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wallowa.com
Wallowa Countians
sign up for healthcare
The open enrollment
period for 2018 health insur-
ance coverage through the
federal government was half
the duration of the previous
year’s sign-up period, but
Oregon’s enrollment total
was the state’s highest ever.
According to federal
records, 156,105 Oregonians
chose health insurance plans
at HealthCare.gov during
the open enrollment period
that ended Dec. 15; 155,430
signed up in 2017.
North East Oregon Net-
work helped publicize the
enrollment deadline and gave
one-on-one enrollment guid-
ance to consumers.
Wallowa County’s rep-
resentative Vixen Rad-
ford-Wecks said that a lot of
confusion remained for per-
sons seeking insurance.
“Survey’s done for Ore-
gon Marketplace showed that
there is still confusion about
terminology, for instance
one man came in wonder-
ing where he could apply for
‘Obama Care’ (a term that
is now out-of-favor) and did
not understand what ‘open
enrollment’ meant,” Rad-
ford-Wecks said. “Another
finding was that people
thought it was very important
to have community health
workers helping understand
the process and help with
filling out the forms,” said
Radford-Wecks.“
NEON also reported an
increase in private insur-
ance rates and frustration
over lack of choice; there are
only two private providers
in Northeast Oregon: Provi-
dence and MODA.
“We saw an increase in
the number of people asking
about the Christian Health
Coverage co-ops in our
area,” Radford-Wecks said.
There are three such
co-ops in operation in Wal-
lowa County. They are not
health insurance, and each
operate differently with crite-
ria including religious faith.
They do not have to meet
the same criteria as quali-
fied health plans, but they do
allow people to avoid the tax
penalties.
January 10, 2018
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wallowa native earns Bush Award
Lt. Dan McGourty, son of Ron and
Celene Gay of Wallowa, has been awarded
the President George Herbert Walker Bush
Award, given to first-tour, carrier-based
pilots who best exemplify the skill, com-
mitment, loyalty and courage of Ameri-
ca’s 41st President.
The elder Bush was commissioned and
winged just days before his 19th birthday
and was the youngest Naval Aviator on
record. He later was awarded the Distin-
guished Flying Cross for combat action.
McGourty received the award during
the 2017 Tailhook Reunion in Reno, Nev.
McGourty is a 2001 Wallowa High
School graduate. He joined the Navy
in 2003 after fulfilling basic education
requirements at Eastern Oregon University.
He enlisted in the Navy to see the world,
but the Navy soon saw something in him
and began to invest heavily in his career.
He began his career as an Aviation
Electrician and Air Crewman Rescue
Swimmer and was soon serving as crew
chief on a medevac helicopter in Kuwait.
He received an Army Commendation
Medal for his work in Kuwait, where he
served November 2005 to May 2006.
He also met his wife Alexandra Ulrich
while serving in Kuwait. The couple now
have three children: daughters Randi and
Molli and 5-month-old son, Gage.
By 2007 McGourty was enrolled in the
Seaman-to-Admiral 21 program on his
way to a commission.
Submitted photo
Daniel McGourty with his daughters Molli and Randi.
The Navy then sent McGourty for
more training and he earned a Mechanical
Engineering Degree in 2011, after which
he was commissioned as ensign prior to
beginning flight training. He was desig-
nated a Naval Aviator in 2013 and went
on to fly E-2C Hawkeye jets with the
“Golden Hawks” Carrier Airborne Early
Warning Squadron 112. He was deployed
in the Western Pacific in 2016 aboard the
USS John. C. Stennis.
McCourty has been engaged in a more
personal battle recently –– fighting cancer
–– while serving as administrative offi-
cer for Naval Test Wing Pacific at Point
Mugu, Calif.
Needles key to Enterprise medical practitioner’s new business
Eagle Cap
Wellness offers
acupuncture,
herbal medicine
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
Want to spend more than
15 minutes with a health pro-
fessional and know they are
treating you, specifically —
not a condition or disease that
may manifest in other people
in a different way for differ-
ent reasons?
An acupuncturist and Chi-
nese medicine practitioner is
one choice. There is a new
one in Enterprise.
Jamie Slagel has begun
treating clients at her busi-
ness, Eagle Cap Wellness in
the old Stage One at 119 E.
Main St., Enterprise
Wallowa County is alter-
native
medicine-friendly.
Medical doctors occasion-
ally include acupuncture and
Chinese herbal medicine in a
treatment regimen.
“Most providers want peo-
ple to have acupuncture as an
option,” she said.
