Making the impossible possible: COA member Jon’s story of resilience

Jon McGarett, of Hillsboro, wants the world to know: "My experience with CareOregon is the best I've had, and it has made my life so much better." Jon is no ordinary person; he's someone living with limitations most people can't imagine, yet he does so with a positive attitude and amazing resilience.

Instrumental to Jon's remarkable experience is Shannon Lang, RN, Transitional Care & Outreach Coordinator for CareOregon Advantage. She first met Jon in 2018 after he experienced multiple hospital readmissions for issues like pneumonia and urinary tract infections. "She keeps me running; she checks on my health, and everything," said Jon.

As members like Jon become eligible for Medicare, CareOregon Advantage brings Medicare and Medicaid coverage together under one coordinated roof.

My experience with CareOregon is the best I've had, and it has made my life so much better.

COA member Jon McGarett

Shannon meets with Jon monthly to check in to see how he is doing. If Jon's health begins to falter, she reaches out to his sister, who lives in The Dalles. "Shannon lets me know, and she lets my sister know - and my sister gets on the case. So, I get it from both ends," Jon joked. "Shannon's like my sister who lives here."

How Jon became a CareOregon Advantage member

Jon was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2000. At the time, he was working as a truck driver, when he fell down on the job. His doctor ran tests and concluded that Jon could no longer work. When first diagnosed, he had relapsing-remitting MS, meaning he would go through periods of remission, followed by flare-ups that included muscle weakness and spasms, fatigue, and trouble with walking and balance. In 2002, Jon became a CareOregon member, and transitioned to CareOregon Advantage in 2009.

Over time, his MS progressed. Jon, now 66, is paralyzed from the neck down. As his life became more limited physically, Jon was in desperate need of the right medical equipment. Without it, he was confined to his bed and developed more health problems. "You have to have an advocate in your corner who will fight for you," Jon said.

With CareOregon Advantage, Shannon could coordinate Jon’s Medicare and Medicaid benefits together, which removed barriers that often get members stuck.

Shannon was crucial in getting Jon essentials like a power wheelchair-which he propels with his chin-to keep him upright during the day. A specialized shower chair for quadriplegics also helped Jon bathe himself and avoid more bladder infections. "Through following him, I have found that I can keep him out of the hospital and healthy as long as we can keep his medical equipment working," she noted.

The challenges of getting the right equipment

However, it hasn't always been smooth sailing. In August 2025, Jon's ceiling lift, used to get him in and out of bed, broke. It was over a decade old and no longer under warranty. "The company that makes it is on the East Coast so getting a technician to fix it was difficult," says Shannon. Then his shower chair broke. Jon was back in the hospital multiple times.

Shannon knew Jon needed more help than his primary care provider (PCP) could give, and she was determined to get it for him. Shannon enrolled Jon in Housecall Providers, a CareOregon affiliate which provides primary care house call visits to people who have difficulty going into PCP clinics.

Shannon also connected Jon to physical therapy through CenterWell Home Health, which provides in-home health care services. The physical therapist helped document medical necessity for his shower chair and ceiling lift, the first step in getting new ones. “The shower chair was a breeze to get, but the ceiling lift proved more difficult,” Shannon said.

She was unable to find any local durable medical equipment (DME) company who would work with insurance to get a new ceiling lift approved. Shannon tried for over 6 months. "Essentially, no DME company was willing to bill for the product because what they would make wouldn't be worth their time," she added.

Shannon’s persistence pays off

Finally, with the encouragement of Kim Hubbel, Clinical Operations Manager at CareOregon, Shannon tried the Oregon Community Foundation, which offers grants and funds for people with specific needs in Oregon. “They stepped up when nobody else would,” Shannon said. The lift Jon needed was approved, ordered and delivered.

Meanwhile, Jon had once again been hospitalized with pneumonia due to prolonged time in bed. The day before he came home, the ceiling lift was installed. Jon has remained out of the hospital since. "I had a run-down car, and she got me a Cadillac," Jon joked about Shannon getting him the new ceiling lift.

"I truly believe he may not be here if it weren't for that ceiling lift, because with the prior hospitalization, his pneumonia was so bad that they put him on hospice because they didn't think he could survive," Shannon said. "But the second we got him up in his wheelchair, sitting upright and doing normal things, he rebounded quite well."

“I rebounded within two days,” Jon added proudly.

Jon and Shannon’s special bond

Shannon enjoys working with Jon because of his positive attitude. "He's got an amazing sense of humor and resiliency for what he's going through physically," she said. Although he can't do many of the things he used to enjoy doing, he's an avid bird watcher. He feeds the squirrels and birds in the fairy garden outside his home on a daily basis.

Jon's gratitude for Shannon, her care and her advocacy are all palpable. "She's like my little miracle worker," he said.

"I'm really fortunate that CareOregon actually encourages this kind of involvement from their care coordinators and encourages us to advocate as best as we can," Shannon added. "Jon's story shows how CareOregon is a village. So many people had to come together to make what seemed impossible happen."

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