and but it is also welcoming to challenging. new residents.

“Some things are harder “We also have a welcomthan others,” Schliep said. ing committee to greet the “We get our hands sticky new people,” Wolfe said. with glue.”

The residents’ sense of Wolfe noted that “some participation and autonoof us do handcrafts like knitting and crochet- Jerry Dody got to go skydiving at the arrangement my is enhanced by involvement in the operation of ing, needlework” in the of Life Enrichment Coordinator Alea Schliep.

their home.

“Once a month, we have a residents’ council meeting,” Wolfe said.

Evenings are generally pretty quiet, but residents will often get together in the fireplace room and socialize a bit over wine and cheese, before retiring to their rooms to rest up for another active day.

Residents at The Lodge in Sisters are not isolated from the world around them. In fact, sometimes, they’re downright hip.

The ladies who live at The Lodge are quite well aware that what is considered socially acceptable for women has changed — a lot — since they were young. Take for example, the trend for women to get tattoos. That’s not something that was seen in their generation, but they found themselves quite interested.

So Schliep organized an event called “Booze & Tattoos.”

Residents got to enjoy a drink while getting a temporary tattoo — one that lasted about three weeks.

“They thought it would be a fun way to see what it feels like,” Schliep said.

Dody held true to her adventurous reputation: She went out with visiting family members and came back with her temporary “Believe” tattoo made permanent.

Schliep has a very simple, yet profound, metric for success: “If my residents are smiling and laughing, I’ve done my job right.”

She’s on target.

“I think Alea goes above and beyond to make us happy,” Wolfe said.

“Happy” is the right word for the atmosphere the staff and residents create at The Lodge in Sisters. It is a place full of joy, and a delightful sense that life in the senior years can be an adventure.

The Nugget Newspaper

• September 15, 2021 • Partners in Health & Well-Being

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Partners in Health & Well-Being • The Nugget Newspaper • September 15, 2021

SPRD promotes The fun and games put before the local community by Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) offer a lot more than simply… fun and games.

An active Sisters lifestyle promotes physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being — and SPRD strives to stay at the forefront in that arena. From preschool care programs to adult athletics and recreation, from outdoor excursions to fitness classes, SPRD’s programming is designed to enhance quality of life across the spectrum.

Registration is underway for fall classes and activities, which run until December 31. All activities are undertaken with safety, including COVID protocols, front and center. Groups are kept small, with increased sanitation practices and safety protocols.

Masking mandates are observed.

In the face of the current surge in the delta variant of COVID-19, SPRD has moved Carol AstMilchen’s Zumba class onto Zoom. Participants can enjoy this lively, spicy, and upbeat mixture of Latin and international music and dance moves and work up a good sweat virtually.

“We are trying to look for opportunities to creatively meet

well-being of community

the needs as things continue to evolve,” said SPRD executive director Jennifer Holland.

Power Hour is a new fitness class mixing a variety of workouts from body weight exercises to circuit and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). All workouts are scalable to whatever fitness level you bring to bear.

Master JianFeng Chen leads tai chi, often known as “moving meditation.” Tai chi can assist people of all ages and health and fitness levels improve balance and flexibility. The practice is renowned as a stress-reliever — something of inestimable value in these stressful and uncertain times. The class is tailored to beginners and no experience is necessary.

SPRD is continually looking to expand its offerings. Holland said the District would love to reinstate popular chair-based fitness classes, which are especially appealing to seniors and people with mobility or balance challenges. Other types of fitness classes would be welcome as well, Holland said.

“We have an ongoing position [open] for a fitness instructor on our website,” she said.

Those with an interest in

photo provided

starting a class are encouraged to visit the website at www.sistersrecreation.com for information.

Adult athletic programs offer opportunities to get and stay fit, including open gym hours and pickleball sessions.

Keeping programs in reach for everyone in Sisters Country is a key part of Sisters Park & Recreation District’s mission. No one should assume that they simply can’t afford to participate in program offerings.

Households can receive scholarships up to $500, which can be used for no more than 50 percent

of program fees. Families or individuals who face financial challenges may automatically qualify for scholarships, based on criteria such as being an Oregon Trail Card recipient or being eligible for the Sisters School District free/reduced lunch program.

But other district residents are eligible as well. They can write a hardship letter to explain circumstances that make it necessary to apply for scholarship assistance.

SPRD is committed to the well-being of the community it serves. Especially in the midst of challenging times.

We have something for ALL ages!

and

Fun Fitness

t! ic tr is D n io at re ec R & k ar P rs te is with S Group Fitness Classes • Youth Athletics • Fall/Winter Programs For a full listing of activites and programs, visit sistersrecreation.com 541-549-2091 | 1750 W. McKinney Butte Road, Sisters

The Nugget Newspaper

• September 15, 2021 • Partners in Health & Well-Being

Jeff’s ‘village’ provides This is a story of a man in his mid-50s whose life was changed by the occurrence — and then recurrence — of brain cancer.

And it is a story about how his life was also impacted by the “village” of caregivers who participated in his care and the long road to recovery which is ongoing.

Like all patients served by Partners In Care, Jeff Rasmussen is at the center of the story. But Jeff’s “village” includes not only Partners In Care, but also St. Charles Health System, Summit Health, Bend Transitional Care, NW Brain & Spine, DHS, and many others. Without the coordination of care within and between these community resources, Jeff’s journey would have been far more complicated, frustrating, and tragic.

