Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 2017)
News wallowa.com CLINIC FUNDRAISER IN THE WORKS 3 Wallowa Memorial Hospital H Medical Pkwy. o se R Cour Golf ad Dr. el 82 W. N or irie Creek Pra th Str e et N.W. First Street Ha N.W. Third Street Continued from Page A1 amount of debt,” said Nic Pow- ers, CEO of Winding Waters. Chantay Jett, executive director at Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness, said her organization may join Winding Waters in seeking financing as one entity. “Two balance sheets are bet- ter than one,” she said. The project has also received the go-ahead from city of Enterprise planning and zon- ing officials, according to Jett. “Everything is about where we expected to be this far into the process,” she said. On the drawing board is a 15,000 square-foot facility that would house medical services, mental health services, a teach- ing kitchen, child and family resource center and a dentist. The clinic will be built so that an additional 2,000 square- feet can be added easily. A groundbreaking was held this past summer at the 3.2-acre clinic site adjacent to the Wind- ing Waters parking lot. It is Approximate site of new facility m A10 W. Main Street W. Greenwood Street ENTERPRISE N Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group now being allowed to percolate to solve some of the high water table issues. In addition to gaging poten- tial final support, Wilson was also charged with bringing back concerns regarding the project that might have surfaced in his community conversations. Wilson said overall, the cen- ter for wellness receives high marks, but he noted a troubling number of people said they Holiday Party! Friday, December 8 th 10 am - 3 pm Although few details have been determined, Wallowa Val- ley Center for Wellness is planning a major fundraising event Feb. 3 at the Wallowa Lake Lodge. The event would include a dinner and auction, as well as a raffle for a deer tag. The center’s executive director Chantay Jett said the plan was to auction off six to eight dinner or brunch events, simi- lar to previous fundraisers that have featured “lunch with Gayle Swart.” Swart is a long-time county resident known for hospitality and a willingness to donate her time and talent. “Everyone remembers those events fondly,” Jett said. The event would be the kickoff to an annual fundraiser, such as the Wallowa Valley Health Care Foundation and other orga- nizations hold. The center’s steering committee would help organize the events and in some cases host. Committee members include Gay Behnke Angie Lundy, Bob Crawford, Nic Powers, Diane Daggett, Janet Graham, Carl Lincoln, Bridget Brown, Marla Dotson, Mike Wilson and Jett. were unaware of the center’s role in the community. Another area of concern is the stigma attached to seeking mental health services in the county. Wilson said he had residents tell him they sought treatment outside of the county to avoid having their car sit in front of the clinic located adjacent to the Wallowa County Circuit Court building. Jett said work has already begun on raising the center’s profile in the community. A branding and marketing com- pany has been retained to iden- tify goals for educating the community and creating a new logo. The clinic employs 70 indi- viduals in five locations with 14 separate programs and a $2.9 million outlay total for salaries and benefits annually. Total money spent in Wallowa County is $3.4 million, which is 70.19 percent of the orga- nization’s total expenses for 2016-2017. December 6, 2017 Wallowa County Chieftain “We believe in shopping local and have an account any- where you can have an account in the county,” Jett said. “We have a tremendous story to tell, we just have to get out there and tell it.” Among the strategies is a monthly guest column in the Chieftain in which Jett will detail each of the programs the center offers. See Page 4 of this edition. Changing negative per- ceptions about seeking men- tal health services is a consid- erably bigger challenge, Jett noted. The new integrated clinic will help because no one will know with certainty why a par- ticular vehicle is in the park- ing lot. Winding Waters and the center have already been work- ing to integrate medical care with mental health care under a federal grant. Both Jett and Powers said it has been going well. If a patient seeking medical care expresses a concern about an addiction, for example, a center for wellness counselor can be brought in seamlessly. “It’s a matter of address- ing the whole body and not separating the head from the body,” Jett said. Additional challenges will be documenting the need for the clinic and quantifying its economic impact on the community. Jett said her staff has been