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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2018)
Wallowa County Chieftain Opinion wallowa.com September 5, 2018 A5 Integrated health clinic plan is progressing E GUEST very heart has a story to tell, and everyone needs support sometimes to achieve optimal health and wellness. Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness and Winding Waters Clinic are leaders in bringing together key parts of Wal- lowa County’s health care delivery sys- tem to increase coordination, improve access and eliminate disparity. Together, we believe that the inte- gration of primary care and mental health is the future of health care. For more than 50 years, the center has provided mental health counseling for all ages. It currently serves nearly 400 people a year with 14 different programs in seven separate locations. The organization employs 70 staff, is one of the largest employers in the county and has $5.6 million budget. It returns 70 percent of that budget back into the local economy between sala- ries, benefits, goods and services. Winding Waters has served Wal- COLUMN Chantay Jett lowa County for more than 40 years and has been dedicated to meeting the complete primary care needs of resi- dents and visitors, including dental. The clinic recently transitioned from being a physician-owned pri- vate practice to becoming a Feder- ally Qualified Community Health Cen- ter, increasing its financial security and expanding services. Wallowa County is beautiful, iso- lated and faces significant health chal- lenges. What happens when individu- als do not seek mental health services due to fear of judgment or stigma? In 2016, our rate of preventable hospitalizations was among the highest in the state, according to the Office of Rural Health “Areas of Unmet Health- care Need in Rural Oregon Report.” In addition, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reported our ratio of mental health providers to residents at 1:760, as compared to 1:270 for Oregon as a whole. The same report found our alco- hol-impaired driving deaths to be more than twice the state average. There is huge need in Wallowa County for a new integrated health services building. The center and the clinic have outgrown their facilities and recognizes the need for a new location to remove stigma and provide more holistic care. Our ability to continue to grow to meet the burgeoning need is limited by our inefficient and insufficient facili- ties. Overcrowding is taking a toll on our staff and our community is con- cerned about timely access to services. Over the next two years, our joint goal is to raise $6.8 million to build a new integrated health services facility. We have been identifying and cultivat- ing community and leadership gifts and currently have almost 40 percent of the needed funds secured. We are building relationships to approach the Oregon Legislature in the 2019 session to request $2.5 million of support in Lottery Bonds. On Sept. 12, we will have Sen. Hansell and Sen. Steiner Hayward visit our community to show them why there is such a need for this building and to begin the pro- cess of the legislative ask. Bringing together medical, den- tal, childcare and mental health under one roof, combined with a wide range of educational opportunities, is the national benchmark for healthcare. Our hope is that by combining health and wellness services into one integrated building, talking about men- tal health, addictions and developmen- tal disabilities will become as common and comfortable as talking about one’s cold symptoms. The new building will provide the following to the Wallowa County Com- munity: five new exam rooms, four new dental operatories, 22 new counseling rooms, two classrooms for instruction of up to 32 children, which will increase access to early childhood education. In addition, there will be a teaching kitchen for hosting nutritional classes for a full span of ages and skill levels. We will offer large meeting spaces for events, trainings, exercise classes and many other community needs. Without wellness we all suffer: our relationships, our economy, our safety and our future. The new integrated care facility is investing in the long- term health and economy of Wallowa County for generations to come. Chantay Jett is Executive Director of Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness. Students need to get plenty sleep Telehealth needs broadband to be effective EATING GUEST W T HEALTHY COLUMN ith summer vacation a pleasant memory and classes in full swing, students are hitting the books, writing papers, playing sports, participating in after-school activities, hanging out with friends and maybe staying up late; perhaps too late. It sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? So how much sleep do students really need? It turns out, more than you think, and even then, there are differences of opinion from various sources on how much sleep is enough. Sleep is essential to good health. Sleep is a time when the body gets a chance to build cells, purge tox- ins and recharge. If we get too little sleep we risk our physical and mental health. Without enough sleep we are tired, irritable and can’t concentrate. A lack of sleep compromises our immune system and opens us up to every little germ that comes our way. It is the same with children and teens. Children who do not get enough sleep leave them- selves open to a wide range of physical and mental health issues including low self-esteem and behavior problems at school, according to one source. The report states children who meet sleep require- ments are better behaved, have greater attention spans, improved memory and learning and a better quality of life overall. But how much is enough for a growing child? And is there a point where a child can get too much sleep? Dr. Lee Brooks, an attending pulmonologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, says this: “Not getting enough sleep is linked with more inju- ries, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and depression, among other