In the midst of COVID-19, Jeff was diagnosed with brain cancer for the second time.

Three weeks later, he underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Due to restrictions on visitation, Jeff’s family and friends were not able to be with him inside the walls of St. Charles. But true to form, Jeff texted his son Chris from the ICU shortly after the surgery, “Hey kid! I love you!” And shortly after that, a nurse helped Jeff out of his hospital bed to stand near the window so he could see his family bearing signs with words of encouragement and colorful balloons.

And then Jeff saw his son get down on one knee and propose to his girlfriend, Genna.

From Jeff’s PCP and oncologist to the rehab team, chaplains, social workers, and nurses, Jeff was well served. Partners In

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space to heal

Care Home Health entered the picture following his surgery and rehab to provide family counseling, spiritual care, palliative care consultations, and physical therapy.

Partners In Care played an important role in facilitating communication between physicians and community resources as an advocate for Jeff.

Son Chris said, “We were all at our wit’s end, needing to make big decisions, and uncertain how to navigate the journey we were all on. When Partners In Care came on board, it was the first time we felt some relief from the stress. They gave us the space to heal and a renewed hope. In short, we no longer felt alone.”

Prior to having a shunt placed on Christmas Eve, Jeff endured excruciating headaches and painful blood clots in his legs which landed him in a wheelchair. Once a mountain climber and three-time Ironman triathlete, Jeff remained motivated and positive — determined to walk again and climb the final three mountains on his bucket list.

Jeff’s family calls him “a walking miracle.” His new daughter-in-law, Genna, said, “Jeff made it to our wedding weekend, gave a touching speech, and danced the night away with us. The day after, he resumed his chemo treatment and continues to live life to the fullest.”

Jeff’s family members may be the greatest patient advocates you would ever want to meet. They are his dream team. All ordinary people called into service to each other during extraordinary times.

photo provided

Jeff Rasmussen, flanked by his son Chris and new daughterin-law Genna, danced the night away at their wedding.

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Partners in Health & Well-Being • The Nugget Newspaper • September 15, 2021

Kellie Kawasaki-Jones joins Sisters Dental Sisters dentist Trevor Frideres, DMD was facing the challenge a practitioner just entering the peak of his career must face: He has a highly successful practice at Sisters Dental, with a loyal clientele who appreciate his personal touch. In order to sustain that practice, he needed help.

“I want to be here for a long time,” he said. “And I don’t want to get burned out or drained.”

His colleague Greg Everson has stepped back after a long career serving Sisters. Frideres needed to bring on someone new.

Fortunately for Sisters Dental, Kellie Kawasaki-Jones, DMD was contemplating a change.

After practicing for three years with a group, she was seeking a smaller family practice. Frideres and Kawasaki-Jones connected initially in the most organic way possible — Trevor contacted her regarding a mutual patient. He was impressed with the work he saw in the patient’s mouth.

It turned out that both were thinking “I wonder if…” — but neither said anything to the other at the time.

But when Sisters Dental sent out notice of a position available, Kawasaki-Jones remembered that conversation. And

when she contacted the practice, Frideres remembered it too. It was the right fit for everyone, and Kawasaki-Jones came on board in August.

Dentistry is a family business and tradition for Kawasaki-Jones.

“My grandfather is actually a dentist, so I grew up around the dentist’s office,” she recalled.

Her mother is a dental hygienist.

Like Frideres, she likes both the technical, skill-based side of dentistry and the relationships formed with patients. That was a striking aspect of her grandfather’s practice, and the appeal of the connection between patient and dentist stuck with her.

“I like to make patients feel very comfortable and at ease, so things flow really well in the chair,” she said.

That emphasis on relationships is important to Frideres.

“That’s part of what our whole practice is built around,” he said.

She has a particular affinity for working with children, for whom a visit to the dentist can sometimes be a scary thing.

“I like working with kids a lot,” she said.

She also noted that she enjoys “doing implants, aesthetic stuff.”

photo provided

The new dentist brings a certain balance to the practice, and options for patients.

“Kellie and I are here as a team,” Frideres said. “I think there are people who definitely prefer to have a female dentist, or a female provider in general. Our ideal would be that they’d meet both of us, but ultimately they have the choice of who they want to see.”

Both Frideres and KawasakiJones emphasize education, and Kawasaki-Jones feels it is

particularly important to impart an understanding of the importance of good dental hygiene to young parents.

“I’m most passionate about that, because I’ve seen so many kids come in with a mouthful of cavities that could have been prevented,” she said.

A graduate of the University of Oregon, where she played volleyball, Kawasaki-Jones is athletic and enjoys all of the outdoor activities Sisters Country has to offer.

Dr. Kellie Kawasaki-Jones D.M.D. Sisters Dental welcomes Dr. Kellie to the practice with Dr. Trevor Frideres, D.M.D. & Dr. Greg Everson, D.M.D. Cosmetic, restorative, and family dentistry for all ages using convenient and comfortable digital technologies.

Now accepting new patients • 541-549-2011 491 E. Main Street, Sisters, Oregon | www.sistersdental.com Mon., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fri. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.