Our Leadership

Eric Van Houten, M.B.A., M.S.W.

Chief Executive Officer

  • Pronouns: he/him/his

    Eric Van Houten believes in servant leadership and views his position as an honor. He promotes a work environment where lifelong learning is a must. Eric joined Cascade Health in 2014 as chief operating officer and became CEO in 2018. He serves on the board of directors for ShelterCare, the Clinical Advisory Panel for Trillium Community Health Plans and the executive committee for 100% Health at United Way of Lane County. Eric holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Beloit College and a Master of Social Work from Portland State University. Eric is blessed with an amazing wife, Wendy Hunter, and two daughters, Madeline and Juliette, who inspire him to be the best human being possible.

Travis Brooke

Chief Operations Officer

  • Travis Brooke leads Cascade Health’s occupational health division including occupational medicine, physical therapy, employee testing, mobile health, wellness and onsite clinics. Travis specializes in identifying employers’ immediate needs and developing wellness programs and cost-saving solutions that have a direct benefit to worker health while decreasing compensation costs. A graduate of the University of Oregon with a Bachelor’s in Sociology, Travis is a native of Eugene. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, skiing, volunteering and supporting the Oregon Ducks.

Arianne Rizzi, C.P.A.

Chief Financial Officer

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Arianne Rizzi manages Cascade Health’s budget and financial health and has been with the organization since 2016. Arianne earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Utah in 1995 and moved to Eugene a couple of years later. She has over twenty-five years of local accounting experience including positions at Bigfoot Beverages and Symantec. She enjoys understanding and helping others understand what the numbers mean and how they fit together. Arianne enjoys spending time with her husband, dancing, live music, and escaping to the coast whenever possible.

Sarah-Kate Sharkey, M.P.A.

Executive Director of Foundation & Marketing

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Sarah-Kate Sharkey joined the Cascade Health team in 2021, bringing to the position 16 years of donor engagement, event planning and fundraising experience. She leads the organization’s foundation in raising funds to support Cascade Health’s end-of-life care services and other unmet health needs. She loves helping to change lives by serving as a connector between community needs and people who want to help others through philanthropy. Sarah-Kate holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a master’s degree and not-for-profit management certificate from the University of Oregon Public Policy & Management program. In her free time, Sarah-Kate enjoys creating art and playing games with her daughter, running, yoga, roaming the great outdoors and songwriting with her piano.

Tracy Beckmann

Manager of Diabetes & Nutrition Education

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Tracy began working at Cascade Health in 2015 and became manager of the department in 2022. She holds an undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics from Oregon State University and completed her dietetic internship there as well. Her main goal is to show that eating well and moving your body can help you feel better on a foundational level. While Tracy can’t claim to be a native Oregonian, she has lived in Eugene most of her life. In her free time, she enjoys backpacking, hiking, being outside and, of course, eating delicious and nutritious food.

Michelle Bremer

Manager of Occupational Health

  • Michelle joined Cascade Health in 2021 and manages the Occupational Health department. Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon in exercise and sports science. She loves running, cross-fit and hiking in her free time as well as spending time with her family and traveling abroad. Michelle was a founding member of the Cascade Medical Team, a group of physicians and medical professionals who do medical mission trips to provide care in Guatemala and is a Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International. She is eager to partner with our community to keep people happy, healthy and working.

Jason Briggs

Manager of Information Technology

  • Pronouns: he/him/his

    Jason Briggs has 15 years of enterprise IT experience, including 13 years in health care IT. He has held many technical positions, including helpdesk analyst, network engineer and numerous leadership roles. Jason completed his degree in computers and networking technology at Pioneer Pacific College. In his free time he enjoys woodworking, gaming, golfing and traveling.

Kristi Carlstrom

Human Resources Director

  • Bio coming soon

Jodi DePaoli, LPC

Manager of Counseling & EAP

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Jodi began working for Cascade Health in 2015 and became manager of the counseling and employee assistance program in April 2019. She has a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and enjoys working with adolescents, adults, couples and families. Jodi specializes in the treatment of anxiety, communication, anger management, blended family issues and relationship conflicts using cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness-based therapy. She is also trained in cognitive processing therapy for trauma. In her free time, Jodi enjoys spending time with her husband and four teenagers, walking her dog, practicing yoga, reading and spending time with friends and family.

Gabrielle Haxby

Manager of Mobile Health

  • In 2022, Gabrielle joined Cascade Health, bringing her experience as an emergency medical technician and health care manager with her. She helps support the Cascade Mobile Health program. She received her bachelor’s in psychology and minored in philosophy at Cal Poly Pomona. When Gabrielle is not working, she can be found reading, baking, collecting houseplants and raising three children. She is an enthusiastic lifelong learner and enjoys being part of a team working to support clients and patients in her community.

Deanne Galbraith Bain

Manager of Physical & Hand Therapy

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Deanne began her career at Cascade Health as a medical assistant student intern in 2007. She worked in Occupational Health before becoming the manager of Physical and Hand Therapy in 2021. Deanne received her medical assisting and limited X-ray certificates from Pioneer Pacific College. In addition to working at Cascade Health, she volunteers for medical outreach efforts in Uganda. Outside of work, you might find her biking the Row River bike path with her husband or hiking the Ridgeline Trail System with her dogs.

Laura Helfrich, RN

Senior Manager of Home Care

  • While spending the first 11 years in the clinic and hospital setting, Laura learned that people heal better in their homes. Laura joined the home health team 10 years ago. Laura has been a leader and nurse educator in home health, always looking for innovative ways to provide services to patients in their home. Serving the community towards better health is what brings gratification to Laura’s work life. She also enjoys gardening, sewing, spending time with her grandkids.

Kathryn Killen

Project Manager

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Kathryn Killen manages the implementation and maintenance of Cascade Health’s electronic medical record (EMR) software. She also assists with other organizational projects, including serving as volunteer coordinator for the Festival of Trees fundraising event. Kathryn first joined Cascade Health in 2007. She is a native Oregonian and a graduate of George Fox with a Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management. Kathryn enjoys spending time hiking and traveling with her husband and dogs.

Tara Hubbird

Business Development Manager

  • Tara started with Cascade Health in November 2022 as a Consultant for Cascade Health’s At Home Services: Home Health, Palliative Care, Hospice and the Pete Moore Hospice House. Her passion for serving her community grew from the time she was very young, seeing her grandparents and parents working and volunteering their time, energy and finances to support those in their communities who were faced with challenging circumstances. Tara graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and spent many years managing teams and working in a Public Relations role for other non-profit organizations before finding her true calling at Cascade Health. Tara loves to spend time with her husband extraordinaire and talented daughter, traveling the world - and shopping, of course!

Alicia Peacor

Manager of Pete Moore Hospice House

  • Bio coming soon.

Travis Hoffman, OTR

Manager of Physical & Occupational Therapy

  • Travis joined Cascade Health in 1999 as part of the occupational health group. Prior to that, he completed a Bachelor of Science in occupational from the University of Puget Sound. He has worked in a variety of clinical positions across the United States and became most interested in orthopedic evaluation and treatment. He enjoys utilizing the application of orthopedic evaluation and manual treatment to help workers restore their strength, mobility and function. He and his wife have two daughters and the family loves camping, hiking, and cruising through the dunes and mountains on side-by-sides. Travis also enjoys hunting and fishing.