Slagel has been trained
to work in conjunction with
providers from every other
discipline. In China, practi-
tioners work in conjunction
with doctors, physical ther-
apist and mental health pro-
fessionals. Slagel spent three
months working in Chinese
hospitals alongside medical
professionals.
“I get referrals from doc-
tors here in Wallowa County
and want to reach out to
everyone,” she said. “Ide-
ally, I would send back a very
extensive letter with my diag-
nosis and findings and we can
work together.”
She’s not the only acu-
puncturist in town and that’s
fine — even good, she said.
“Every acupuncturist has
a different style,” Slagel said.
“You have to look around, and
if you click with someone,
you click.”
Slagel’s style includes an
extensive in-take interview
and treatment that includes
wellness counseling, herbal or
vitamin prescription as neces-
sary, massage and acupunc-
ture –– it takes about 75 min-
utes for a treatment.
Recycle Your Stuff for Cash in
the Classifieds
She is a graduate of the
Oregon College of Oriental
Medicine, has a bachelor’s
degree in pre-med and spent
four years in acupuncture
school, served an internship
and residency, and then went
to China.
She says she has spe-
cial training in acupuncture
for women’s health, preg-
nancy and mental health con-
ditions such as anxiety and
depression.
But she also has a mission
to wean patients off pain pills.
“I especially enjoy treat-
ing pain,” she said. “But I
enjoy everything because it
is so incredibly interesting —
if there is something I don’t
know, I research a solution.”
Research is her “hobby,”
she said. She reads medical
textbooks and studies Chi-
nese Medicine and acupunc-
ture every day.
“Chinese medicine has a
plethora of herbal formulas,
all plant-based and no syn-
thetics, that have been devel-
oped over the last couple
thousand years, and they are
specific to each person’s spe-
cific condition,” Slagel said.
“I cannot prescribe a Chinese
herb unless I do a full intake.
Everyone presents in a differ-
ent way, how (and where) they
feel issues in their bodies.”
It’s important to know
that acupuncture works on a
momentum principal — the
more you do it, the better the
results. She recommends you
give it 12 treatments initially.
That may sound like a lot, but
it will cost you about the same
as a full panel blood test —
and your insurance may cover
it.
Slagel accepts many insur-
ance plans and can accept
OHP with a doctor’s referral.
Motor vehicle insurance can
also be tapped for acupunc-
ture following an accident,
even a minor accident.
Hours are Monday through
Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
she is on call for emergencies.
The EM&M building elevator
Courtesy photo
Jamie Slagel of Eagle Cap
Wellness in Enterprise treats
a patient with acupuncture.
Slagel is licensed by the Or-
egon Medical Board as an
acupuncturist and board
certified herbalist.
is also available for folks who
need it.
For more information
call 971-806-1758 or email
jamieslagellac@gmail.com.
Her website is jamieslagel.
com
Call or
go online
to browse,
buy or
sell!
Grief Support Group
Call Us Today 541•426•4567
Wallowa County’s Newspaper Since 1884
www.wallowa.com
Community Connection of Wallowa County
will host a 9-week Grief Support group at the Enterprise Senior Center
beginning Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 10:30 am. Weekly sessions
will be led by David Bruce, Pastor of the Enterprise
Christian Church and a certified grief counselor. The class is based on
Grief Works, and is designed for a 75-90 minute time frame.
Registration is required and limited to 12 participants.
For information and to register, contact Community Connection at
541-426-3840 or rebecca@ccno.org.
The Wallowa County Pilots Association
2018 Wallowa County Aviation Banquet
Saturday, January 20th
at the Wallowa Lake Lodge
A no host social hour will begin at 5:30 pm, with dinner being served at 6:30pm.
BARGAINS OF THE MONTH ®
While supplies last.
The Chief Joseph Flyer’s will give an update on what happened
during 2017 and what’s up for 2018
The NE Oregon Aviation Foundation will report on what took place during 2017
and give a sneak preview at their 2018 activities.
You will have your choice of three dinners:
Baked Salmon, Baseball Cut Sirloin Steak, Vegetarian option
(Let us know if you need a child’s dish)
The cost is $28 per person which includes, salad mashed potatoes, vegetables and dessert
Gratuity is included in the price of your dinner.
To place your entree order or if you have
any questions please call:
Bill Ables, 541-263-1327
Tim Locke 541-263-0470 or
Shay Mann 541-912-0340
(Please call before Tuesday, Jan. 16th)
No ticket is needed, pay at the lodge
after your dinner.
49.99
30,000 BTU Tank Top
Propane Heater
T 225 383 4
M-F 8AM-6PM • SAT 8AM-5PM • SUN 9AM-3PM
Public is invited to attend this event
Sale Ends 1/31/18
