in other words
october17
2013
Natural Path to Health-Happy Autumn
By Dr. Carol McIntyre
Hello all. I hope you are
enjoying the Autumn season so far.
The rains we’ve had can sometimes
make it difficult… but we need the rain
to compensate for such a dry summer
and supply our gardens with moisture
and nutrition. Remember to harvest
appropriately so you can make the most
of your crops and reap the rewards
of your hard work from the summer.
At NPHS we are gearing up for the
preparation of our working garden.
As soon as the weather permits
we will be tilling the soil for the new
garden spot. I have decided to start
with a smaller section and expand from
there after seeing the rate of patient
participation. Thank you to Scott Laird
for donating recycled newspapers as
compost/covering for the garden space.
Other donations are still needed and
graciously accepted. It is very exciting
to get this project underway.
Many of you know that I have
a new office manager. Michelle Burch
is the acting office manager and I am
very excited to have her as part of my
team. She has a background as a medical
assistant and some of you may know her
from her work with Dr. Gardner in North
Plains and/or her presence at Sentry
market. Her experience and good work
ethic is something that will serve the
office well and she is already excelling
in her tasks at the office. I am pleased
with the transition and look forward to a
long lasting relationship with her at the
office. Dori has returned to Hawaii and
is doing well. She sends her blessings
to all of you here and is grateful to have
had the opportunity to serve you all
while working for me during her recent
stay in Oregon.
There are many changes taking
place in the world of health care as
you are well aware. The major piece
is that Cover Oregon is underway.
Many insurance companies are making
changes because of the government
changes. Blue Cross will require pre-
authorization for certain services. Any
questions regarding these changes can
be addressed by our office. Patients are
not required to acquire pre-authorization
on their own; this will be done directly
through the office.
One insurance opportunity I am
very excited about for our community
is offered through a new insurance
company called Oregon Health Co-
op. This particular insurance company
will offer coverage for Oregonians
starting January 1 st 2014. They are the
first insurance company to recognize
Naturopathic doctors as primary care
physicians from a financial perspective.
People with this particular insurance
coverage will be allowed to choose a
Naturopathic doctor as their PCP without
any restrictions.
Currently, ND’s are recognized
by numerous states as PCP’s… however,
the insurance companies create
restrictions on the services they will pay
for. Oregon Health Co-op will not place
any restrictions on ND services. What
this means for you is that there will be
no restriction on the number of visits,
services, labs etc… that you can receive
from your ND. This is the first insurance
company in the US that is offering this
type of reimbursement and recognition.
The director of the company
took the time to survey the public and
after doing so studied the statistics.
What he saw was that 75% of the people
surveyed requested that they be allowed
to choose an ND as their primary care
and have insurance pay accordingly.
Although he was unfamiliar with the
qualifications of NDs, he took the time to
do his research and decided that because
of the professional qualifications NDs
hold from their in depth medical training,
he would honor this request. You may
visit their website at www.ohcoop.com
and enter your information to receive a
free quote of cost.
What we have discovered is that
their insurance is very affordable. For a
family of 4, you can receive coverage
for approximately $750/month, which
equates out to be less than $200 per
person! For some of you who are paying
more than $600/month for one individual
that could bring significant savings.
For those of you who have
questions regarding the new health care
system being put in place, there will be
9
a navigator at the Vernonia Community
Clinic starting Nov. 1, 2013. This
person will assist anyone in the process
of understanding how you can serve
yourself best within the new system. I
urge you to take advantage of this service
and consider Oregon Health Co-op as
one of your many insurance options. Our
community is medically under served
and this particular insurance agency
will allow me to provide services to
you more readily. This company is truly
working toward allowing the public
to act preventatively and move toward
optimal health.
On a last note… many of you
know our “office cat” Blue. She had a
litter of kittens about 10 weeks ago; two
of the four were living in my shed. They
went missing last Sunday night (Sept,
22). Mama cat has been very distraught
and I am in hopes that someone has some
information in regards to the kittens.
