Season 1, Episode 34: Dec. 22, 2025

With calendars creaking and inboxes begging for mercy, this week’s episode captures that unmistakable end-of-year ODHS energy — part urgency, part care, part quiet humor holding it all together. From critical SNAP updates to stories of community support, steady leadership, and holiday generosity, this episode closes out the year the way ODHS does best: informed, grounded, and still showing up for one another. And yes — we finish with a Writer’s Round-Up that might feel very familiar to anyone still on one last meeting.

What’s Inside

Deadline: ODHS

• SNAP food benefit and work-rule changes now in effect statewide as of Dec. 1

FACT of the Week

• Clear, vetted federal updates translated into practical guidance for ODHS staff

Seasonal Stories: Communities in Action

• Mi Gente ERG Thanksgiving Dinner

• OREM Resilience Grant
  

Writer’s Round-Up

• It’s time for a bit (Clement Clarke) Moore Christmas

Credits

Host: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications

Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe

Contact: [email protected]

You may be hearing questions about Medicaid data sharing and immigration enforcement. In late November, CMS announced a federal policy that could allow limited Medicaid and Marketplace data sharing with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Oregon is actively challenging that policy in court, and a judge has ordered CMS not to share this data while the case continues. That court order has now been extended through January 5, 2026, meaning CMS is not legally allowed to share Medicaid or Marketplace information with immigration enforcement during this time. The Oregon Health Authority has shared updated guidance and resources to help staff respond clearly and reassure people, and this guidance applies within ODHS as well. Oregon remains committed to protecting privacy and access to care, recognizing that health care is a basic human need, not a tool for enforcement. Thank you for continuing to support people with care, respect, and compassion during a stressful and uncertain time.

Season 1, Episode 33: Dec. 15, 2025

28 min, 12 sec.

What’s inside The Big Picture

This week, The Big Picture heads to the Barbara Roberts Building in Salem for a conversation with Acting Deputy Director Dana Hittle — the “Medicaid whisperer” whose work sits at the center of some of ODHS’ most complex decisions. Dana talks about Medicaid as a living structure that shapes who gets care and who risks falling through the cracks, and what it’s like to lead through HR1: shifting federal guidance, new work requirements, and rules that can leave even experts saying, “Wait…what?”

She explains how those changes land with OEP workers and frontline staff, and what they mean for Oregon families navigating a safety net under strain. Dana describes Oregon’s decades of work building a compassionate Medicaid infrastructure, and why the focus now is on mitigating harm and preserving the foundation so it can be rebuilt when conditions change. She also shares her own path as a self-described “accidental leader” and “planned bureaucrat,” and why she chooses to stay in Oregon public service: a belief that government exists to help people, not to say no. The episode also includes a lighthearted holiday message celebrating the ODHS “North Pole heroes” working through the season.

Our Celebrity PSA: A holiday wish with a long “Elf” life (15:05)

Credits Hosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications and Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10

Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe

Contact: Questions / feedback: [email protected]

Season 1, Episode 32: Dec. 15, 2025 18:07

This week, we’re rolling into the holidays Mystery Machine–style, cruising foggy Oregon roads with a full cast of Scooby-inspired stories — from compassionate holiday moments to agency-wide reminders that keep our teams safe, steady, and informed. We’re talking festive decorating do’s and don’ts, a federal update that cuts through the rumor fog, and a Velma-level spotlight on staff whose courage, clarity, and lived experience keep ODHS moving with heart. And as always, we close with a Writer’s Round-Up that pulls all the clues together — lanterns, belfries, meddling kids and all.

What’s Inside

Deadline: ODHS (5:28)

• No new deadlines, but…

• A few holiday decorating reminders on tree safety, light sensitivity, and inflatables

Fact of the Week (8:29)

• Proposed federal public charge updates
  

Design, Real, Delivered (10:06)

• Darla Sett: Leadership in military service & mental/behavioral health review

• Billy Cordero: Lived experience shaping resource family recruitment

• Joy Plummer: Disability advocacy and AbleNet leadership

• Liesl Wendt and Rolanda Garcia bid adieu to KOIN’s Jeff Gianola

Writer’s Round-Up (15:47)

• A mystery solved by ODHS’s “meddling” everyday heroes

Credits

Host: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications

Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe
Contact: [email protected]

The federal government has proposed changes to the public charge rule—used by immigration officers to decide whether someone seeking a visa or green card may depend heavily on government support—but the rules have not changed, and the 2022 public charge rule remains in effect. Most ODHS benefits do not count toward public charge; currently, only Medicaid-funded long-term care in a nursing home and TANF cash assistance are included, and the proposal does not add new programs. People can still safely apply for medical, food, cash, and child care benefits. Although the proposal would allow immigration officers to consider more information when reviewing applications, this will take time and is not yet in place. ODHS is monitoring federal updates, preparing guidance, and working with partners to address confusion, since fear and misinformation have historically caused immigrant and mixed-status families to avoid essential services—leading to worse health outcomes, reduced program use, and more strain on safety-net providers.

