Siletz
Community
Clinic Expands Hours
Efforts to Quit Smoking Pay Off
by Judy Muschamp, Health Director
by Joyce Retherford, grateful Siletz Tribal member
Beginning July 2, the Siletz Com
munity Health Clinic’s hours of opera
tion will change. We will be open for
patient care all day Tuesdays and closed
from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday morn
ings. This includes all clinic services.
Normal hours will be Monday
through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We will be closed all day July 4
for Independence Day and July 24 for
a mandatory al I-staff meeting.
Staff Changes Affect Department
by Judy Muschamp, Health Director
As I wrote this article, 1 received
news important to all tribal members
who access Contract Health Services.
Danise Barker. CHS technician I, has
tendered her resignation and we all will
miss her infectious laugh in the office.
Danise was directly responsible for
processing CHS payments, issuing
checks, and ordering the pharmacy
cards. She worked closely with STBC
to implement the new out-of-area
health benefits. We wish her the best
of luck in her new endeavors.
Patients at the clinic will recognize
a new face. Dr. Beverley Phillipson has
retired and we are happy to introduce
Dr. James Haeg as our clinic physician.
Dr. Haeg is a family practice phy
sician with many years experience in
the Bellingham, Wash., area in private
practice. We welcome Dr. Haeg to our
community.
We have had several changes in
our Dental Department. Dr. Randall
Teich has submitted his resignation ef
fective July 3. He has been an excel-
lent provider and administrator, bring
ing stability and professionalism to the
program during his seven years of
employment with the tribe.
Dr. Teich isn’t leaving the commu
nity, though. He has opened a private
practice in Newport and we wish him
success in this exciting time.
Unfortunately, it has been very dif
ficult to access dental services for the
past several months as we searched for
a replacement dentist. I am very excited
to report that we have signed a contract
w ith Molly Francis to join our dental team.
Molly is a recent graduate of the
Arizona School of Dentistry and origi
nally is from Spokane, Wash. As a
Colville Tribal descendent, Molly looks
forward to beginning her dental career
within the tribal health care system.
We also have a change in our den
tal assisting personnel. Kristi Cline re
located out of the area at the beginning
of June. We were fortunate to recruit
Misty Reed as our new dental assistant
without a break in coverage.
Siletz Community Cancer Support Group
Meets the third Tuesday each month: July 17, Aug. 21, Sept. 18
Siletz Library Community Room - Noon to 1 p.m.
Community members who are directly or indirectly affected by cancer are
invited to attend - cancer patients, survivors, family members,
support people, and care providers.
For more information, contact Sandra Hahn at 541-444-9627 or 1-800-648-0449,
ext. 1627; or DeAnna Pearl at 541-444-9659 or 1-800-648-0449, ext. 1659.
Native Cancer Rates Normal, But
Survival at All-Time Low
While cancer in American Indians/
Alaska Natives (AI/AN) is about aver
age, people surviving their cancer is at
an all-time low. Some barriers to sur
vival are:
•
•
•
•
Clinic
Health
CHA-MAY WEEYA - MEDICINETALK
Late detection
Poor compliance with treatment
Presence of other diseases
Access to up-to-date treatment
methods
Tobacco abuse is a lifestyle risk
factor that causes one-third of all can
cer deaths. Lung cancer is the leading
cause of death for AI/AN men. A criti
cal role of prevention in lung cancer is
simply not smoking or being exposed
to secondhand smoke.
We know that cancer survival can
be improved by increasing participa
tion in screening and early detection
services. Secondly, increasing exercise
and improving your diet will decrease
cancer risks.
If you have or someone you know
of has cancer or questions about
screenings, contact Sandra Hahn, can
cer nurse navigator at the Siletz Clinic,
at 541-444-9627 or 1-800-648-0449,
ext. 1627.
Early Detection Can Save Your
Life or The Life of a Loved One.
Be a Star at Your Own Screening!
Breast Cancer
Cervical Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Colon Cancer
I was asked by Deanna Pearl to
write about my journey to becoming a
non-smoker. I told her I would love to
do that because I am very proud and
happy about my success.
