COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL
APRIL 2018 | 5
BUSINESS NEWS
U.S. Rep. Herrera tours Astoria hospital
Coverage change threatened
to deny access to enrollees
By EDWARD STRATTON
For CRBJ
EDWARD STRATTON/EO MEDIA GROUP
U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Washington, on April 3 toured Columbia Memorial Hospital,
speaking with staff such as Kendra Gohl, manager of the hospital’s care management department
ASTORIA — U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera
Beutler, R-Washington, toured Columbia Me-
morial Hospital on April 3 after helping con-
tinue a partnership with health insurer Premera
Blue Cross to provide services in Astoria for
residents in Pacific County.
Several hundred Premera customers in
Washington, who had been able access essential
services in Astoria when Columbia Memorial
was part the health insurer’s network, this year
faced having to travel more than 60 miles each
way to providers Aberdeen and Longview for
many general services. The health insurers’ new
state-approved plan no longer included provid-
ers south of the Columbia River in its network.
Over the past four years, Columbia Memo-
rial has served 1,108 Pacific County residents
covered by Premera, for a total of 6,455 visits.
More than 100 people were patients of the hos-
pital’s pediatric clinic, making 428 visits; and
142 people were patients of the women’s cen-
ter, for a total of 507 visits.
Herrera heard concerns from several resi-
dents when she was working with local crab-
bers on a fisheries bill, she said, and sent a letter
asking Washington state Insurance Commis-
sioner Mike Kreidler to take immediate action.
“It’s not their fault there’s a political (state)
line,” Herrera said of Pacific County residents
traveling to Oregon for services.
Premera and the Columbia Memorial even-
tually reached an agreement allowing patients
from Pacific County to continue coming for
treatment. In addition to handling much of the
pediatric care for the region, the hospital also
provides the only dedicated coastal cancer
treatment center closer than Longview.
CEDR, SBD announce recent hires
Anna Stamper
SEASIDE — Anna Stamper has been
hired as the Clatsop Economic Development
Resources’ coordinator for the Clatsop Works
internship program. She started March 12.
The new paid internship program will pair
high schoolers with local employers. Partici-
pating businesses must be able to host interns
for up to six weeks, pay at
least minimum wage and
provide them an employee
mentor and management.
Stamper served in the
Coast Guard for five years
and taught social studies and
Anna
humanities at Thomas Jeffer-
Stamper
son High School for Science
and Technology in Alexan-
dria, Virginia. She holds a bachelor’s in gov-
ernment and political science from the Coast
Guard Academy and a master’s in secondary
education from Old Dominion University.
A Coos Bay native, Stamper relocated to
the North Coast in 2016 to be near her family.
She worked at the Wet Dog Cafe, Downtown
Coffee Shop and as an advertising representa-
tive at The Daily Astorian before joining the
city as an administrative assistant.
Stamper’s position with the college is
funded almost fully by local school districts.
She will work under Clatsop Economic De-
velopment Resources and the Small Business
Development Center and be based at the col-
lege’s South County Center.
Jessica Newhall
SEASIDE — Jessica Newhall has been
named as the lead adviser for the Clatsop
Community College Small Business Devel-
opment Center. Her start
date was March 2, and she
is based out of the South
County CCC/CEDR Center
in Seaside, with an advising
office also at the Lexington
campus in Astoria.
Jessica
Newhall has worked for
Newhall
CCC as a part-time small
business adviser since Octo-
ber 2017. Previously she owned and operated
Events Northwest from 2014 through 2017.
Prior to that she worked as a general events
manager for Atlantic Media based out of
Washington, D.C.
She currently has her own business con-
sultancy company, Adventus, and has a bach-
elor’s degree in business administration from
University of Colorado.
Newhall will be replacing David Reid, who
has been named as the incoming executive di-
rector for the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of
Commerce pending Skip Hauke’s retirement.
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