It Takes A Team

Cheryl Boyum

CEO

A progressive and energetic leader, Cheryl Boyum guides our organization with enthusiasm and vision.  As CEO and liaison to our Board of Directors, she is passionate about carrying out Cascade Health’s mission to improve the health and quality of life in Lane County. Through strategic planning, program development and her unwavering dedication to staff, Cascade Health has evolved into an independent and financially stable non-profit organization.

“We have many dedicated people who work together to make a difference in the lives of others,” Cheryl says. “It is through their commitment, personal gifts and compassion that we have a positive impact on the community’s health and well-being.”

Cheryl fosters an environment that focuses on respect, teamwork, support, mentoring, and learning from mistakes. The result: a place where everyone feels they are contributing, fulfilling personal career goals, and making a difference.

“The thing I love the most about my job is the ability to touch the lives of others. I feel so privileged to work with and support such incredible, caring, and talented people.”

During her tenure as CEO, Cascade Health has:

• Implemented plans to build the first Hospice House in Lane County.
• Received recognition for being one of the top 100 nonprofit organizations to work for in Oregon.
• Settled an anti-trust lawsuit with PeaceHealth and established a collaborative partnership with both hospitals.
• Implemented an on-site primary care clinic at Monaco Coach for employees and dependents of Monaco (2006-09).
• Created an innovative membership-based primary care clinic for the uninsured in Lane County.
• Established itself as a community leader in offering healthcare services.

Cheryl has more than 38 years experience working in the healthcare field, many of which have been in management and administration. Previous positions include: food and nutrition services director, wellness and obesity treatment program director, occupational health services director, and vice president of operations.

When she’s not leading our team, Cheryl spends time with her family and their two golden retrievers. She enjoys snow-skiing, hiking, visiting the mountains, and Bible studies. One of her favorite vacations spots is Sun Valley, Idaho, for its incredible beauty, outdoor activities, and sense of community away from home.

Eric Van Houten, L.C.S.W.

COO*

Eric T. Van Houten, LCSW, has worked in the private non-profit and public sector since 1996. Since 2002 he has managed mental health and substance abuse programs, multidiscipline social service entities and ambulatory primary care clinics. His background includes working with individuals with a myriad of issues including chronic physical health conditions, drug and alcohol abuse & addiction, severe and persistent mental illness, poverty, and homelessness.

Eric has presented nationally on issues related to youth homelessness, multidisciplinary intervention strategies and implementation of behavioral health care into primary care. In 2012, he and other staff received the Oregon Primary Care Association Sustainability Award.  He is a member of the Expert Oversight Panel for the Patient Centered Primary Care Institute. In 2014, he was invited to participate in an expert review group in support of the Safety Net Medical Home Initiative’s Behavioral Health Integration Implementation Guide project in collaboration with AIMS Center at University of Washington, Qualis Health, and the MacColl Center for Health Care Innovation.

Eric was raised in Eugene and after years almost 10 years away for college and a tour of service in the Peace Corps, returned in 1994. He is married to Wendy Hunter, PA-C at Peace Health, and has two wonderful daughters. Eric enjoys being active with hiking, bicycling, playing basketball and golf, and trying to keep up with his daughters’ busy basketball and soccer schedules.

Linda Fleck, C.P.A.

CFO

Linda has worked in the field of health care since she was in her mid-20s. She earned her under-graduate and graduate degrees as an adult. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Business Administration in Accounting. She became a licensed CPA in 2012. Linda and her husband Darreld moved to the Eugene area in 2006, relocating from Hillsboro, Oregon.  They have three grown children and three beautiful granddaughters. When not working, Linda enjoys being outdoors in the sunshine, traveling, watching Oregon Ducks football, and spending time with family.

Travis Brooke

Director of Occupational Health

Dedicated and motivated, Travis Brooke joined Cascade Health in 2010, committed to increasing awareness of work and community health programs designed to enhance workers’ quality of life and increase health and safety. He specializes in identifying employer’s immediate needs and coming up with wellness programs and cost-saving solutions that have a direct benefit to worker health while decreasing compensation costs. He enjoys getting to know each of our client companies on a personal basis to understand the intricate details of each organization and the challenges they face.

Travis is a native of Eugene where he attended and graduated from the University of Oregon. In his spare time, Travis enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, skiing, volunteering and supporting the Oregon Ducks.

Laurel Anderson, L.C.S.W.

Behavioral Health/DIRECTION for Employee Assistance Manager

A social worker for more than 20 years, Laurel Anderson is the manager of DIRECTION for Employee Assistance Program. She worked with adults, children and families in various settings, and has a rich background as a counselor and support group leader. She helps people cope with issues like grief, loss, trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, and self-care. Grieving is a natural and important part of adjusting to and coping with death and in its many forms. In her free time, she likes to spend time with family and friends and loves to garden, hike, spend time at the Oregon coast, read, and travel.

Kirsten Gram, R.D., L.D., C.D.E.

Manager of Diabetes & Nutrition Education

Passionate about helping others make positive changes in their lives, Kirsten Gram provides education and support for those with diabetes, celiac disease, high cholesterol, and weight management issues.

Kirsten became a diabetes educator in 1990, and has worked in the diabetes field for 30 years. Today, she oversees Cascade Health’s diabetes and nutrition programs.

Her role as an educator, she says, is to “till the ground” and “plant the seed,” but the “harvest” comes when that person puts in the hard work, learns from his or her mistakes, paving the way to a healthier lifestyle.

