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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1985)
Portland Observer, February 20, 1985, Page 5 Healthwatch A .M . PRINTING CO. 2201 N. Killlngsworth by Steven Bailey N. D. Phone: 283-2487 Clinic closes to welfare clients The " d y in g o f a dream ” is how M ariah T a y lo r, R .N ., M .S .N . de scribes the p o ssib ility o f having to close her clinic on N orth Vancouver Ave. Having served N orth and inner North-East Portland for the past four years, Mariah, a pediatric (childrens) Nurse P ractitioner faces one o f her greatest challenges. The cause o f her alarm is the recent state legislative changes that have resulted in the fo r mation o f health provider organiza tions (H P O 's ) to screen and assign welfare claims and treatments. In this new program M ariah w ill not be re imbursed as a prim ary provider fo r welfare clients W hile her clinic is unique in many ways, her problems with the new reg ulations are shared by many other pri vate practitioners who are not a ffilia t ed with a participating HPO. What is crucial in her case is that nearly 90 percent o f her patients have been on medical assistance. The economic ram ifications o f the new legislation may prove fatal to clinics like Mariah's which serve large segments o f low income families. As a nurse practitioner, Mariah has attended to the health needs o f hun dreds o f Portland's low-income fam- FOR ALL YOUR PRINTING NEEDS It is sad to think that the change to HPO's may nail the Ik) on another m i nority business, dial it may disrupt the prideful role model that M ariah pro vides her children (patients), and final ly that it may place hundreds o f low- income clients in to a less caring and probably diminished quality program of medical assistance. Nursa practitioner Mariah Taylor axamlnas a young patlant at bar clinic on North Vancouver Ave. (Photo Richard J Brown) dies. She has emphasized self-care, diet and preventative management as well as preventative dentistry. She screens patients with laboratory and diagnostic work-ups, treating those she can and referring those that need specialized attention. In a way, she epitomizes the intention o f the new legislation (low cost care and referral) yet w ill have to yield her role to telephone intake/ consultation, HPO clinics and hospital back-up. Not only w ill her patients no longer receive the caring, personal attention that she provides, but her emphasis on preventing illness, public health and education will be minimized in the new programs. M ariah utilizes fo u r v o l unteer preceptors from the N ational College o f Naturopathic Medicine and two rotating independent study posi tions through the University o f P ort land and G ood Sam aritan nursing programs. W ith her volunteer sta ff, austere furnishings and personal sacri fice, it is difficult to image any admin istrative changes resulting in more health care delivery for less cost. H opefully additional changes w ill occur which w ill allow free choice o f care to welfare patients, as many other professionals (nurse p ra ctitio n e rs, naturopathic and c h iro p ra ctic doc tors) have taken issue w ith the new legislation. A local naturopathic doc tor, Dan Cisco and his m id-w ife wife Sarah Taylor had 20 patients last year who receive pre-natal care from them but were required by welfare guide lines to have their b irth s through M .D .’s w ith the result that the slate paid out a minimum o f twenty thou sand additional dollars to pay for the hospital births in these 20 low-risk and subsequent vaginal deliveries. Office fr Buainesa Letterheads • Business Cards Bulletins • Price Lists • Cherts Newsletters • Forms • Flyers Envelopes «ADS PLACED ÇjTtAPd <Tb/tht<i. ( io(V:. 'T?oCöf’A.f: - pressi ng yfxw ttoiA fry V Frenchbraidt • C ornrows B ox/S p ider Braids • Extensions If we want to save money and pro vide more health care to those o f lim ited resources we should be w illin g to change. But change that adversely impacts m in o rity business, and the personal nature o f established client/ practitioner associations as well as ex cluding free choice o f alternative care by n aturopathic and ch iro p ra ctic doctors is not conducive to the needs or wants o f the patients or community. o % $3 5 -$50 M o nd ay Sunday. 7 Days a W eak CoPC— ♦ uM ow f /¿ f yr-r/r n f i / i u i i / m r u / a/ Salvadoran doctor claims peasants napalmed by Robert Lothian As a congressional report accused the Reagan a d m in istra tio n o f lying about the extent o f the U.S.-supported air war in El Salvador last week, a Sal vadoran doctor who attends to (he civilian victims o f the bombings spoke in Portland. The woman could only speak i f it was agreed that she remain unidenti fied and that there would be no pho tos A member o f C O P R A S O L , a Salvadoran health organization critical o f the U.S.