LOCAL
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
A3
County joins suit against ‘big pharma’ Orthopedic
Relinquishes
surgeon
on
mental health
authority to OHA
staff at WMH
starting in June
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — Wal-
lowa County will join 10
other Oregon counties and
the city of Portland in a law-
suit against major pharma-
ceutical companies over
practices that lead to opioid
addiction, the county com-
missioners agreed Wednes-
day, May 19.
The
commissioners
agreed to the move upon
advice of county counsel
Paige Sully.
“As I previously dis-
cussed with each of you
independently, 10 Oregon
counties and the city of Port-
land have hired counsel and
engaged in a lawsuit against
a number of major pharma-
ceutical companies in the
United States,” Sully said.
“It’s a lawsuit that’s been
tried in a number of diff er-
ent states having to do with
inappropriate
marketing
and selling of pharmaceuti-
cals leading to folks becom-
ing addicted to opioids and
the resulting negative conse-
quences that have occurred.
It’s my understanding that
the 10 litigants in the state
of Oregon are in discussions
with the defendants, who are
anxious to settle, but only if
the nonlitigant counties in
the state of Oregon join in
the settlement.”
She said the defendants
don’t want to settle with one
group and have additional
groups bring suits at a later
date.
“We’ve been contacted
by Brad Anderson, a county
counsel for Washington
County, about participating
in those settlement discus-
sions,” she told the commis-
sioners. “What they’re ask-
ing us to do is … if we are
a party to the settlement and
we receive a benefi t from the
settlement — some funds —
we will waive and release
the defendants from any fur-
ther litigation from Wallowa
County.”
Sully said any benefi t
received from the suit would
come with strings.
The funds won’t be avail-
able “for whatever purpose,”
she said, but they would be
“designed to be used to miti-
gate, resolve and address the
negative consequences of
opioid addiction.”
Such uses could include
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Chantay Jett, executive director of the Wallowa Valley Center
for Wellness, expresses her support to the Wallowa County
Board of Commissioners for their move to relinquish county
authority for mental health and allow the center to contract
directly with the Oregon Health Authority.
addiction treatment, men-
tal health resources, law
enforcement, district attor-
ney and perhaps probation
and parole, though Sully
said she hasn’t yet seen any
settlement documents out-
lining the required uses.
She also said the counties
can avoid the trap funneling
money through Salem often
can be.
“We’re getting some-
thing for nothing here,” she
said. “It will allow the coun-
ties to structure the settle-
ment such that the funds will
come to actual counties and
not to the state of Oregon for
the state of Oregon to deter-
mine how to release it to the
counties.”
Commissioner
Todd
Nash said he sees this as an
opportunity for the county to
gain in joining a suit against
pharmaceutical companies
and benefi t from it, where
it might not be able to do so
independently.
“I saw no downside what-
soever and Wallowa Coun-
ty’s ability to take on ‘big
pharma’ on something like
this is not really credible or
legitimate to consider,” he
said.
Commissioner John Hill-
ock agreed.
“I just it’s appropriate to
stand in solidarity with these
other counties and do the
right thing,” he said.
Mental health
authority ends
In another matter, the
commissioners voted to
WHAT’S HAPPENING
FOUNDER’S DAY BARBE-
CUE SATURDAY
The Founder’s Day barbecue
takes place Saturday, May 29,
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cre-
ating Memories Camp at Wal-
lowa Lake.
The day is an opportunity to
tour camp property, hike to the
waterfall and enjoy a free lunch
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Door
prizes, games, face painting, live
music and karaoke are all part of
the day, according to a release.
Park at the Marina parking lot.
Transportation to the property
will be provided.
WALLOWA COUNTY FARM-
ERS MARKET
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays
from May 29 to Oct. 9. Main
Street in Joseph near Stein’s
Distillery.
Crafts, produce and home-
made goods, and some life
music will be on tap for visitors.
www.wallowacountyfamers-
market.com, call 541-426-0795,
or search for “Wallowa County
Farmers’ Market” on Facebook.
