How is my community doing?
Its thought that crosses our minds- and just like thinking of the well-being of our friends and family, the thought might also come up: Who’s checking in on them?
Our community is an extension of our neighborly family. Their wellbeing, support, and health impact the overall local community health and wellness. And, just as there are necessary check-ins to ensure the right care is made available to those we care about in our nuclear families, the close-to-home community needs the same support.
Here in Ashland, Oregon we are lucky enough to have a representative nonprofit committed to enhancing the health of our community.
Ashland Community Health Foundation was founded in 1977 with a goal in mind: providing a connection of support from community members to the Ashland Community Hospital. With roots reaching deep, expansion was made possible by partnerships with generous supporters and local nonprofit organizations. It is in this growth, a further reach of community health enhancement through advancing innovative and equitable approaches to health and wellness are made possible- and attainable!
What Does Ashland Community Health Foundation Do?
Their values list includes:
Passion for Ashland’s hospital and community health and wellness.
Integrity as we carefully steward the resources entrusted to us.
Relationships with donors, agents, and the community.
Advocacy in support of equitable access to health care.
Generosity with charitable gifts, time, and expertise.
Continuity as a trusted community agent.
But what does that look like in action?
ACHF holds strong to their notable initiatives:
Community Health and Wellness, bringing into focus the access to hospital services, basic health care, food security, adequate shelter, access to education, economic stability, personal safety, and emotional support for children, adults, and families throughout all tiers of the community.
Facilitating the Evans Endowed Nursing Scholarship, a gift from Ruth T. Evans who was passionate and understanding of the importance of a strong health care system and its beneficial effects to the community as a whole. After her passing, she left a sum of money to open a pathway and enable nursing students to move through the programs on scholarship. Since its creation in 2002, 344 scholarships have been awarded to 277 nursing students in excess of $963,600.
Innovation Initiative emphasized to understand as health care is changing and evolving, so too is the focus of funding. This initiative moves the outlook forward, looking at technologies that offer affordability, quality, safety, and healthy outcomes for the whole community. Not only does this initiative prioritize the proper use of technologies to expand healthcare through all communities, it also prompts a collaboration among professionals and caregivers from many different backgrounds and perspectives.
Connection to Ashland Insurance, Inc.
The ACHF Board of Directors and Staff are made up of individuals committed to the mission and vision set in motion, and made possible by donors and recipients in the community. Having individuals like this in our community is beyond important. Lucky for us at Ashland Insurance, the ACHF past president, Ed Colson, is on our team of agents, acting as a true community companion as he facilitates services and coverage to fit each person’s needs.
Ed Colson is committed to his community. As part of the Ashland community, he began a successful career as an insurance professional and has enjoyed working with all types of businesses and individuals over the years at Ashland Insurance. In addition, he has been actively involved in a variety of civic and charitable organizations in Ashland that go beyond ACHF.
As he entered the insurance field, Ed handled all types of auto, property and liability claims for a national insurance carrier. Continuing to build expertise, Ed also built skills with sophisticated risk analysis and coverage placement, becoming a trusted advisor with his clients. When Ed joined Ashland Insurance Agency in 2008, he was able to give more emphasis on Ashland and the Rogue Valley- the community he is so committed to being a member of. Throughout all this time, Ed has been very involved in the Ashland Community and has been involved in service clubs, such as Ashland Rotary, and other nonprofit groups with the goal of giving back to the community that has given him so much.
If you’d like to learn more about the Ashland Community Health Foundation and what it gives to the community Ed is committed to serving, you can find all the information you’re looking for on their website.
If you’d like to contact Ed about how he may serve you with his expertise offered through Ashland Insurance, all you’d have to do is contact him by accessing his bio and profile on our Contact page,
by emailing him at or by giving him a call at 541-608-1864