desperately needed a car because they had lost theirs,” Holland said. (Continued on page 32). Jackson Care Connect and AllCare Health have continued to help members during the fire recovery, also because of yearly wildfires and smoke that plague the region. This year, their efforts included distributing air filters to vulnerable people. In the future, Williams said AllCare Health could use its mapping capabilities to identify medically vulnerable people who could be hurt by power shut-offs. Power companies are allowed to shut off electricity to areas
during times of extreme fire danger, such as when dry conditions combine with hot, windy weather. Wind can cause tree branches to fall into power lines and spark fires. “We can identify people on medical devices that need power. We can predict who might need a generator,” Williams said. With scientists predicting hotter weather and more wildfires, the lessons learned from the Almeda Fire will prove even more important, he said. The Almeda Fire started Sept. 8, 2020, during unusually hot September weather. Strong wind pushed it from Ashland up the Intestate 5 corridor. The fire destroyed swaths of Talent, Phoenix and rural homes before firefighters stopped it on Medford’s south outskirts. Holland said Jackson Care Connect now pays even closer attention to weather events that could threaten the health and lives of residents. “It really has increased our emphasis on how we’re going to respond to those in the future,” she said. n
AllCare Health distributed hygiene supplies, food and other necessities to Rogue Valley residents who fled the 2020 Almeda Fire. [Photo by Justin Briggs courtesy of AllCare Health]
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The Business Review | December 2022
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