One was grey with white paws and the
other was orange. They would be about
10 weeks old at this time (9 weeks when
they went missing). I believe someone
took them because of how the mother
has reacted and the fact that there was no
disturbance to their bedding in the shed.
Please contact the office if you have any
information at 503.429.3928. We greatly
appreciate it.
Happy Autumn! Embrace the
season and prepare for winter. Thank
you for joining me. Be well~
Health Board and Pacific University Partnership continued from front page
summer of 2014. Lewis says she has been working
closely with Pacific University and is currently act-
ing as a proctor for graduate students as they complete
their Master’s Degree thesis. Lewis and the students
are completing a Capstone Project through the Masters
of Health Administration Program which is working to
bring back those additional services (Psychology and
Physical Therapy) under a teaching umbrella so they
can be fiscally viable. “These services are greatly
needed in the community,” says Lewis.
According to Lewis the students are complet-
ing research through hands on work in rural health
clinics as well interviews with health care providers in
rural settings. The goal of the project is to evaluate
several aspects of rural health care: problems that have
been identified in rural health care situations, solutions
that have been tried, and successes that have been
achieved. “From the data and information they collect
the students will develop a set of best practices so we
can develop our model based on other people’s experi-
ence of what has worked best,” says Lewis. “The Mas-
ters of Health Administration are learning about devel-
oping a business model for a successful rural clinic and
we’re benefitting from all their work.”
Lewis says that there are many advantages to
the new partnership with Pacific University. She noted
that the Health Board has identified several grants that
would provide funding for operations of the Vernonia
Health Center. Pacific University has agreed to jointly
write the grants together which would specifically fund
teaching and staff positions and development of teach-
ing curriculum. “This shows that Pacific is really in-
vested in this being a successful project,” says Lewis.
One other specific issue that will be addressed
by the partnership is provider shortages. “Pacific Uni-
versity is really choosing to step into the vacuum that is
becoming increasingly apparent as we are on the verge
of health care reform,” says Lewis.
Lewis went on to explain that there is a short-
age of providers not only in the metropolitan areas, but
especially in rural areas. Lewis says that Pacific Uni-
versity has developed a brand new Rural Health Care
tract which addresses specific issues related to practic-
ing medicine in rural settings. “We will be the first ru-
ral clinic where they will have a concerted effort to re-
ally develop a partnership model. They will be able to
have their students rotate through here and really have
the experience of working in a rural clinic and maybe
even be enticed to practice in rural clinics after gradua-
tion.”
Lewis says the provider shortage is widespread
and will continue to grow as more people seek health
care following the initiation of health care reform. “We
will find ourselves in a situation where appointment
times go out further and further,” says Lewis. “Not
only is it important to have and maintain local access to
care, but to continue to train providers for the future.”
Vernonia’s Voice is
published on the 1st
and 3rd Thursday.
Our next issue will be
November 7th.
Vernonia
Veterinary Clinic
291
A
Street
call Kim
Lovable service at
a reasonable price
• Bathing
• Haircuts
• Nail Clipping
• Nail Polishing
• Specialty
Shampoos
Hello Friends & Neighbors,
I am writing to let you know that I am now located at a new address.
Vernonia Realty 953 Bridge St. in Vernonia. I am a Real Estate Broker and I
really like this office, as we have a group of friendly experienced professionals
who work together as a team to meet the needs of both buyers and seller.
Vernonia Realty has been in business for over 50 years. I have had my
license for 10 years and I am prepared to professionally help you meet all your
real estate needs.
Come and see me, I would be delighted to answer any of your ques-
tions regarding real estate. You may contact me at Vernonia Realty’s office or
call 503-429-6203. I am looking forward to meeting with you.
Robin Murphy
Vernonia Realty
953 Bridge St.
Vernonia, Oregon 97064
503-429-6203
Small and Large Animals
Now Open
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
