Enabling services team

You may wonder what an enabling services team means? What does it do? At One Community Health, the enabling services team provide support outside the traditional medical provider model of care. These staff members work are essential to the bulk of our patients’ needs, providing services and guidance in a way that respects differences in language, culture and societal norms. This team includes Certified Diabetes Educators, certified medical interpreters, administration, and Community Health Workers.

In fact, since 1988, One Community Health has been recognized nationally for its innovative health promotion programs lead by our “Community Health Workers” (CHWs), who are certified community leaders. Bilingual and in tune with cultural differences today, they are also trained under the supervision of a nurse to help individual patients, families, and communities get the health education and care they need. They advocate for patients in a variety of ways and are an integral part of education and outreach programs at One Community Health. Below, we’ve highlighted both our Community Health Workers as well as the entire team of our enabling and outreach staff members who make this unique, powerful program possible.

Meet our team:

Featured

Gisela Ayala Echeverria

Community Health Worker
Joined OCH in 2019

Gisela Ayala Echeverria received her bachelor’s degree in community/public health education at Western Oregon University (WOU). She is passionate in supporting her community with prevention and wellness programs. Prior to joining One Community Health, she worked for Hood River Cherry Company, Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC), and Abby’s House Center for Equity and Gender Justice at WOU. She completed her community health internship at Corvallis Housing First, an organization that supports and provides resources to the homeless community. Her mission is to promote health to minorities and make sure people have access to care regardless of their legal status. With her observations and past experiences, her desired outcome is to make sure everyone is educated on ways to prevent chronic diseases. She enjoys hiking, spinning, and traveling.

Isaias Garcia

Spanish Medical Interpreter
Joined One Community Health in 2018

Isaias came to One Community Health with a strong background in interpretation services. He grew up in South Central Texas near the San Antonio area. Spanish is his first language, but he grew up learning and speaking English, an experience that contributed to his passion for serving cross-cultural and underserved populations. In 2006, Isaias received his medical interpretation certification, then worked in the Yakima Valley doing medical interpretation and also provided interpretation services for Klickitat County. Today, he’s translating for patients and also for marketing needs. When away from work, he enjoys reading, spending time with his baby boy and wife, taking long walks, cooking for fun, and volunteering for his local congregation.

Michele Shrum Guerroro, RD

Enabling Services Manager
Joined One Community Health in 2018

Michele Guerrero is the enabling services manager at One Community Health, where she oversees chronic disease management programs, interpretive services, community outreach, and other OCH programs. Michele is a native of the Gorge and enjoys supporting her hometown community with prevention and wellness programs. Prior to joining OCH in 2018, Michele worked for Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic (YVFWC) in various roles, including as a WIC clinic supervisor, primary care Registered Dietitian (RD), and finally as the primary care nutrition services supervisor. She was instrumental in developing and managing YVFWC’s cutting-edge integrated RD model of care. Michele has served in many leadership roles, including with the Nutrition Council of Oregon, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Oregon State WIC program, and Oregon State University’s Dietetic Internship. Michele’s leadership in the dietetics community was recognized with the Oregon Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ 2017 Young Dietitian of the Year award. Michele earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics from Seattle Pacific University and completed her Dietetic Internship at Oregon Health and Science University. She enjoys yoga, weight stigma advocacy work and traveling, particularly rambling through the Scottish Highlands.

Joan Kniesteadt, RN, CDE

Certified Diabetes Educator
Joined One Community Health in 2018

Joan is passionate about empowering people with knowledge and partnering with them in navigating their health care needs. She started her nursing career as an ICU nurse, gained experience as a mother, and then became a certified diabetes educator. With the latter, she knew this would have the greatest impact to prevent long-term complications in health. After a short stint in Spokane, Wash., Joan has come back to Oregon to work with us and be close to some of her relatives. She loves family, friends, crafts and her dog. She is so excited to be in the Gorge and giving her all.

Josie Luna

Spanish Medical Interpreter
Joined One Community Health in 2011

Josefina “Josie” Luna, is one of our qualified Spanish medical interpreters at One Community Health. Born in White Salmon, she grew up mostly in Hood River and has held prior positions in health care, working at Central City Concern and Oregon Health & Sciences University, prior to joining our team. At One Community Health, Josie has held positions with us as our medical records clerk and team assistant. Josie brings her infectious smile to One Community Health and puts our patients at ease, which is always helpful in terms of enabling good communication between them and our providers. When she’s not busy interpreting for us, she loves traveling and makes an effort to do this at least once or twice a year. She find exploring other places fun and exciting because she appreciates learning the similarities and differences among cultures around the world.

