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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 2011)
4 community bulletin board/letters to the editor october25 2011 Columbia County is a Medically Underserved Area Thursday October 27, 6-7:30 PM at the Vernonia Community Learning Center there will be a Community Healthcare Town Hall, to discuss the future for health care in Columbia County. The event will be hosted by Columbia Community Mental Health and Coastal Family Health Center Although Columbia County has excellent medical providers, the US Department of Health and Human Services has designated the residents of Columbia County a medically underserved population. What does that mean? It means there are not enough Primary Care Physicians, Physician Assistants, and Nurse Practitioners to provide Columbia County residents with the health care they need. It also means that the residents of Columbia County may benefit from developing a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). FQHCs are located in high need areas. They are designed to provide comprehensive primary care, dental, mental health, and addiction services to all residents of the county regardless of their ability to pay. FQHCs are governed by a community board comprised of 51% patients. Roland Migchielsen, Executive Director of Columbia Community Mental Health, is hosting these information sharing meetings in 5 cities throughout Columbia County to present the option of developing an FQHC. How do I access medical services in Vernonia? If you are having a medical emergency you should call 911. Non emergency dispatch numbers are, 503-397- 1521 or 800-696-7795 for Police, Fire and Medical. If you choose to seek emergency services on your own, the closest facilities are: Tuality Hospital, Forest Grove at 503 359-6180 or Providence St. Vincent Hospital, Beaverton at 503 216-1234. If you have an Urgent need and cannot schedule with your Primary Care Physician or do not have a Primary Care Physician, the closest Urgent Care Facilities are: Legacy Urgent Care, St. Helens at 503 397-7119 or Concentra Urgent Care, Hillsboro at 503 726-1021 or PMG Urgent Care, Hillsboro at 503 216-9360 or Geneva Health Center, Forest Grove at 503 992-0288. If you are looking for a new Primary Care Physician our local Physician Dr. Carole McIntyre is open to new clients and is working to be credentialed through most major insurance carriers including OHP. Her contact information is: 503 429-4096. Other Primary Care Services are: Scappoose Family Clinic 503 543-3181 or Virginia Garcia Health Center, Hillsboro at 503 601-7400 - Cornelius at 503 352-8610 or PMG Orenco Station, Hillsboro at 503 216-1600 or Geneva Health Center, Forest Grove at 503 992-0288. If you are experiencing * Chest pain * Severe abdominal pain * Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath * Sudden dizziness, weakness or loss of coordination or balance * Sudden blurred vision * Numbness in the face, arm or leg * Sudden, severe headache * Deep cuts or bleeding that won’t stop * Coughing up or vomiting blood * Severe burns * Seizures ALWAYS CALL 911. Please keep these numbers readily accessible for your convenience. Vernonia Volunteer Ambulance Association Annual Pie Sale 2011 Please support the VVAA through their Annual Pie Sale. Order forms are requested to be submitted by November 11th at 5 PM. Pick up will be available November 22nd & 23rd between 10 AM-8 PM 9inch Pie $8.00 Pumpkin, Cherry, Apple, Low Sugar Cherry & No sugar Apple Pies Bread /Loafs $5.00 Banana, Zucchini, Pumpkin & Orange/Cranberry One Pound Fudge Blocks $10.00 Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate Peanut Butter & White Chocolate Mint To place an order please : Email: Vernoniamwa@yahoo.com or Call 503- 429-4600 or drop by the Fire Station M-F 8 AM-4 PM Readers Lend Their Voices... professionally. What I do know is that, at the time the flood recovery effort was desperate for a volunteer with To the volunteers of the year. construction experience, Mark showed Vernonia Salmon Festival: I very much up and stayed for nearly three years. At appreciate the work you put into this William Scheuerman least a third of that time, Mark was an festival. I loved the new things they Age 11, Vernonia unpaid volunteer. brought this year especially the tractor At a time long before key flood ride. recovery grant funds were available, This was our best year yet, To the Editor Mark assumed the role of our senior almost everyone went to the festival so We were saddened by the construction staff. Part of Mark’s job if you bring something new next year news that Mark Drexel passed away was to assure others that promised it will bring more people to the festival on October 9th. It’s hard to think about funding would eventually get here. He Mark’s passing without resorting to also had the task of trying to assemble next year hopefully. The fishing this year was the clichés. “He was too young” certainly fully “cooked” construction projects best I had, so thank you to the volunteers comes to mind. so that they could be approved by our I really only knew Mark funders. In the meantime, Mark helped who put your time in to helping us this us coordinate volunteers and donations to complete as HOW TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR many projects as we could Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and requests your thoughts, opinions and ideas. without public funding. It Please include your name, address and phone number, limit your letters to 300 was a time of maximum words or less. Vernonia’s Voice reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for stress and minimum certainty. a response to letters submitted. We will print letters, space permitting. Deadline During all this time Mark is the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. Email: scott@vernoniasvoice.com or came to work each day and delivered a sense of solidity mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064. and stability to the clients, PAYROLL PLUS LLC Edi Sheldon 503-429-1819 edisheldon@gmail.com Income Tax Preparation (Individual & Small Business) Bookkeeping QuickBooks Assistance Full Service Payroll LTC#29629-C Upcoming Events Health Care Town Hall, October 27, 6:00-7:30 PM-- at the Verno- nia Learning Center to discuss improving access for all to medi- cal, dental, mental health and ad- diction care for the residents of Columbia County. Halloween in Vernonia, October 31—Costume Sidewalk Parade, open to kids up to 10 years old, a safe way to trick-or-treat. Line up begins at City Hall at 4 PM; pa- rade begins at 4:30 PM sharp. Any businesses, or organizations are welcome to join the fun. Church Trick or Treat, start Hallow- een at the Vernonia Community Church with free hot dogs, chips and drinks from 5:30-7 PM. Fall Carnival, this is the 25th anniver- sary for this event at the Vernonia Christian Church, 410 North St. A safe Halloween alternative from 7-8:30 PM. Games, prizes, good- ies and more—free family fun for everyone. Spirit of Christmas in Verno- nia, December 3-- Celebrate a traditional, old-fashioned, small town holiday. Highlights include a holiday parade, live nativity, jungle dance, bake off, Victorian carolers, pottery show, fruit cake fling, story telling and more. our projects and the office staff. Eventually, CAT was able to find some funding to pay Mark for his work. It was less than half the salary he could have demanded anywhere else. Almost despite personal circumstance, Mark’s commitment to helping the victims of the 2007 flood never wavered. In all, Mark helped at least fifty homeowners plan and execute their recovery. Mark’s commitment to help others came from within and it was able to withstand contractor business failures, client complaints and misunderstandings within our hectic office environment. In the end, at a loss for better words, a final cliché sums it up for me: The World is diminished because of Mark’s passing. We have all lost a comrade and a friend. Jim Tierney Executive Director Community Action Team, and Director of Columbia County Flood Relief Need body work? Vernonia Veterinary Clinic Time to call Meyer’s Auto Body Now Open Meyer’s Auto Body 493 Bridge Street, Vernonia. 503-429-0248 Small and Large Animals Mon, Wed & Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Call for Appointments (503) 429-1612 Or 24 hr. Emergency Number (503) 397-6470 700 Weed Ave. Vernonia, OR
