Rachel Koljesky (’21) is a Public Health Representative for Tillamook (OR) County Health Community Health Centers. She promotes community health and wellness at the individual, community, and systems levels. Because she works for a small rural county health department, Rachel wears many hats. As the Harm Reduction and Syringe Service Program Coordinator, she educates clients about overdose prevention and NARCAN use and safety. As the Mobile Clinic Coordinator, she schedules a team of specialists and service providers and manages contracts for community locations and service provision. As the Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, she coordinates events such as Tillamook County’s Overdose Awareness Day, School and Family Resource Fairs, and Children’s Dental and Immunization Clinics. 

Rachel says that she loves “being able to positively influence the community I live in. I’m providing services to my neighbors and community members and influencing and changing policies that have a direct impact on my own day-to-day life.”

One thing that WOU Public Health taught her was “how important collaboration is and not reinventing the wheel…especially with folks who have traditionally been left out of the conversation. I currently partner with folks who are in long term recovery when providing Overdose Prevention Trainings, and we use the feedback from people who utilize our Syringe Service Program to expand and improve our training. People are really good at telling you what they need if you know how to ask.”