REGION
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Good Shepherd reverts to limited visitation
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Good
Shepherd Health Care System
in Hermiston again limited
visitation to protect against
the continued spread of the
COVID-19 infection.
Good Shepherd in a
press release Friday, Jan. 14,
announced the change went
into effect immediately in
particular due to the omicron
variant — which is more
contagious than previous vari-
ants.
The visitor restriction is in
accordance with the recom-
mendations from the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control
& Prevention and other health
authorities, according to the
press release.
Good Shepherd is prohib-
iting visitation for patients
admitted to the hospital or the
Emergency Department but
may allow one visitor per day
for:
Children admitted to the
hospital:
• One parent/guardian of
children admitted may stay
with the minor child 24/7.
• No infant/child patient
under 5 years of age shall be
left unattended.
Patients receiving end-of-
life or palliative care.
Other special circum-
stances, as needed:
• Special circumstances
may be determined by the
nurse manager, nursing super-
visor, or vice president of nurs-
ing.
• Special circumstances
shall be communicated to
Patient Financial Services for
access privileges and docu-
mented in the patient’s chart
• Maternity patients may
have one visitor with them
through labor, delivery and
the initial postpartum recov-
ery time. This visitor may not
depart the hospital during the
duration of the patient’s hospi-
talization. If they depart, they
may not return. Additional
precautions may apply for the
care of newborns.
Patients also may qualify
for additional support persons
pursuant to policy, “Disabled
Patients Right to Designate
Support Persons.”
If visitors have been
approved due to a circum-
stance as outlined above,
visitors must adhere to the
following requirements:
• Visitors will be screened
about their health before they
can enter the hospital and will
be required to wear a mask.
• The designated visitor
must be age 16 or older and
healthy (no cold or flu-like
symptoms and no fever).
• Visitors must follow safety
guidelines to limit the spread
of COVID-19, including wash-
ing their hands, limiting the
surfaces they touch and using
any personal protective equip-
ment required by the hospital.
• Visitors must remain
in the patient’s room except
during certain care procedures.
For all other services
including but not limited to
surgical services, diagnostic
imaging, laboratory, speech
therapy, cardiopulmonary
rehabilitation, treatment center
and cancer center, one parent/
guardian may accompany
a minor patient. All clinics
within Good Shepherd Medi-
cal Group will allow one escort
for adult patients (18 and older)
and two escorts for minors
(under 18).
For up-to-date GSHCS
information, visit the GSHCS
Facebook page or www.
gshealth.org/coronavirus. A
complete copy of Good Shep-
herd’s current visitation policy
is available here: bit.ly/33Ct-
NcC.
For general COVID-
19 questions, community
members can call the OHA
hotline by dialing 211 from a
cellphone (not a landline). If a
community member believes
they have been infected by
COVID-19 or are exhibit-
ing symptoms, such as fever
or respiratory illness (cough
or shortness of breath), they
should call their primary
care physician’s offi ce and/or
Umatilla County Public Health
at 541-278-5432. For medical
emergencies, dial 911.
County considers $600K bid award for bridge
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — A Walla
Walla company is the low
bidder in Umatilla County’s
project to install a new bridge
across the Walla Walla River.
The county sought bids
to install the crossing by the
South Fork Walla Walla River
Road and received seven bids.
The Umatilla County Board of
Commissioners plans to award
the contract when it meets
Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 9 a.m.
at the county courthouse, 216
S.E. Fourth St. in room 120.
The highest bid came in at
almost $1.1 million, and three
came in at below $650,000,
according to county docu-
ments. The lowest bid was
$600,397.50 from Harry John-
son Plumbing & Excavation
Inc. of Walla Walla.
The low bid includes
$27,600 for bridge removal
and $39,000 for the installation
of a prefabricated steel bridge.
The bid from Harry John-
son also listed three subcon-
tractors for the project: Jensen
Drilling Co., of Eugene, for
$197,050 for foundation work;
Coral Construction Co. Inc.,
of Wilsonville, for $39,999 for
guardrail work; and Central
Washington Asphalt, of
Moses Lake, Washington, for
$55,500 for paving.
The board also will
consider a request from
Umatilla County Community
Justice for the creation of two
new specialists in the county’s
CARE program to serve the
Justice Reinvestment Program
Grant.
The CARE Program
supports families with at-risk
children. The focus of CARE
is prevention. The Justice
Reinvestment Program is
an effort from the state to
provide counties with funds
for crime prevention and treat-
ment services with the goal
of cutting down on Oregon’s
prison growth.