barely managing being in five locations and said the cramped quarters have impacted morale in the operation. She said every effort would be made to oper- ate as lean a clinic as possi- ble, including office sharing and utilization of pod-based work stations. Supporters have also spent some time strategiz- ing responses to possible oppo- sition to the plan to build the clinic. Wilson said he didn’t detect organized opposition in his interviews, but said it’s some- thing that can come up in any capital campaign. Both Jett and Powers said that as issues have arisen over the years in their operations, every effort has been made to listen to all sides and avoid being defensive and said that was how they would proceed with the clinic project. Taxpayers would not be required to vote to approve any of the funding sought for the clinic. State funding request for clinic will wait until 2019 By Paul Wahl Holiday Crafts, Games, Snacks, Hot Apple Cider & Holiday Photo Opportunity in the Giant Bird Nest! Wallowology’s Gift Shop will be Open!! Wilson Snowflake Science Presentation by DJ Lincoln • Family Fun for All! 11 am & 1 pm Natural History Discovery Center 508 N. Main • Joseph • 541-263-1663 • wallowology.org Bentley Wallowa County Chieftain Timing can be as important as substance when requesting direct grant funds from state coffers. Progenitors of a new inte- grated health services clinic are discovering that reality. Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness and Winding Waters are planning to build a combined clinic in Enter- prise and are hoping for as much as $2 million in direct state aid. They had hoped to approach the legislature with the request in 2018; however, it is more likely it will be sub- mitted in 2019 for a variety of reasons. Those include Measure 101, concern over the state having improperly paid or allocated around $186.4 mil- lion in Medicaid funds and lingering uncertainty regard- ing additional funding for this past summer’s wildfires. Each of these could soak up any money that might be on the table to help fund the clinic, supporters of the plan were told recently. In addition, 2018 is a short session for the legisla- ture. With limited exceptions, the constitutional changes enacted through Measure 71 limit the length of legis- lative sessions beginning in even-numbered years to 35 calendar days. The 2018 ses- sion begins Feb. 5. State Rep. Greg Barreto and State Sen. Bill Hansell, who represent Wallowa County in Salem, recently suggested the delay in hopes of more favorable financial conditions. Barreto and Hansell remain ardent supporters of the proj- ect, according to Mike Wilson of Westby Associates of Van- couver, Wash., financial con- sultant for the clinic who met with both legislators recently. Both are also recommend- ing the clinic up its request from $1.5 million to $2 million. Both have said they appre- ciate the fact the funding request is balanced with a strong local commitment, rather than a hand-out. Measure 101 will be on the ballot Jan. 23. It is designed to repeal five sections of leg- islation enacted to increase taxes on health care insur- ers and others to fund gaps in Medicaid. If the referen- dum is successful, it would cause an immediate $210 million funding gap for the state, which means projects like the integrated clinic in Wallowa County might be snubbed. Another $186 million gap may need to be filled in 2018 as a result of possible over- payments by the state to coor- dinated care organizations in the state. Most recipients of Medic- aid in Oregon are enrolled in what’s called a coordinated care organization, or CCO. It is essentially a regional network of care providers who see Medicaid patients. The state pays the CCO on a per-patient basis each month. See FUNDS, Page A18 a room s m r a w g n Nothi rdwood or a h h c i r e k li ft carpet. o s , s u o i r u lux ys from a d i l o H y p Hap e. Carpet On HARDWOOD Baroque Norwood CARPET $ 08 5 sf LANK LUXURY VINYL P In Stock Drumheller Dusk Tigresa H ₂ O Waterproof Carpet $ 96 2 sf LAMINATE $ 69 3 sf SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE * In Stock Sunriver Laminate $ 19 2 sf On purchase made with your Carpet One Credit Card at participating stores. 800 S. River, Enterprise • 541.426.9228 • carpetoneenterprise.com Applies to flooring materials only. Not valid on prior purchases. One offer limit per person, per order at participating locations. Offer cannot be combined with other offers. Offer expires 12/15/2017. Not all products at all locations. Photos for illustrative purposes only Not responsible for typographical errors. 2015 Carpet One Floor & Home©. All Rights reserved. *Subject to credit approval. Minimum Monthly Payments Required. See store for details.