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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 2010)
8 area news october12 2010 CHD Asks for Corrections, Approval at Hearing Fighting for a community hos- pital in St. Helens, the Columbia Health District pointed out numerous factual and legal errors in the State’s proposed order of denial for a certificate of need, and asked for a final order of approval, at an informal hearing October 5, 2010, in St. Helens. The Columbia Health District has applied to the Oregon Department of Human Services/Oregon Health Authority Certificate of Need program for approval to build a 12-bed hospital near St. Helens with a 24/7 emergency room. On September 20, 2010, the State issued a proposed order of denial. The CN office will allow writ- ten arguments to be submitted until October 25, 2010, and will make a fi- nal decision no later than November 4, 2010. Criteria-based process “This is a criteria-based pro- cess,” said attorney Peter Stoloff, repre- senting the CHD, “and we have met the criteria. The decision must be based on evidence in the record as a whole, DHS should be open and fair and correct the errors in the proposed denial and is- sue us an order of approval.” Stoloff pointed out errors in the proposed order in that the state called the local hospital a “convenience” and the addition of the 24/7 ER and hospital beds is not an in- crease in access to health care. “We are improving access to health care with a 24/7 ER and a Rural Health primary care clinic.” He said that the rules do not look at “convenience.” Stoloff noted that the order says that cost savings due to reduced travel expenses are difficult to quantify and not significant. “CHD calculated the travel cost savings both for private vehicle and ambulance. It is signifi- cant, and well over $750,000 in the first five years of operation alone,” he said. The order says that CHD provided no evidence supporting the view that the hospital will attract physicians, but that is not true. A letter from the director of the Office of Rural Health states that a community hospital attracts a larger medical community, and there are stud- ies showing that it is true, which were included with the CHD submission. ER is better access Stoloff also pointed out that the State seemed to equate the local urgent care clinic with an emergency room. He said that the CN process does not oversee urgent care clinics and that the addition to the community of a hospital is an improvement in access to health care. Urgent care is open about eight hours a day, and the hospital emergency room would be open around the clock. Stoloff also took exception to the implication in the proposed order that CHD did a “hunt and peck” to de- fine a service area. He said the State found no issue with the service area in the proposed order issued in 2009, but with no questions to the applicant is now criticizing the service area. He continued on page 19 Columbia County Urges Residents To Get Flood Insurance While Rates Are Low Columbia County is urging residents affected by the new and recently-approved Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps to get insurance before November 25th, the day before the new maps take effect. Columbia County recently completed the process of reviewing and renewing flood maps, which help identify hazard zones and high-risk properties that would be eligible for flood insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Some properties that were not in the flood plain in the past are now listed as in the flood plain, which means those residents may need to purchase a NFIP flood insurance policy. Columbia County Commissioner Tony Hyde says that residents who were not in the flood plain on the old maps can get flood insurance before the November 25th deadline at a lower rate. “It costs much less than buying the insurance after November 25th and you can grandfather the rate in future years so that the increase is not so expensive.” According to Glen Higgins, flood plain administrator for the county, if your dwelling has historically been mapped as out of the Flood Hazard area and now with the new maps are in, then you should purchase flood insurance prior to the November 25, 2010 deadline, so you qualify for Preferred Risk Policy. This Preferred Risk rate can be continued on that policy for a period of two years as long as the insurance policy is kept current. After two renewals, your policy will transition to a standard rate schedule, but because you bought a policy when your dwelling was out of the flood hazard area, you can grandfather to the “out of the flood zone” rate, or use the new zone rate whichever is less expensive for you. Those with mortgages may be forced by their lenders to purchase the flood insurance because standard home insurance does not cover flood insurance, according to Derek White, the county’s emergency management director. “All folks in the flood plain are highly encouraged to get flood insurance even if they don’t have a mortgage company requiring them to do so as home insurance doesn’t cover flooding,” White states. White also added that NFIP policies will pay claims even when federal disaster help is not eligible. “We had flooding in Clatskanie in January 2009 that did not meet the requirements for a federal disaster declaration. Those who had flood insurance were still able to get assistance with claims they filed and others were unable to get any kind of recovery assistance.” For more information on the NFIP, go to http://www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-888-379-9531. You may also call Glen at 503-397-7217. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Fiona, Laslo & Oka Terry’s Gym Midway Veterinary Clinic Small and Large Animals Open in Vernonia Wednesday & Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. YOUR LOCAL CO-ED GYM 503-901-1705 16720 Noakes Rd. Vernonia Call for Appointments (503) 429-1612 Or 24 hr. Emergency Number (503) 397-6470 805 Bridge Street Vernonia, OR