health problems.” According to WebMD, children 3-6 years of age typically need 10-12 hours of sleep. At seven to 12 years, most children need 10-11 hours of sleep. Social activities and family obligations start to influence this age group. There is a variance in the number of hours of sleep, with the average for most children being about nine. From 12-18 years, sleep is still just as important he promise of telehealth is to help Wallowa County residents and all Oregonians receive quality affordable healthcare where they live. In a time of increasing healthcare uncertainty telehealth tools offer smarter ways for clinicians to provide good healthcare to their patients at affordable prices. Telehealth tools such as video con- sultation, remote patient monitoring, and direct-to-patient virtual care allow patients to access their care teams without the bar- riers of time and distance. For example a Parkinson’s patient in La Grande can see his provider at OHSU for follow-up care using a video visit thus avoiding a long and painful trip to Port- land. Many of these services can now be provided to patients in their homes. Using telehealth tools requires high speed Internet service. Yet, access to this service is not always available in rural areas especially patient homes, small clin- ics and skilled nursing facilities often where it is most needed. Most of the hospitals in Oregon have broadband access, but providing it to small clinics and homes in rural areas via tradi- tional means such as fiber optic cable has proven too costly leaving many rural peo- ple on the wrong side of the digital divide. We need to find other ways to expand rural broadband access. Telehealth Alliance of Oregon is a non- profit resource center working to advance telehealth policy and practice in Oregon. Finding ways to expand broadband access has been one of its ongoing efforts. To that end, the alliance has joined a new coali- tion called Connect Americans Now. The coalition has an actionable plan to help close the digital divide by 2022 by utilizing a combination of solutions Ann Bloom as it was when children were younger. It turns out teens require more sleep than previ- ously thought, with the need being eight to nine hours per night, with most getting only about seven. How- ever, activities, TV, screen time and social media con- spire against teens getting the recommended amount of sleep. A new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is supporting recom- mendations developed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, states that children three to five years of age need 10-13 hours of sleep, children six to 12 years require nine to 12 hours of sleep and teens, and those 13-8 years need eight to 10 hours of sleep. Too much sleep can be a health hazard, too, which is why there are different ranges for different age groups. In addition, there are recommendations for help- ing children get a good night’s sleep. The academy advises shutting down all screens 30 minutes before bedtime and keeping all TV’s, smart phones and com- puters out of children’s bedrooms. Younger children benefit from a structured routine before bedtime and snuggling into bed at about the same time each night. Children’s rooms should be dark, quiet and cool. Dr. Maida Chen, director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center at Seattle Children’s Hospital says what works for one family may not work for another. “Each family needs to find what works best for their dynamic and overall function — there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to sleep,’” she said. “Even a ‘decent hour’ is defined differently in different fami- lies, cultures and situations.” Ann Bloom is a nutrition program assistant for the OSU Extension Service in Wallowa County. PET OF THE WEEK Brought to you by Double Arrow Veterinary Clinic Meet Nitro Nitro is a male, black and old white tuxedo kitty born around June 16, 2018. He is a very loveable lap kitty and more independent than his sisters. Has had his vaccinations and worming. Adjusting very well to home life. Catherine S. Britain and leveraging a range of wireless trans- mission frequencies including TV white spaces. TV white spaces are bands of spectrum that have been left unused as TV broad- casters have begun broadcasting a digi- tal signal. This spectrum can be used to deliver broadband access services. As cost is one of the major barriers to rural broadband expansion, the fact that this white space spectrum can be used to deliver broadband over long distances could be an effective solution. However, the Federal Communications Commission must take definitive action to make this plan a reality. Specifically, it is critical to ensure that this white space spectrum is made available for wireless use on an unlicensed basis in every market in the country. This regulatory certainty would allow local service providers, equipment vendors and chip manufacturers to quicken the pace of their investments, mass produce lower-cost equipment and bring more and better connectivity into rural communities. We know the promise that telehealth holds as a tool to improve health outcomes and reduce costs, but we need broadband to realize that promise. This TV white space opportunity is one worth seizing. Catherine S. Britain is the Execu- tive Director of the Telehealth Alliance of Oregon. Improve your quality of life with Therapy… • Reduce arthritis pain with Aquatic Therapy • Improve daily living skills with Occupational Therapy • Control pain and avoid surgery with Physical Therapy Ask your physician for a referral today! Available for Adoption If you are interested in Nitro contact Elaine at 541-263-1148 $40 adoption fee includes a neuter from any of our WC Vets when old enough We treat you like family 601 Medical Parkway, Enterprise, OR 97828 • 541-426-3111 • www.wchcd.org Wallowa Memorial Hospital is an equal opportunity employer and provider. BARGAINS MONTH ® BARGAINS OF OF THE THE MONTH While supplies last. While supplies last. 7.97 Raid ® 2 pk.,17.5 oz. 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