Photo by RANDY PARKS

Nic Calvin is set to take over the reins of the Harney County Health Department. 

Jolene Cawlfield is retiring from her position as director of the Harney County Health Department on Aug. 31, and Nic Calvin is set to take over the reins.

Calvin grew up in Alabama — more specifically, Chelsea, Ala., since the age of 13. After high school, he attended Emmaus Bible School in Dubuque, Iowa, for three years, receiving his undergraduate degree. He then returned to Alabama for both graduate school and law school. In May, he received a juris doctorate degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham while simultaneously receiving his master’s degree in public health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

When asked what sparked his interest in public health, Calvin replied that both of his parents were pharmacists, and he had worked as a pharmacy technician.

“And so, I had background in treatment of illnesses, but was really interested in the public health side where you kind of prevent the illness from ever happening,” Calvin said. “That got me interested in public health, and then I started the program [at UAB] and gained more interest during the program from working at a homeless shelter in Birmingham, and then also I worked for one summer at the CDC (Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga.) in their public health law program.”

After graduating in May, Calvin and his wife, Kathryn, decided to move West for a change of scenery and a new adventure, and Calvin began to look for work in either Oregon or Washington.

Upon moving to Burns, Calvin said his first impression was that, “The people are super nice.” He said that as soon as his neighbors saw they had moved in, they brought over fresh-baked cookies and introduced themselves.

“We were just pleasantly surprised at how friendly all the people were. Coming from the South, that was great because people are very friendly, and everybody’s a big family down there, so it was great to come to a very similar type of place,” he said.

Calvin began working at the Harney County Health Department July 15. In his new position, Calvin will serve as director of the health department and oversee the Rural Health Clinic program. He said he was fairly comfortable with the public health side of his position, but learning how a clinic operates has been a bit of a learning curve. Calvin said working at a homeless shelter was a vital part of understanding the needs of people, and working at the CDC provided a huge background in public health law.

“We see a lot of that here with our immunization laws and other regulations that we have to follow, grant management, and so being able to work with the CDC really helped me prepare for that part of the job,” he said.

Calvin noted that a public health department offers some different programs than perhaps a private practice would, with those programs geared more toward the public, with an emphasis on low-income individuals. The health department also helps people sign up for the Oregon Health Plan.

“A lot of our aspects reach out to people who need help, and we want to help them,” he said.

Calvin added that having a clinic attached to the health department allows them to serve everyone in the community.

Taking over as director of a health department is a daunting task in itself, but when you throw a pandemic in at the same time, how does that affect the job?

Calvin said that his experience in going to law school and grad school at the same time prepared him for any stress he could foresee.

“Those two were extremely difficult, especially together. Everyone thought I was crazy for doing it, but I was able to get through that and succeed, so coming in with COVID it’s just a new challenge,” Calvin said. “Frankly, I have a great team here that’s really helped. Everyone is really buckling down and making sure they do a great job helping people to be safe when they come into our clinic or health department, and also in outreach to the community about COVID. Jolene has helped immensely, especially with her videos. She’s very prepared to handle the crisis, and it’s a great structure I’ve come into.”

Calvin added that the health department has been reaching out to those who don’t want to follow the COVID restrictions set forth by the governor’s office through education.

He explained that the department is showing people the importance of masks in minimizing the possibility of getting COVID as well as the flu. He said the goal is to educate people, encourage them, and not “look at them as the enemy” when they’re not wearing a mask.

“They’re still our neighbor,” he said, adding that his approach is to help them understand why wearing a mask is important. “It’s not just for them. It’s also to protect the people around them, especially the elderly who are very susceptible to COVID.”

Looking ahead, Calvin said he would like to see the health department expand its tobacco-prevention program. That would include visiting schools, educating the community, and attempting to minimize the use of tobacco, a leading cause of death in the U.S.

When he’s not at work, Calvin said he and his wife enjoy hiking, exploring new places, and just trying to stay active.

Calvin added that he is looking forward to getting out and meeting new people in the community.