june1 2017
VERNONIA’S
volume11 issue11
www.vernoniasvoice.com
free
reflecting the spirit of our community
Health Center Announces
Change to Adventist Health
The Vernonia Health Cen-
ter Board is pleased to announce
Adventist Health will be beginning
service at the Vernonia Health Cen-
ter starting July 5.
Adventist Health replaces
The Public Health Foundation of
Columbia County, who had been
providing service for the Vernonia
Health Center in conjunction with
Pacific University.
The Public Health Foun-
dation released a statement, noting
that during the upcoming transition
period, Public Health will be able to
see primary care patients on Mon-
days at the Vernonia Health Center.
Phones will continue to be forward-
ed to Rainier Health Center, where
patients can receive care Tues-
day through Friday.
“We appreciate your pa-
tience as the logistics of this tran-
sition are being worked out,” said
Vernonia Health Center Board Pres-
ident Erika Paleck in a press release
officially announcing the change to
service care providers. “We will
post updates on Facebook and in the
next edition of Vernonia’s Voice.”
The Vernonia Health Cen-
ter Board is a non-profit formed in
1976 with community funds and
dedicated to bringing and maintain-
ing quality healthcare to the upper
Nehalem Valley regardless of abil-
ity to pay.
Adventist Health will be
working in partnership with the
Vernonia Health Center Board and
its directors to provide healthcare in
Vernonia and the surrounding com-
munities. The facility will be oper-
ated by Adventist Health-Tillamook
Medical Group through its rural
health system which specializes
in providing rural healthcare. Til-
lamook Medical Group currently
operates five rural health clinics in
Manzanita, Tillamook, Pacific City,
and Lincoln City, including three
urgent care clinics, two clinics in
Hoodland and Estacada, and a facil-
ity-based clinic that serves inmates
of the Tillamook County Jail. A new
health clinic in Banks is scheduled
to open later this year.
According to the Vernonia
Health Center Board, Tillamook
Medical Group is committed to pro-
viding top quality care in Vernonia.
All patients will be seen, all insur-
ance will be accepted, and financial
assistance is available for uninsured
and under insured patients.
Tillamook Medical Group
is part of Tillamook Regional Medi-
cal Center, which employs 536 in-
dividuals including 60 physicians
and providers. Tillamook Regional
Medical Center has been recog-
nized as a Top 100 Critical Access
Hospital in the nation.
Adventist Health is the
parent organization of Tillamook
Medical Group. Adventist Health
is a faith-based, nonprofit integrat-
ed health system headquartered in
Roseville, California, serving more
than 75 communities in four states
including small towns, suburbs and
inner cities across the western states.
The workforce of 32,900 includes
more than 23,600 employees; near-
ly 5,000 medical staff physicians;
and 4,350 volunteers. Founded on
Seventh-day Adventist heritage and
values, Adventist Health provides
compassionate care in 20 hospitals,
more than 280 clinics (hospital-
based, rural health and physician
clinics), 14 home care agencies,
seven hospice agencies and four
joint-venture retirement centers.
Compelled by the mission
to live God’s love by inspiring
health, wholeness, and hope,
Adventist Health is committed to
transforming the health experience
of our communities by improving
physical, mental and spiritual
health, enhancing interactions, and
making care more accessible and
affordable.
Sullivan Wins Hurdles State Championship
Vernonia High School junior
Clay Sullivan had an outstanding
meet at the OSAA 2A State Track
and Field Championships, while
bringing home one gold and two
silver medals for the Loggers,
adding to his collection of state
medals.
Sullivan defended his state
championship in the 110 meter hur-
inside
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junior
salmon auction
dles at Eugene’s his-
toric Hayward Field
on May 18 and 19,
winning in a time of
15.39 and beating his
winning time from
last year’s champion-
ship of 15.82.
Sullivan finished
2 nd in the 300 meter
hurdles in a
time of 40.54,
falling
to
district
rival
Colin Koenig
of
Delphian,
who finished
second
to
Sullivan in the
110 meter hurdles. Sullivan
also took 2 nd in the long jump
with a leap of 20’ 9.25” after
finishing 6 th last year.
Last year Sullivan won
gold as part of the Loggers
record breaking boys 4x100
meter relay and finished 4 th in
the 300 meter hurdles.
Other Loggers who com-
peted at the State Champion-
ships included Nathan Colot
who finished 7 th in the 3,000
meters with a time of 9:37.34.
Colot also finished 11 th in the
800 meters. Lene Jacobsen
finished 7 th in the 400 me-
ters with a time of 1:03.86 and did
not qualify for the finals in the 200
meters. Megan Ely finished 10 th in
the javelin with a throw of 89’ 1”.
Javier Arenas Oliver took 6 th in the
triple jump with a leap of 12.03 me-
ters. Pauline Sandweg finished 9 th
in qualifying in the 300 meter hur-
dles and just barely missed running
in the finals. Sandweg also finished
9 th in the long jump with 14’ 5.75”.
Overall
the
Vernonia boys finished tied for 8 th
place in team scoring with 31 points.
The girls team failed to score any
points in the meet.
Governor Kate
Brown Signs Foster
Children’s Sibling
Bill of Rights
Current and former foster youth
advocated for policy to maintain critical
sibling relationships
Current and former foster youth gathered
at the Governor’s office on May 17 to participate
in a ceremonial signing of the Foster Children’s
Sibling Bill of Rights. The new law encourages
the Department of Human Services (DHS) to
place foster youth and their siblings in the same
home. When siblings can’t be placed together, the
law ensures that DHS and foster families support
foster youth in preserving relationships with their
siblings – relationships that are critically important
to their healthy development and overall well-being
throughout their lives.
The concept for the Sibling Bill of Rights
originated in the summer of 2016 when a group
of current and former foster youth met to address
weaknesses in Oregon’s foster care system. These
youth, who are members of Oregon Foster Youth
Connection (OFYC), a program of Children First
for Oregon, shared with each other their own stories
of living in the foster care system and brainstormed
ways to make positive change for the next
generation of foster children. The group of youth
leaders ultimately voted to prioritize the Sibling Bill
of Rights for advocacy during the 2017 legislative
session.
Alexis Baska is a graduate of Vernonia
High School who has been involved in the process
to address the needs of children in the Oregon foster
care system. As a member of OFYC Baska testified
before the Oregon legislature on behalf of the
Sibling Bill of Rights. “I was actually there from
the beginning and helped get it started,” said Baska
during a recent phone interview. “The biggest issue
for us was being separated from our siblings.”
The new law, sponsored by Representative
Piluso, Senator Gelser, and Representative McLain,
reinforces the federal requirement that siblings be
placed together whenever it is safe and appropriate.
When siblings are not placed together, the law makes
sure youth are involved in making a plan for staying
in contact with their siblings. The law also ensures
youth have the transportation needed to visit their
siblings, and that they can contact their siblings
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