ONGOING
A.A. online meetings ore-
gonaadistrict29.org.
Building Healthy Families
541-426-9411.
Community
Connection
541-426-3840.
Enterprise Public Library
541-426-3906.
Fishtrap 541-426-3623.
Hurricane Creek Grange
541-605-8233.
Josephy Center for Arts
and Culture 541-432-0505.
Wallowa Public Library
541-886-4265.
Wallowology 541-263-1663.
relinquish the county’s men-
tal health authority to the
Oregon Health Authority.
The move was the culmina-
tion of previous discussions
of the issue.
Chantay Jett, executive
director for the Wallowa
Valley Center for Wellness,
which serves as the county’s
mental health department,
was present at last week’s
meeting to support the com-
missioners’ move.
“We’ve had this discus-
sion about county govern-
ment being involved in men-
tal health, an area they’re
not very expert in — would
that be a good word to use?”
she said.
“... Saying we’re not
experts is a very polite way
of saying we know abso-
lutely nothing,” Nash joked.
“We need the service
occasionally,”
Commis-
sioner Susan Roberts agreed.
After discussing this
with the county for a cou-
ple years, Jett said, “We’ve
come to the conclusion that
it’s probably time to let us
go out on our own and con-
tract directly with the Ore-
gon Health Authority. So if
we are to do that, that means
the county will relinquish
their local mental health
authority because it sort of
becomes a moot point at
that time. … (relinquish-
ing) would sort of force us
— in a good way — to con-
tract directly with the Ore-
gon Health Authority.”
She expressed her appre-
ciation for past county sup-
IN BRIEF
Sen. Merkley
to hold remote
town hall
PORTLAND — Ore-
gon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merk-
ley will hold a remote and
telephone town hall for
constituents in Wallowa
County on Tuesday, June 1.
The town hall will take
place at 11 a.m.
He will update constitu-
port and said the move
would benefi t both the cen-
ter and the county.
“It’s been an administra-
tive burden on you to be the
‘pass-through’ for a lot of
diff erent funding streams,”
she said. “Mental health
funding is very complicated.
We have 15 diff erent pro-
grams all under one roof and
about 20 diff erent funding
streams for those programs.
… So it relieves a burden for
your offi ce, as well.”
Hillock said the board’s
move is part of a larger issue.
“For those of you who
aren’t aware,” he told the
audience, “what brings
this to a head is the state’s
requirement for the coun-
ties to have the liability for
the services that they pro-
vide. All of the counties
have voiced this opinion to
the state that we don’t want
to have the liability. In some
cases in the past, we didn’t
have liability, but they’ve
brought it into all the con-
tracts now. It’s going to
probably aff ect us in other
areas … it’s something
that’s going to have to be
worked on with the Depart-
ment of Justice when they
come down with these con-
tracts. Some of the agencies
are willing to scratch it, but
then the DOJ puts it back
in.”
Nash agreed, saying,
“There were 13 other coun-
ties that opted out and
weren’t willing to sign
the
intergovernmental
agreements.”
Jett noted that what Nash
and Hillock were referring
to was intergovernmental
agreements with the state
over who would handle con-
tracts for developmental dis-
abilities. Wallowa County
rejected such an agreement
April 7.
“So 13 counties, led by
Lane County, rejected those
contracts, so about a month
ago,” she said.
Nash noted that the rejec-
tion didn’t come without
consequences.
“Lane County actu-
ally got burned on that and
they’re in litigation right
now,” he said.
He also suggested wait-
ing to make a decision on
relinquishing county author-
ity until the public could
comment. But Jett said it
was important to get it done
soon so the center can obtain
a new contract. As a result,
the commissioners voted
unanimously to relinquish
authority.
ents on his work in Wash-
ington, D.C., and answer
their questions and invite
their suggestions about
how to tackle the chal-
lenges facing Oregon and
America.
On a computer, smart-
phone or tablet, go to
https://tinyurl.com/sen-
merkleytownhall to join
the Zoom meeting.
