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neck of the woods | prof ile

WHAT DO PARTICIPANTS SAY ABOUT HOW THE a plane and be in a city in 45 minutes. Yet we can be in the mountains
TRIP HAS IMPACTED THEM? at a lake or a stream in 45 minutes or less. What I like about Southern
Oregon is our ability to be with nature, our ability to have a nice space
LORIE – It changes lives. People say, “Wow, that really opened between ourselves and our friends without feeling stacked on top of
my eyes to what is really going on.” each other. I think we have a prosperous community, so most people
feel there’s hope and there are jobs. There’s a lot to like about Southern
CHRIS - I promise everybody, when they go that it will change their Oregon.
life. They all look at me like, “Uh-huh,” and I say, “Profoundly change
your life. You will not be the same person.” One of my patients said, IF YOU COULD WAVE YOUR MAGIC STETHOSCOPE, WHAT
“I never understood when I came to your office, you had pictures of WOULD YOU LIKE TO IMPROVE IN SOUTHERN OREGON?
Ugandan people on the wall. Now I have pictures of Ugandan people
on my walls.” When you see suffering, when you see humanity, when CHRIS – I would like to see Asante and Providence Hospitals work
you see need; it forces you to be more generous, more compassionate, together better: to share specialties, to share beds in the hospital, to
and more focused. share testing. We’re duplicating a lot right now. It would save the Valley
an enormous amount of money. We’ve made inroads from time to
WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS FOR YOUR time, only to have step-backs.
UGANDAN MISSION?
IS THERE A MESSAGE THAT IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE?
LORIE – There is a lot of interest in family planning. A lot of women
in Uganda spend their whole adult life pregnant or breastfeeding. Their CHRIS - I think people underestimate the value of service. Father
children, because they’re so close together, don’t get a healthy start. Gregory Boyle said every time he helps people, he has feelings of guilt,
The mortality for children under age five is really, really high. And because they’re helping him more than he could possibly help them.
maternal mortality is really high too. When you really give of your heart, it comes back 10 times what you
We’re hoping to raise money to build a permanent clinic, a physical give. You don’t have to get involved with our mission in Uganda but,
structure where we can provide medical equipment for young fami- get involved in something. Make the world a better place. Help others
lies who can’t afford care. We help local physicians provide medical and it’ll lift you up higher than you’ve been lifted before.
services to neighboring communities. We’ve also been working to get
an ambulance. Who we are
Amahoro Children and Community Team
IS UGANDA GOING TO BE A PERMANENT PART OF YOUR P.O. Box 285
LIVES? Jacksonville, OR 97530

LORIE – I think so, a forever part. Stay up to date
ACCTUganda.org
SHIFTING TO SOUTHERN OREGON, HOW HAVE YOU Facebook.com/ACCTUganda
SEEN MEDICAL CARE IN THE ROGUE VALLEY CHANGE? AmahoroChildrenUganda@gmail.com

CHRIS - We’ve practiced medicine in Southern Oregon for almost Donate
31 years. Medicine has changed a lot in the Rogue Valley, but a lot has ACCTUganda.ejoinme.org/donate
stayed the same. We still have some social inequity. We still have people
who don’t have healthcare. The Oregon Health Plan has done a lot to
fix that, but some people don’t know how to navigate the system to get
coverage. We still have people in the Valley who are hungry. The Valley
is richer and more prosperous than I’ve ever seen, yet we still have
people with very little. We have a long way to go, equity-wise, even in
Southern Oregon.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT LIVING IN SOUTHERN
OREGON?

LORIE - I like the people here. I like the size of the community. I find
going to a big city—San Francisco, Seattle, Portland—fun and exciting
for a couple of days, and then, I can’t wait to get back to the Rogue
Valley.

CHRIS - We are at an interface of urban and rural. We can jump on Dr. Chris at the school medical clinic

54 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | fall 2020