Juan Luna

Community Health Worker
Joined OCH in 2019

Juan Luna loves interacting with people and teaching patients about food and nutrition! Juan has worked in the food industry for many years, most recently as a dietary manager in long-term care. While in this role, Juan learned many tricks for making foods delicious and tasty without added salt, sugar, and fat for those with chronic disease. Juan enjoys being able to teach those in his community about the services One Community Health provides. Juan also teaches Latin dance (Salsa) at a local family club and is always looking for more students to join the fun! Juan loves music, food, family, work, and friends.

Esther Mondragon, RN

Enabling Services Manager (perinatal)
Joined One Community Health in 2012

Esther Mondragon serves as the enabling services manager for our perinatal program and also works as a team nurse. Esther completed nursing school at Portland Community College in 2010. She was born in Mexico City but grew up in The Dalles, where she still lives today. Esther has been drawn to working at One Community health because she is passionate about community health, supporting our diverse patient population, and, of course, practicing perinatal care and delivering high-quality, personable services and solutions. In her free time, Esther spends time with her family and dog. She also loves to run and uses that as a way to decompress and sustain her own health and wellness.

Delfina Reyes

Certified Community Health Worker - Case Manager
Joined One Community Health 2005

Delfina Reyes has worked for One Community Health’s perinatal program since 2005. She provides education and support to pregnant women and women who have recently had a baby. She enjoys working with pregnant women and helping them get the care and services they need, everything from prenatal education to dental exams and even our behavioral health services. Delfina has witnessed how our health promotion programs have made a dramatic difference in the lives of our patients over the years. Patients are often more relaxed about talking to the community health workers than they are talking to their provider, and the community health workers have the opportunity to give them that extra care and attention.

Evaristo Romero

Certified Community Health Worker - Case Manager
Joined One Community Health in 2003

Evaristo Romero has worked for One Community Health’s Salud program since 2003. He loves the opportunity to teach patients and make a difference in their disease management. He has recently gained new skills in helping people manage their weight in a healthy way and has been very popular in that role. He teaches classes and provides one-on-one support for many patients. As someone who long ago worked in the orchards and saw the benefit of health of wellness, he knows that health promotion programs enable the clinic to reach many more people in ways that are effective for conveying health information and support. Over the years, Evaristo has created valuable connections with our local patients as well as the returning migrant farmworkers we serve both at orchards and in special health clinics throughout the summer months.

Vicky Valle

Certified Community Health Worker - Case Manager
Joined One Community Health in 1991

Vicky Valle has worked for One Community Health's Perinatal program since 1991 as both a certified Community Health Worker and a Perinatal case manager. She enjoys providing prenatal and postpartum education to pregnant and postpartum women and their families, both one-on-one and in group settings. She helps to ensure that women get adequate prenatal care, which reduces complications in the pregnancy, and Vicky has seen first-hand our excellent results in pregnancy outcomes and breastfeeding. She is widely known and respected in our community for her years of service helping families adjust to the arrival of a new baby. She has been an amazing asset to our team!

Jennifer Wardell, RN, CDE

Certified Diabetes Educator
Joined One Community Health in 2013

Jennifer Wardell started work at One Community Health as a registered nurse in the Hood River clinic. About three months after starting with there, she moved our facility in The Dalles and has been there ever since. Jennifer works as the Salud program RN in The Dalles and became a certified diabetes educator in 2017. Jennifer enjoys working with and helping patients improve their overall health and meeting their health goals. Jennifer first became interested in working in the field of diabetes when she worked for Portland Diabetes and Endocrinology clinic, assisting in clinical research studies. In her off time, Jennifer enjoys time with her family and being outside as much as possible either hiking, skiing, running, or biking. Jennifer has lived in the Columbia River Gorge since 2001 and loves making The Gorge her home.

Caitlyn Witte, BSCN

Community Health Worker
Joined One Community in 2016

Caitlyn Witte moved to the Columbia River Gorge in 2016 after graduating with her bachelor of science in clinical nutrition. Caitlyn studied clinical nutrition at Francisco Marroquín University in Guatemala where she was able to obtain vast clinical experience and become fluent in Spanish. Caitlyn’s clinical rotations throughout her education included some of the main public hospitals in Guatemala. There, she was able to head various pediatric departments as well as gain experience with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Caitlyn is currently in the process of obtaining her RD credentials here in the United States. She is passionate about our Salud program and helping meet patients where they are with individualized plans to provide some of the best preventative medicine there is—quality nutrition!