Oregon State Hospital – Diversity Walk (Photos)

“This Diversity Walk is our attempt to encourage cultural competency and heighten the diversity of staff and patients.” - Marvin Fickle, OSH Superintendent

All Photos by: Lela Taylor

(SALEM) - When given this assignment to cover the fourth annual Diversity Walk at the Oregon State Hospital, I had no idea what to expect.

I was very pleasantly surprised. It was a diversity walk through different countries via booths set up with food, pictures, and cultural items.

The hope of the individuals who created the Diversity Walk is to have it grow each year with more countries represented. Information is given to the patients encouraging them to participate.

The staff who “manned” the booths represented their heritage, either as someone who immigrated to this county, or someone whose parents/grandparents had immigrated.

This event is usually held on the grounds in front of Building 41 and it is open to the public. Today, they had some rooms inside the building set up, in case our favorite Oregon sunshine “rain” decided to fall.

At the first booth, I picked up a Passport. It was stamped and I was given a plate for the different culinary delights from each booth that represented of a different county. Once marked with stamps from all the booths, I was to turn it back in for a drawing.

Don Abel, Director of Security, had escorted me to the Diversity Walk and escorted me back. He introduced me to Steve Rubino, a Security Officer, who stayed at the event to make sure everything went well.

My first stop after the “Passport” table was the Italian table. Judy Hanson’s father and grandparents were from Italy. This country was represented by a Tortellini salad.

My jaunt around the world took me to the booth represented by Mexico and the salsa sauce and chips were served by Cecelia Rodriquez. This reporter had fun getting fed!

Clementine Benjamin, a Social Worker, represented the African American culture and served greens and sweet potatoes. She also wanted to tell me how she felt, saying the patients were wonderful, and the hospital works "100 percent" to reach out and meet the needs of everyone. She says an event like this Diversity Walk was just one of the many positive happenings that OSH encourages.

The Swiss were represented by Connie Finn, accountant in the OSH business office, who showed beautiful pictures of her home country; Switzerland.

The beautiful green country of Ireland had a table full of goodies and items provided by Bridie’s Irish Fair here in Salem. Irish music played in the background.

Not only were the different countries represented by food, there was also information shared about each country. Rosie Hampton, representing the Philippines, informed me that there were 7,107 islands making up the Philippines and that Tagalong was their native tongue, which has over 100 dialects. Now I didn’t know that before today!

Vietnam was represented by Huyen Tran who works in the General Psychiatric Building. Good Food and beautiful crafts from his country

Norma Owen, Nursing Supervisor, was originally from Scotland but has lived for 30 years in the U.S. She reiterated what I had heard from the majority of the individuals, “The Diversity Walk is a good thing. Helps people understand different parts of the world.” From the background flowed beautiful Scottish music.

The booths set up by the patients had books and information concerning mental illness. They also had informative information on the virtues of chocolate and how good it is for you. (No need to convince me – I love chocolate!) They also had a paper with beauty tips, one being of Audrey Hepburn’s poem:

“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. . .”

The theme of kindness and helping people was the overwhelming mood of this Diversity Walk. Two of the patients from Building 41A were very upbeat and positive about the building they live in. They said the modifications completed to date have made their site a beautiful place to be.

To them it is quiet and comfortable. They were adamant about not wanting it torn down. Their suggestions were to have modifications made, "but please do not tear the building down!"

There has been controversy about our Oregon State Hospital, how out-dated the buildings are and how they need to be removed. I can’t help but think Salem would be losing a part of their heritage if they were demolished.

Instead, I hope the powers that be are looking at what can be renovated and what actually needs to be torn down. We must look at saving part of our history, but also be able to move ahead and make changes where they are needed.

I left with the feeling that more people in our community need to meet and understand the people at our Oregon State Hospital - staff and patients. They need the backing of our community and the understanding of what really goes on behind the doors of OSH.

There are lives being lived behind those windows that seem so dark and foreboding. It just adds to that old adage, “Beauty is only skin deep. It is what is on the inside that really counts.” Maybe that is what our State Hospital is really about.