-supported government, the woman and her associates work be hind the lines attending civilians in the guerilla “ zones o f control." The guerillas co n tro l large land areas, but the government controls the air and has recently changed to a stra tegy o f massive bombings in the gueril la zones. She reported MX) bombings in recent months, often with napalm and white phosphorus. " A lo t o f the p o p u la tio n has suffered fro m burns, ¡¿so mutilations caused by the bombings,” she said through an interpreter. Hetwcen bombings, life goes on and people grow their corn and beans, she said. But the bombings can come with out warning, and so " it's not possible to live a normal life ." "A s in all wars, it is the civilian pop ulation that is most affected. " I l ’s just so much harder to get food and milk in Emanuel gets laser Emanual H o sp ita l recently p u r chased its first laser. Called an ND: Yag laser, it is the only one of its kind in Oregon. A t Emanuel, the laser w ill be used in surgical procedures involving gastroenterology, urology and neurology. The ND:Yag laser, (the N D stands for the man-made crystal called neo- dynium and Yag is an acronym fo r three chemical elements), is made by Messerschmit, a German-based com pany. The laser, which works o ff an infra-red beam o f lig h t, w ill be in stalled in two operating rooms and the gastro-enterology la b o ra to ry at Emanuel The ND:Yag laser is unique because the beam o f focused light can travel through curves and down a diberoptic bundle. This feature makes it particu larly attractive in gastroenterology and urology. A benefit related to this is that the beam o f laser light, which is invisible, can travel through water w ithout scattering. This is advanta geous when treating disorders o f the bladder. Another advantage is that by using the ND:Yag laser it eliminates the need to use pressure, traction and handling o f surrounding, healthy tis sue. The laser can be attached to an endoscope to aid in the treatment o f the area Invested in 1957, lasers have proved to be a valuable tool in medicine. A laser, which stands for "lig h t a m p lifi cation by stimulated emission o f radia tio n ” is capable o f changing light o f various frequencies in to extremely intense, small and nearly perfect straight beams of one-color light radia tion. lasers are also capable o f creat ing intense heat and power when fo cused at very close ranges W o m en 's Rights C o alitio n lobbyist M a rc ia O h lem iller. of Salem, wilt fie speaking on current legislative issues of interest to women on Monday, February 25, at 7 00 p m at the Good Samaritan Nursing Education Building. 2256 N W Northrup, Room 107 The public is invited Admission is $1 Beech Prim ary School. 1710 N. H u m b o ld t. P o rtlan d , is holding a com monrty / school carnival on Fnday. March ,5. from 6:30 to 8 30 p m at the schrxil Food, games and other fun activities enjoyable for the entire family will be provided "D is c o v e r Y our L ib ra ry ." 512 N Killmgsworth, Thursday, February 28. from 6 45 to 8 00 p m Tour this histone building and learn ideas on how to use it Children can enjoy storytime, balloons and fun. those areas, and the government cuts serviocs, above all on the health level." "This is not a conventional war; it is a war against civilia n s,” she co n tin ued "T he people arc in a war against a government they don’ t w a n t." She said that Salvadorans want democracy and a standard o f living "lik e you have here." Meanwhile, a report released last week Io the Congressional Arms Con tro l and Foreign P olicy Caucus ac cused the Reagan A dm inistration ot providing “ in su fficie n t, misleading Malcolm X film The Militant l^ibor forum will show a one-hour documentary film which contains footage o f M alcolm X 's speeches and interviews dealing with the theme of his 1964 trip to Africa. Following the film , l.eroy Watson w ill give a talk on "T h e Meaning o f Malcolm X's Ideas for the Black Free dom Struggle T o d a y .” Watson is a member o f the M achinists' U n io n , the Seattle Chapter ol the N ational Black Independent P o litica l p a rty, and the Socialist Workers Party. The forum will be Saturday . March 2, at 7:30 p m at the M ilitant Book store, 2732 N.E. Union, Portland A donation o f $2.50 is requested fo r $1.00 for unemployed and in some cases false in fo rm a tio n " to Congress and the public about the extent o f the U .S .-backed air war, how U.S. aid is used, and the number o f U.S. advisers in FI Salvador Senator Mark Hatfield said the tkw strategy o f bom bing and helicoptor assault is creating more lebels than it is killing, and has generated over |(X>,(XX> refugees in 10 months. “ The air war is wrong and I ’m going to do my best to stop it," said Hattield T B lW f o o t 281 6273 3117 NE Union L o c ated Instda th e Q fn y er broad B ooh hou s e Results can be easy when you advertise in JOBS Magazine CLASSIFIED DEPT. 283-0090 SANKA THE CALM CUP Dei jffrin a te d < offre Urban chemicals "L e a rn about chemicals in the u r ban e nvironm ent, and take home a free birdhouse, booklet, Douglas Fir seeding and comemorativc pencil.” That's the invitation the Fast M u lt nomah Soil and Water Conservation D istrict is extending to residents o f East Multnomah Soil and Water Con servation District is extending to resi dents o f f ast M u ltn o m a h C ounty in announcing the D istrict's annual meeting. Ilk- meeting is scheduled lor Thurs day, February 28, at 7 p.m at the main a u d ito riu m o f the Bonneville Power Administration Building, 1002 N .F . H olladay Street (near L lo yd t enter) For more in fo rm a tio n , call the Fast M ultnom ah Soil and Water C onservation District at 255-6881. Oakwood alumni Oakwrxid College Alum ni Associa tion Rally will be held at Sharon SDA C hurch on March 2, 1985, at 11 IX) a m. service. L A Paschal, President, National A lum ni Association w ill be the guest speaker. There will also be an evening program in clu d in g a slide presentation ( all Pastor T. Jones, 287 7649 lor more information Sharon SDA ( hurch is located at 52IN N l 22nd Avenue, Portland >bu've gotta have good coffee- but sometimes caffein can frazzle the coolest of us Go for Sanka brand decaffeinated coffee, the good coffee that doesn’t give you a caffein overload Sanka’s the coffee that lets you make all your best moves Sanka )
