2020: Meeting the Challenge

On October 1, 2020, Cascade Health celebrated 17 years year as an independent, nonprofit health care organization. In this time, we’ve navigated many obstacles in our mission to serve our patients and clients in Lane County. But 2020 was unlike any in our lives.

The global pandemic, a near economic depression, major social unrest and historic wildfires collided to create the most challenging year many of us have ever experienced.

Yet through it all, the Cascade Health team rose to the challenge to fulfill our mission to improve quality of life in our community by helping to support and provide quality, charitable, compassionate health care now and for generations to come.

We adapted and innovated our delivery of care so that our clients and patients continued to benefit from their relationship with us during the challenges of COVID-19. Some examples of the ways our people stepped up and delivered include:

• Reinventing the way we provided services and support via telehealth.
• Overhauled our social distance and Personal Protective Equipment protocols to serve patients.
• Retrained our hospice volunteers to continue their amazing support while social distancing.
• Reconfigured our clinics and workplace health services to provide a safe and convenient onsite environment.
• Converted our signature fundraising event, Festival of Trees, to direct donation with outstanding support from our wonderful donors.

Indeed, the willingness and dedication of Cascade Health’s employees to overcome obstacles for the sake of our client’s health has been inspiring.

Relatedly, due to the diligence and creativity of our team, service levels and client relationships held steady during this most unusual year, allowing for sound financial health of our organization. The 2020 annual report provides an overview and operational read-out from each of our departments. I think you will agree that the organization continues to operate on very solid footing.

I hope you will read the annual report and see what I see: Cascade Health and every single team member is meeting challenges and fulfilling our mission to make life better for everyone we have the privilege to serve.

Sincerely,
Eric VanHouten