The Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) has launched its annual blanket/coat drive, with three convenient drop-off locations. It will continue collecting items through February.

North Central Public Health District’s (NCPHD) Board of Health has appointed Martha McInnes, BSN, RN, as the organization’s new director.

Dr. Kathleen Wilder has become North Central Public Health District’s (NCPHD) Public Health Officer, replacing Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg, who has served as the Health Officer for both Hood River County Health Department and NCPHD since May 2023.

A passion for helping others, and seeing the life-changing work done in both the public health and non-profit sectors guided the career path of recently retired North Central Public Health District Director Shellie Campbell.

On Monday, April 22, 2024, North Central Public Health District (NCPHD) and the Sherman County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) are teaming up to celebrate Earth Day by giving out free flower seed packets.

National Public Health Week, April 1-7, is an opportunity for North Central Public Health District (NCPHD) to highlight the many programs we offer to keep our communities safe.

With respiratory season upon us, and family gatherings planned as the holidays approach, North Central Public Health District is offering free iHealth COVID-19 test kits, with a limited drive-up pickup for your convenience.

New members of North Central Public Health District’s board of health include a former county commissioner from The Dalles, a former head of emergency services in Sherman County, and a retired science teacher who lives in Maupin.

This month, the commissioners and judge on the Gilliam County Court voted to form their own county health department. The county will start its own health department on July 1, 2022.

Hospitalization rates are rapidly climbing in Oregon and in the Gorge as COVID cases spike. Now is the time to get vaccinated if you haven’t -- and get your booster dose if you haven’t. Case in point, Canyon Rim Assisted Living in Maupin had been COVID free until an outbreak last week.

In one stretch of the Delta surge, Dr. Tom Nichol has treated 17 patients in a row for COVID who were unvaccinated. Some of them died. It “was a really hard thing for me to see people marching on to die from this who would have survived if they’d had a vaccine.”

Students who are exposed to COVID are now being allowed to stay in school through a new program that monitors through testing.

Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 8, schools in Wasco and Sherman counties reported 19 cases of COVID-19. School-based cases can be reported among students, staff or volunteers. None were due to transmission in the school setting.

In a recent 8-day period, Wasco County had 62 cases of COVID-19 reported, the vast majority occurring in younger unvaccinated people. It appears the county is following national trends as a resurgence of the disease and its highly contagious Delta variant could bring as many as 300,000 cases per day this month.

Wasco County reported 44 COVID cases in just three days this week, 39 of them amongst unvaccinated people. The highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 is surging in Oregon and is driving increasing cases and hospitalizations.

Health Officials have upped the ante on vaccinations. Any Wasco County resident who gets vaccinated at the mobile clinic in The Dalles will receive a $50 VISA card. Find out how here.

A Poke Could be Worth a Million Bucks. Vaccination rates are expected to increase with an announcement by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown of a $1 million lottery prize open to any Oregonian 18 and older with at least one dose of vaccine by June 27.

Mid-Columbia Senior Center, in partnership with Age+, is hosting a vaccine event on Saturday, May 22nd from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. that will feature music and ice cream.

Multiple Vaccine Clinics to be Available This Week