GOBHI Partners with NEOAHEC to Provide Behavioral Health Curriculum for MedQuest Camps

THE DALLES, Ore. - Jan. 12, 2026 - PRLog -- GOBHI is excited to partner with the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center (NEOAHEC) to support the behavioral health curriculum for MedQuest camps in The Dalles, La Grande, and Burns, Oregon. MedQuest has a long-standing history of introducing high school students—particularly those from rural and underserved communities—to healthcare careers through hands-on, immersive learning experiences. Many program alumni go on to pursue education and careers in healthcare, often returning to serve their home communities.

Through this partnership, GOBHI is helping expand MedQuest's curriculum to include behavioral health, giving students early exposure to careers that are critical to whole-person care and especially vital in rural and frontier Oregon.

"MedQuest has a strong legacy of inspiring students to explore healthcare careers, and GOBHI is proud to contribute to that legacy through our partnership with NEOAHEC," said Julie Leutschaft, Chief Human Resources Officer at GOBHI. "By integrating behavioral health into these camps, we are investing in the future workforce and strengthening the pipeline for rural and frontier Oregon."

"With GOBHI's support, we are able to meet MedQuest students' growing interest in behavioral health careers through hands-on, career-connected learning that creates clear pathways to employment and further training," said Meredith Lair, Executive Director of NEOAHEC. "This is an important first step in expanding opportunities for students to become part of the behavioral health workforce in our region."

Together, GOBHI and NEOAHEC are advancing a shared commitment to workforce development by inspiring young people, reducing stigma around behavioral health, and building sustainable pathways into behavioral health careers for the communities that need them most.

Learn more about GOBHI at gobhi.org.