On the phone, call 669-
254-5252. Meeting ID:
161 588 7595# and Partici-
pant ID: #. The passcode is
74934212#.
— Chiefttain staff
to be conducted outside
of Wallowa County,” she
said.
ENTERPRISE — An
Both Wallowa and
orthopedic surgery option Union counties have seen
is coming back to Wal- an increase in demand
lowa County.
for orthopedic care, Pace
Wallowa
Memo- said. The press release
rial Hospital is bringing stated the hire of Smith
back an orthopedic sur- “feels incredibly import-
geon on Tuesday, June 1, ant as the demand for
when Dr. Bradley Smith regional orthopedic ser-
begins his fi rst day on the vices is on the rise.”
Smith has practiced
job after being recently
hired, according to a press orthopedic surgery for
release from the hospital. more than two decades,
“I am very excited to and has worked in north-
join the excellent team at ern California and Alaska,
Wallowa Memorial Hos- according to the release.
His
orthope-
pital,” Smith said
dic
experience
in the release.
includes treating
“The
physical/
injuries and ‘wear
occupational ther-
and tear’ to liga-
apists, radiology
ments, bones and
department, surgi-
tendons, and he
cal team and hos-
has
experience
pital staff have just
Smith
performing shoul-
what it takes to
der, hip and knee
get injured folks
back to their activities all repair procedures. He
without having to travel has treated individuals
far away for orthopedic of all ages, from toddlers
to seniors. The release
care.”
It has been about a states that his philoso-
decade since WMH had phy on treatment is “to
an orthopedic surgeon on do what needs to be done,
staff . Wallowa Memorial but to do no more and to
Hospital Communications keep things as simple as
Director Brooke Pace said possible.”
“Dr. Smith has an
Dr. Bradford Stephens,
who retired in 2011, was incredible amount of
the last one at the hospital. experience in a rural set-
“Previous
volumes ting,” Pace said. “Pair that
have not supported a full- with the quality of work
time orthopedic surgeon, he has done and his desire
and we were able to part- to work part-time, he was
ner with Grande Ronde the perfect fi t.”
Smith comes from
Hospital to provide visit-
ing specialist services for a long line of care pro-
the last 10 years,” Pace viders, as his grandfa-
said of how the hospital ther was a physician and
handled cases during the his father was an ortho-
pedic surgeon. Accord-
last decade.
She said a visiting ing to the press release, he
orthopedist came to the started assisting his father
county between two and in surgeries as young as
four times a month. Some age 12. He attended med-
procedures also happened ical school and received
orthopedic training from
away from the county.
“Even with the visiting Loma Linda University
services, some orthope- Medical Center east of
dic surgeries were needed Los Angeles.
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
This week’s featured book
Zero Fail
The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service
by Carol Lennig
107 E. Main St.
Enterprise OR 541-426-3351
bookloftoregon.com • manager@bookloft.org
OPEN WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY
541 569 2285
The most valuable and respected source of
local news, advertising and information
for our communities.
eomediagroup.com
ARE INVITED
YOU TO OUR
Births
A daughter, Kynlee
Rose Matthews, was
born May 11 at Wallowa
Memorial Hospital to
Elizabeth Rose Johnston
and Ethan Milo Robert
Matthews of Wallowa.
Grandparents are Melissa
Zollman, Greg Johnston,
Stephanie Davis and
James Matthews.
301 W. Main, Enterprise • 541.426.3177
FOUNDER’S
DAY
BBQ
WHEN
Saturday May 29th 2021
10:00am - 4:00pm
WHERE
Creating Memories Camp @ Wallowa Lake
WHAT
Tour our camp property, hike to the waterfall, and enjoy a
FREE lunch (11am-1pm). There will be door prizes, games, face painting,
live music and Karaoke! PLEASE park at the Marina parking lot,
we will provide shuttle service to the camp property!
Due to CIVID-19 guidlines, proper physical distancing will be maintained.