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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 2000)
October 4, 2000 |Jortlaiib (Obi Page A3 ^Jortlanb ©bseruer Health Lead Poisoning Questions Answered Kaiser and Unions Reach Agreement Five-year Labor Pact Brings Annual Raises. New Voice for Frontline Staff H e a lth c a re g ia n t K a ise r Permanente and a coalition of 25 AFL-CIO unions have released the details o f the largest-ever national contract agreement in the health care industry. Under the terms o f a five-year tentative agreement, workers will receive annual 4% across-the-board wage increases; with 4% to 6% in creases for registered nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assis tants. The package also includes many health benefit improvements includ ing new and improved coverage for departments, domestic partners, pre scription drugs, durable medical equipment, and more. The tentative agreement also in cludes a first-ever structure for joint labor management decision-making throughout the organization, cover ing areas such as staffing, quality service, finance and budget, educa tion and training, health and safety, perform ance and flexibility, and pension investments. The new pact covers K aiser Permanente workers in Oregon, and several other states. The agreement sets a new stan dard in the flashpoint area o f staff ing. Joint labor-management staff ing teams will create an annual staff ing plan for each department cov ered by the agreement. The plan will cover mutually acceptable numbers, mix and qualifications o f staff in each work unit. “No other health care employer has worked with unions to create m e c h a n ism s fo r th is sp e c ific scope and depth o f em ployee in v o lv e m e n t,” said Peter D iC icco, ch air o f the C o alitio n o f K aiser P erm an en te U nions. “ A t K aiser P erm an en te, p atien ts can be c er tain that fro n t-lin e care p ro v id ers, not b u re a u c rats, are m aking d e c isio n ab out th e ir care, said K athy Sackman, president o f Un tied Nurses Associations o f Cali fornia, AFSCME. Firm Pleads No Contest Attorney General Hardy Myers recently announced that HealthTek, Inc., a Vancouver based company that provides medical supplies to customers in Oregon and Washing ton, pleaded no contest to a felony charge o f Making False Claims for Medicaid Health Care Payment. F o llo w in g th e p le a , M arion County Circuit Court Judge Erik Larson prohibited the company from submitting claims to Medicaid in Oregon and ordered the company to pay $569,600 in restitution and agency investigative costs by Oct. 22. HealthTek owners Suzanne and John Robert Jr. o f Vancouver also are excluded nationwide from own ing, operating or being employed by any health care entity that receives federal health care money. W E IN E VILLA61 •I Promoting and improving wellness among African Americans will again be the goal o f the 5'h Annual Wellness Village. Free community events focusing on diabetes, health screenings, education and awareness are scheduled Oct. 15, 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m at Emanuel Hospital's Lorenzen Center; Oct. 21, 9 a m .-5 p.m. at Self Enhancement Inc.; and Oct 21 at the African American M en’s Prayer Breakfast at 7:30 am . at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church. Well Supplies Turned Off Bull Run is Again Only Source for Portland's Water Needs The City of Portland Bureau of Wa ter Works is no longer drawing supple mental summer water supplies from the Columbia Southshore wellfield. The city started drawing about 30 million gallons a day (approximately a 20 percent mix o f well water to Bull Run water) from the wells back in early August. This was one o f two additional supply options to help stretch the c ity ’s w ater storage through the peak summer season. In addition to 30 million gallons J a day from the wells, the city re leases 800 million gallons from Bull Run Lake between Aug. 16 and Sept. 11. “Summer is our period o f peak demand, o f course,” acknowledged Michael Rosenberger, Water Bu reau Administrator, “and this has been a dry summer. In addition to normal peak use, we also have a commitment to release water into the lower Bull Run River during the summer and into the fall to benefit ...and give me an juvenile steelhead and adult Chinook salmon. Using the wells and Bull Run Lake gives us flexibility to meet multiple demands and maintain high water quality.” “We expect our reservoirs to start re fillin g in O c to b e r,” noted Rosenberger, “and if they don’t we can always turn the wells back on to augment supply. Given current weather predictions, we feel com fortable saving our rate-payers the additional pumping costs.” M ultnom ah C o u n ty H e a lth Department’s new lead poisoning information line will make it easier for county residents to get informa tion about childhood lead poisoning prevention, as well as information and referrals for local lead programs and services. The LeadLine can be reached at (503) 988-4000. Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese interpreters are available as needed. The Health Department also an nounced the availability o f child hood blood lead level screening at free immunization clinics held ev ery w eek at v ario u s lo c a tio n s throughout the county. Blood lead level screening is recommended for children 6 months to 6 years o f age who live in older, p re-1978 hous ing. Interested parents or guardians can call the LeadLine for clinic lo cations and hours. “Childhood lead poisoning is o f great concern to parents and health professionals in our community,” states Lynne Weidel, Lead Poison ing Prevention Program Manager. “The Health Department is working to prevent and control lead hazards and support children and families who may be at risk. Lead poisoning can cause permanent damage, but it is also completely preventable.” Lead is reco g n ized as one o f th e m o st s i g n i f i c a n t h e a lth threats to children. 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