Season 1, Episode 31: Dec. 10, 202530 min, 28 sec.

What’s inside The Big Picture

This week, The Big Picture heads to Corvallis for a conversation with benefit eligibility worker and Mi Gente ERG chair Umberto Nation, who breaks down what ERGs are really meant to do. He explains how they began as a way to bridge communities who often view government as distant, and the ODHS staff who share their cultural background and language.

Umberto highlights the internal side of ERGs—recruiting, supporting, and promoting members of underrepresented communities—and the external work of showing up locally, hearing real concerns, and bringing that insight back to the agency. He also shares how ERGs stepped up during COVID-19 to reach people who might otherwise have been cut off from critical information.

The episode reflects on why these groups matter now, especially as some states move away from them, and how they help ODHS stay connected, informed, and human in its service to Oregonians.

Credits Hosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10

Produced by Dr. Bethany Grace Howe

Contact Questions / feedback: [email protected]

And in our Celebrity-SA: “Neil Before the Awesomeness of the SAGP’s… (16:51)

Season 1, Episode 30:

Dec. 8, 2025

19:31

This week, we’re cranking the dial all the way into 1990s radio nostalgia — where big-hearted updates meet big-haired energy, and every announcement lands like a power ballad hitting its final key change. From seasonal well-being tools and inclusive recruitment support to ERG community building and statewide planning for Oregon’s older adults, we’re spinning a playlist packed with clarity, care, and a few unexpected deep cuts. Then, as always, we close with a Writer’s Round-Up that pays tongue-in-cheek tribute to the era of dramatic dedications and even more dramatic feelings.

What’s Inside

Deadline: ODHS (5:51)

• Seasonal well-being supports

• CRM skill-building, neurodivergent-inclusive recruitment

• The RaIN ERG’s year-end gathering

Mission: In Policy (10:56)

• Plain Language Update – Avoiding Idioms

• Classification Implementation

• APD’s 2026–2030 State Plan on Aging

Writer’s Round-Up (16:01)

• A full-tilt, melodramatic long-distance dedication from the people of Oregon to the people of ODHS — tissues, eye-rolls, and heartfelt excess included

Credits

Host: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications

Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe

On November 24, the Governor’s Office received a new letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In this letter, USDA repeated a request that Oregon provide specific SNAP eligibility information for every household member dating back to Jan. 1, 2020. 

The request includes personal information, such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, immigration status, income details, and EBT card numbers for every person listed on a SNAP case.

USDA is requiring states to either send the full data within 30 days or send written objections by noon EST on December 8.  At this time, however, no data has been sent from Oregon and we and our multistate legal partners are still negotiating.

Season 1, Episode 29: Dec. 3, 2025 28 min, 21 sec.

What’s inside The Big Picture

This week’s episode brings us to the Newport storefront office on the Oregon coast, where Bethany sits down with OEP eligibility workers Perla Garcia and Susan Reed for a candid conversation about serving families in a season shaped by HR-1, federal shutdown fears, and fast-shifting benefit rules. Perla and Susan describe what it’s like to be the first person someone sees when their SNAP benefits are delayed or uncertain, and how they navigate those conversations with honesty, empathy, and practical guidance.

They share how coastal realities—winter layoffs, tourism-based income, long travel distances, and high food insecurity—shape the urgency of their work, and how both formal supports (food pantries, churches, tribal commodities programs) and informal “coconut telegraph” networks help keep people afloat. As longtime members of the community, they talk about how local knowledge and cultural connection help them deliver hard news with compassion.

The episode closes with reflections on belonging, resilience, and what it means for ODHS staff to hold the line between uncertainty and hope when so much remains unknown.

Credits Hosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10

Produced by Dr. Bethany Grace Howe

Contact Questions / feedback: [email protected]

And in our Celebrity-SA: Winter is Coming… (14:33)

Season 1, Episode 28: Dec. 1, 202519 mins. 41 secs.

From a moving office party to maintaining statewide momentum, this edition heads out with a full itinerary: one “Transformation”al December deadline, and a travel-themed tour through four examples of the Magnificent Seven: the new Milton-Freewater office, fresh ERG membership updates, ODHS in the Veteran’s Day Parade, and a statewide Stand Down recap. Then, as always, we’ll wrap the whirlwind in a Writer’s Round-Up that tries to stick the Steve on landing.

What’s Inside

Deadline: ODHS (4:50)

• Dec. 8 All-Staff Office Hours overview and action steps

FACT of the Week: (6:21)

• New Resource Guides now available to support families during fast federal changes

The Magnificent Seven (8:29)

• IMT leads statewide food-access response during the hunger emergency

• Milton-Freewater office moves to a new trauma-informed location on Dec. 8

• ERG membership and mentoring opportunities available for all staff

• ODHS participates in the Linn County Veteran’s Day Parade

• Statewide 2025 Stand Downs support Veterans with essential service

Writer’s Round-Up (17:20)

• “The Muse News”: Bringing the voice of classic Steve Martin-style to the week

Credits

Host: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications

Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe

Contact: [email protected]