The first time I tried to quit smok
ing, it was very easy. This was about
seven years ago. There wasn’t a lot of
tension and I just quit. I didn't smoke
for nine months (no. I wasn't pregnant).
One day I just decided I would
smoke one cigarette with my husband.
I was a non-smoker so one wouldn't
hurt. The next thing I knew. I was ask
ing him to leave me a couple when he
went to work or I went and begged one
from the neighbors.
All of a sudden. I am buying packs
and smoking again. Now. that was re
ally easy.
Then next time I wanted to quit,
about a year to a year and a half ago, it
was hard! I was using the patch and
the gum and the inhaler. I was irritable
(bad), tense (gritted my teeth so hard
that I loosened them and had a knot
on my neck that wouldn't go away),
and wanted a cigarette so bad that there
was no way this was going to work,
especially since my husband also was
trying to quit.
I could smell cigarettes on him when
he came home and you would have
thought that I could smell another woman.
I was nuts. Quitting didn't last long.
The next time we decided to quit,
my husband said, “Don't you want to
live long enough to see Riley (grand
daughter) grow up?”
That's it. I thought. I am gonna do
it. So 1 went to see a nurse at the clinic
and told her that I was going to try
again. This time I wanted to do the
patch and some wellbutrin.
She told me about a new pill called
chantix. She said it’s pretty expensive,
but with my employee insurance, it
would cover the cost.
She went on to say that it has worked
wonders on long-time smokers and it
has a very high success rate. I don’t
know why (probably in my head that
nothing would work that easily), but I
said I would give the other a try first.
So I took my little bag of stuff home
and started the pills that evening.
I had set my quit date for two
weeks down the road, when the
wellbutrin had had a chance to build
up in my system. I started wearing the
patch and tapering down on smoking
until I didn't lake any to work with me.
It was very difficult. Once again. I
was very tense and still wanting a ciga
rette bad. I couldn't take it anymore. I
made an appointment with the nurse
again and requested the chantix. She
called it in to the Fred Meyer pharmacy
and I started taking the pills the next day.
I set my new quit date for two
weeks down the road. I couldn't be
lieve it. I felt good, very little tension,
no teeth grinding, no more grouchy
than usual. When it was the quit day, I
just didn't smoke anymore.
I had four cigarettes in a pack lead
ing up to my quit day and had bor
rowed one from my boss during that
week. On my quit day, they were just
gone and I was done.
I really do believe this is a miracle
drug. I am not saying it doesn't take a
desire to stop smoking and some real
willpower, but it works if you want it to.
I bought my husband a prescrip
tion for his birthday and he is doing
really great. I am proud of him.
I hope everyone who has a chance
will take this step. It works! I haven't
had a cigarette since Feb. 22 and don't
feel like I need one. In fact, the smell
is nauseating to me.
Thank goodness - and Deanna
Pearl and CTSI.
Restrictions on Contract Health Services
by Judy Muschamp, Health Director
We are now halfway through the
2007 fiscal year and the CHS program,
once again, is experiencing funding
shortfalls.
The reason for these shortfalls is a
high number of high-cost catastrophic
cases, combined with Congress' contin
ued freeze on increasing domestic ap
propriations. As you probably know, the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are cost
ing the United States billions of dollars,
prohibiting increases in domestic pro
grams such as the Indian Health Service.
We received notice in late May that
the catastrophic health emergency fund
(CHEF) is depleted, putting all CHS
programs at risk of depletion without
a national pool.
Now it’s more important than ever
that you access alternate resources as
much as possible. This includes the
Oregon Health Plan. Medicare, private
insurance, worker's compensation,
motor vehicle insurance, VA services,
or victim's assistance.
It's also important that you call CHS
for prior approval of any health care
appointment. With funds depleting, we
are less likely to overturn a denied claim
if not pre-authorized or if an alternate
resource would have been available.
Unfortunately, the CHS Gatekeep
ing Committee is faced with tough de
cisions in order to operate within our
approved funding level. Unless there is a
fracture or severe injury, orthopedic care
is not within current funding priority.
As we approach the summer
months, please remember to be safe
and have a healthy summer.
July 2007
•
Siletz News
•
19