March 5th, 2025 | Battling Health Inequities: Responding Locally Amid Federal Changes
About
In the wake of federal policy shifts, Oregon is facing widening health inequities among its most vulnerable populations.
Join OHF for a virtual forum where community advocates and researchers examine the state of health disparities in Oregon, sharing insights on successes and gaps, and considering possible solutions amid an evolving landscape.
Moderator
Emily Harris – Journalist
Emily Harris is an award-winning reporter with global, national and local experience, currently acting as senior advisor and forum moderator for the Oregon Health Forum. She is also the co-founder of a local news nonprofit, Uplift Local, working to increase high-quality, community-first reporting to underserved communities in Oregon and SW Washington.
Panelists
Tamara Falls – Chief Advocacy and Equity Officer, Metropolitan Family Service
Tamara Falls serves as Metropolitan Family Service’s Chief Advocacy and Equity Officer, focused on program participant engagement, advocating for programs and policies that support underrepresented and underserved communities. She serves as the Board President for the Oregon Public Health Association and is a member of the Northwest Racial Equity Leaders project.
Olivia Quiroz – Executive Director, Oregon Latino Health Coalition
Olivia Quiroz oversees the Oregon Latino Health Coalition, dedicated toward eliminating health disparities, where she was instrumental in passing historical legislation to expand Medicaid coverage to adults, regardless of immigration status. She also brings 10+ years of experience improving the health of marginalized communities by addressing policy and systems change strategies.
Dr. Kelly Gonzales – Founder & Executive Director, Indigenous Health Equity Institute
Dr. Kelly Gonzales, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, serves as an Associate Professor, Public Health, OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and is the founder and Executive Director of the Indigenous Health Equity Institute. She also co-founded the Oregon BIPOC Decolonizing Data Council and participates on numerous boards and community advisory panels.
Annie Valtierra-Sanchez – Director, Southern Oregon Health Equity Coalition
Annie Valtierra-Sanchez, Director of SO Health-E, leads a Regional Health Equity Coalition in Southern Oregon, centering community voices and building cross-sector capacity for long-term policy and systemic change. She serves on the State Health Improvement Plan Committee, Governor’s Racial Justice Council, Salud es Poder Coalition, and previously on OHA’s Health Equity Committee.
David Radley – Director of Data & Analytics, Center for Evidence-based Policy
David Radley, who is also the Senior Scientist for Health System Tracking at the Commonwealth Fund, specializes in health policy evaluation, quality and performance measurement, and public reporting and visualization of health care data. He has authored over 50 articles, briefs and reports on access, affordability, quality, equity and population health outcomes.
Supporting Sponsor
To discuss forum sponsorship opportunities, please contact Christian Gillespie at cgillespie@oregonhealthforum.org