Kirsten spends her free time hiking, biking, and trekking, as well as cooking, gardening, and being with her family.

Laura Helfrich

Home Health Manager

While spending the first 11 years in the clinic and hospital setting, Laura learned that people heal better in their homes. Having therapists and nurses come in to one’s home environment providing education on chronic disease management and home exercise program allows patients to get to a higher level of safe independence. When Laura was faced with the opportunity, 10 years ago, to join a home health team, be a part of improving patient outcomes, she had faith that she had much to offer the home health industry.  For the better part of the last 10 years Laura has been a leader and nurse educator in home health, always looking for innovative ways to provide services to patients in their home.  Serving the community towards better health is what brings gratification to Laura’s work life.  She also enjoys gardening, sewing, spending time with her grandkids.

Travis Hoffman, O.T.R.

Workers Action Program Manager

An occupational therapist for 16 years, Travis Hoffman manages our Workers Action Program, which focuses on the rehabilitation of injured workers.  He joined Cascade Health in 1999.

Previously, Travis worked as a traveling occupational therapist and had the opportunity to work at health centers all along the East Coast.

“My favorite thing about occupational therapy is getting to know and learning about the people we treat – their hobbies, interests, kids, plans for the future. It seems as though I’m constantly making new friends,” he says.

He also enjoys the challenges of his job, determining which of the many joint, muscle, and nerve conditions a patient might have, prescribing the appropriate treatment and exercise, and seeing improvement.

Travis enjoys time with his family, camping, hunting, fishing, golfing, and riding four wheelers at the dunes and on mountain trails.

Terrance Kinnamon, R.N.

Director of Hospice

Having worked in the field of hospice for 19 years, Terrance Kinnamon understands the ever-changing regulatory requirements and the many benefits that hospice brings to the community and the patients served. As Cascade Health’s Director of Hospice, Terrance is looking forward to opening the first Hospice House in Lane County. This will allow hospice to serve patients and families in their home, as well as in an acute care setting when symptoms can no longer be managed at home.

“The privilege of caring for people and their families at the end of their lives has been an honor and is very rewarding,“ says Terrance. “My goal is to be able to help more community members learn about our expanding hospice program.”
Terrance Kinnamon is a registered nurse with 20 years experience. He has also worked as a nurse in the acute hospital setting, including a neonatal intensive care unit, and previously served as a licensed practical nurse in the long-term care setting.

Terrance was raised in Globe, Arizona and after college and ten years experience working for a large hospice in Phoenix, Arizona he moved with his wife and two athletic boys to Oregon where he continued to work in the hospice field as a manager of two separate non-profit sector hospice agencies. Terrance enjoys being active with archery target shooting, fishing, and exploring new areas of Oregon on long walks with his wife.

Rachel Miller, R.N.

Pete Moore Hospice House Manager

Rachel Miller has worked in the field of hospice nursing for most of her career, almost 14 years, and 9 of those years with Cascade Health. Her first hospice position was working the night shift at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, a 15 bed hospice in-patient facility in Texas. This is where she discovered her passion and dedication for hospice patients and their grieving families. After moving to Oregon and a brief nursing hiatus, she rediscovered her calling at Cascade Health, first as a hospice float nurse, then RN case manager, followed by being the first hospice Admissions nurse at the organization. She has been excited to see the plans for Lane County’s first Hospice House and this community-based vision become a reality. She accepted the Hospice House Manager position in February 2016 and has worked closely with the leadership team to complete the multiple projects and tasks associated with opening up a brand new and very unique facility.

Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband, 6 year old son and their extended family, as well as oil and acrylic painting, reading and cooking.

Julius “Chooch” Vanis, EMT-B

Mobile Health/MedExpress Manager

Easy going and patient-focused, Chooch Vanis has been managing emergency personnel for over 20 years. For the last ten years, he has also been involved with Cascade Health’s project management, developing programs and working with clients to meet their specific clinical needs.

His background includes emergency services, temporary staffing, primary care clinic management, and special projects. He specializes in placing the right people, in the right place, at the right time to fulfill the health needs of our community.

“It’s rewarding to have such a positive impact on people – patients, staff members, businesses, and the public as a whole,” he says.

When he’s not working, Chooch works on various home improvement projects with his wife, and together they are busy raising their two daughters, and planning the next family vacation. He also volunteers for a local fire district.

Gary Woodward

Director of Information Technology

Gary Woodward, originally from Brooklyn, New York, began working in IT as an intern and advanced to management for Time Inc. Looking for a radical change of life, he moved to Fairbanks, Alaska where he resided for over 14 years. After receiving a degree in Computer Science and Information Systems he decided to become an English teacher, getting an additional degree in English, and later an MFA in poetry. He met his wife, a fourth generation Alaska, during their first year teaching at the local Catholic school. After teaching English and Information Technology classes for almost 4 years he decided to return to IT and customer service, working at the local hospital managing the IT Facility Customer Services department. Gary and Christina decided to make the move to Oregon to be closer to her grandmother. There they fell in love with the community and close-knit atmosphere of Eugene. They enjoy snowmobiling, homemade cooking, collecting animals (4 cats, 1 dog) and Sunday football (NY Giants) and baseball (NY Mets). They have just welcomed their first child and are now experiencing the whirlwind of newborn parenting.

Margie Brooks

Executive Director of Cascade Health Foundation

Margie’s bio – Coming Soon!