Umatilla County Justice
and the county CARE
program have entered into
an agreement for services
related to the grant program.
According to county docu-
ments, Umatilla County’s
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT:
www.EastOregonian.com
Justice Reinvestment funding
for the 2021-23 biennium is
$342,000.
Under the deal, the CARE
program will provide two
specialists to work with the
county’s corrections clients to
help with their needs.
The county board also
plans to approve a payment of
$22,600 to the Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center,
Hermiston, for renting bleach-
ers for the 2021 county fair
and for parking management
for the 2019 and 2021 fairs.
To see the full meeting
agenda, visit www.co.uma-
tilla.or.us and under “Depart-
ments,” follow the link to
the board of commissioners’
agenda.
East Oregonian
A3
Lawsuit against
Good Shepherd
seeks more than
$4.6 million
Plaintiff alleges
surgical error
and failure to
dismiss doctor
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — A
medical malpractice lawsuit
against Good Shepherd
Healthcare System and a
doctor seeks more than $4.6
million.
Kimberly A. Helms of
Ione is bringing the lawsuit,
which claims negligence on
the part of Dr. Andrew John
Haputa as well as “vicar-
ious liability” by Good
Shepherd. Attorney Kelly
L. Andersen of Medford
fi led the complaint Jan. 10
in Umatilla County Circuit
Court.
According to the docu-
ment, Helms received
gallbladder surgery from
Haputa on April 3, 2021, and
during the surgery Haputa
cut her common bile duct
and her right hepatic artery.
“Not realizing his
mist akes, he then
compounded his errors
by using surgical clips to
clamp the common bile duct
and the hepatic artery,” the
complaint states.
The lawsuit also accuses
Haputa of several acts
of negligence, includ-
ing performing a surgery
beyond his abilities, not
obtaining a “critical view”
during the surgery of key
organs, not taking photo-
graphs during surgery to
help identify and locate the
key organs and “failing to
discontinue the surgery
rather than cutting what he
could not see.”
Helms in the complaint
claims she has suffered
an extended hospitaliza-
tion and corrective surgery
because of injuries resulting
from the surgery, in addi-
tion to pain that limits her
“normal and usual activi-
ties.”
She seeks the $4.6
million to cover the loss of
physical abilities, medical
bills, impairment of past
and future earning capacity.
The lawsuit further
claims Good Shepherd
is negligent in retaining
Haputa. It states that six
months after being hired,
police arrested the doctor
at Good Shepherd Medi-
cal Center, Hermiston, for
driving under the infl uence
of intoxicants, as well as for
third-degree assault, reck-
less endangering and reck-
less driving. He pleaded
guilty to the DUII charge
and the state dismissed
the other charges. He was
sentenced to jail and the
suspension of his driver’s
license.
“Haputa’s arrest at Good
Shepherd and his resulting
criminal conviction were
warnings to Good Shep-
herd that Haputa posed a
danger to Good Shepherd
patients. Good Shepherd
was negligent in retaining
Haputa after those events,”
the document states.
The lawsuit added the
Oregon Medical Board on
Oct. 7, 2020, publicly repri-
manded Haputa.
Good Shepherd has not
yet responded to a request
for comment.
2021 COMMERCIAL RECYCLER
of the Year
DOLLAR TREE
At the end of each year the employees of Pendleton
Sanitary Service, Inc. (PSSI) nominate several commercial
businesses or institutions for the Commercial Recycler of
the Year award. The winning recipient is also determined
by a vote of PSSI employees. This award is given to a
commercial recycler that does an outstanding job in
recycling or has made significant improvements in their
recycling efforts over the past year.
The employees of Pendleton Sanitary Service voted
unanimously and selected the Dollar Tree as Pendleton’s
Commercial Recycler of the Year for 2021.
The Dollar Tree began recycling cardboard in 2014. Since that time, the Dollar Tree has
continued to be a community leader in recycling efforts. In 2021, the Dollar Tree recycled
over 36 tons of cardboard! They have also recycled plastic wrap/film in the past and PSSI
would encourage them to reinstate as a part of their future recycling plans.
The Dollar Tree has consistently worked with PSSI and does an excellent
job of recycling. They maintain consistent good quality material to
simplify our process and minimize the amount of waste going to the
landfill.
Pendleton Sanitary Service would like to congratulate and thank
the Dollar Tree and their employees for their outstanding efforts in
recycling!