A6
FROM PAGE ONE
Wallowa County Chieftain
Hospital:
Continued from Page A1
Pace said WMH has been
asked if they have the ability
to take on extra patients, but
has had to turn those request-
ing hospitals down.
“We have not had the abil-
ity to accept them,” she said.
Pace said the hospital
is working with Wallowa
County Emergency Manage-
ment to request additional
personnel from the National
Guard, anticipating a need
for extra help in nursing,
emergency medical services,
and more.
Signifi cant increase
While the exact number of
coronavirus patients to enter
WMH in the past month
wasn’t available, Pace said
several have been through
the hospital doors.
“We can certainly say
there has been a signifi -
cant increase in coronavirus
patients at our hospital,” she
said.
Given the critical-access
nature of the hospital, Pace
said WMH does not have an
ICU, and, thus, no patients in
ICU care in the hospital. Like
with any situation, a corona-
virus patient requiring ICU
care would be transferred to
a diff erent hospital.
Patients have been trans-
ferred from WMH in the past
month, though the specifi c
reasons were not given.
Statewide trends
seen locally
Reports throughout Ore-
gon have shown that more
young people are among
those being hospitalized with
coronavirus.
Karvoski said that is con-
sistent with what WMH is
seeing.
“These
patients
are
younger …” Karvoski said.
“...And (have) a higher
level and severity of respira-
tory issues,” Pace added. “...
It would be safe to say that
Wallowa County’s trend has
matched that of the state.”
That also includes, she
added, the ratio of hospital-
ized patients who are vac-
cinated or not vaccinated
against coronavirus. State-
wide, OHA data shows that
through the fi rst two weeks of
August, just less than 3,000
of the more than 20,000
coronavirus cases reported
were breakthrough cases,
meaning more than 85% of
coronavirus cases in those
two weeks were in unvacci-
nated individuals.
Karvoski said at this point,
though, nurses at WMH have
not had to take on a higher
patient count than they typi-
cally would.
“Right now, I think we’re
able to stick with our staff -
ing plan and our patient load
for the nurses has remained
pretty much the same,” she
said.
Pace said, too, that staff
is under a lot of pressure and
stress with the ramped up
number of patients, but that
it remains committed to serv-
ing the community.
“It’s unfortunate we are
being placed in this situation”
she said. “Staff are stressed
and tired with the case load.
It’s been a long road.”
Contingency plan
What happens if the hos-
pital did get overrun with
patients? Or it cannot trans-
fer patients?
While that hasn’t hap-
pened, Pace said there is a
roadmap for the hospital in
case there was a surge.
“It has not reached that
level yet, but that is certainly
part of our surge plan is
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
KEY COVID-19 CASE DATES
Below are the reported dates of key COVID-19 numbers in
Wallowa County dating back to the start of the pandemic.
The county has reported 405 cases since the start of the
pandemic, with 166 of those coming during August.
FIRST CASE:
April 8, 2020
50TH CASE:
Oct. 30, 2020 (205 days)
100TH CASE:
Jan. 26, 2021 (88 days)
150TH CASE:
April 2, 2021 (66 days)
200TH CASE:
July 19, 2021 (108 days)
250TH CASE:
Aug. 5, 2021 (17 days)
300TH CASE:
Aug. 17, 2021 (12 days)
350TH CASE:
Aug. 24, 2021 (seven days)
400TH CASE:
Aug. 30, 2021 (six days)
Source: Oregon Health Authority
Surge:
Continued from Page A1
Brooke Pace/Wallowa Memorial Hospital
Wallowa Memorial Hospital nurse Karla Holmes, R.N.,
prepares to see a patient diagnosed with coronavirus. Cases
have been rising sharply in Wallowa County and WMH on
several occasions in the past month has reached its capacity.
preparation for if things con-
tinue to get worse,” she said.
The contingency plan,
she said, is detailed with
action plans depending on
the types of patients in the
hospital. If, for example,
there were a surge in coro-
navirus patients, the physi-
cal therapy wing and med-
ical offi ce building that
houses Wallowa Memorial
and Winding Waters medical
clinics would be converted
into a “clean space” to house
patients hospitalized but
who don’t have coronavirus.
“We can increase the
number of beds in our med-
ical surge fl oor for COVID
patients,” Pace said.
Karvoski added that there
could be an additional 21
beds added, if necessary.
Vaccine mandates
With the FDA’s approval
of the Pfi zer vaccine on
Monday, Aug. 23, the clock
is offi cially ticking toward
Gov. Brown’s vaccine man-
date deadline that all medi-
cal staff are to be fully vac-
cinated — which means two
weeks past their fi nal shot of
a vaccine — by Oct. 18. That
means the fi rst doses of a vac-
cine would have to be admin-
istered on Sept. 6 (Moderna
vaccine), Sept. 13 (Pfi zer) or
Oct. 4 (Johnson & Johnson).
The OHA has granted
the option for individuals to
submit a religious or medi-
cal exemption as opposed to
receiving a vaccine.
Pace said given the recent
FDA approval of the Pfi zer
vaccine, and that there is still
Hospitalizations continue
to remain high statewide.
The Monday OHA report
noted there were more than
1,100 hospitalizations due to
COVID-19 in Oregon. Hos-
pitals continue to be near, or
in some cases at, their maxi-
mum capacity. Just over 300
out of more than 4,200 beds
in Oregon are available, and
39 out of 671 ICU beds are
available.
Region 9, which includes
Wallowa County, has come
“grey area” WMH is seeking
to clarify with the exemp-
tions, it’s unclear how the
mandate will aff ect WMH
and its staff .
Getting a boost(er)
Booster shots of the
Pfi zer or Moderna vaccine
will be made available start-
ing Sept. 20, Pace said.
The CDC and FDA have
recommended that immu-
nocompromised individuals
should receive an additional
& Skylight
Gallery
down from its record of
COVID-19 hospitalizations,
which was 35 on Aug. 25.
On Aug. 30, the number was
at 27.
The number of vaccina-
tions in the county also has
increased, as now 62% of
Wallowa County residents
18 and older, and 51.9%
overall, have had at least
one shot of a vaccine. OHA
data shows 107 people were
newly vaccinated from Aug.
15-29, and from Aug. 2-29,
that number is at 194 peo-
ple. More than 3,700 peo-
ple in Wallowa County
have received a dose of the
vaccine.
dose of the mRNA vaccines
— Pfi zer or Moderna —
they originally received.
Pace said, though, the
booster shot shouldn’t be
received until eight months
after a person received their
second shot. Those eligible
Sept. 20 would be those who
received their second dose
on Jan. 20.
A booster has not yet been
recommended for those with
the Johnson & Johnson vac-
cine, Pace said.
Church
Directory
Finding books is
our specialty
CLUES ACROSS
1. Off drugs
6. Old movie channel
9. Popular tablet
13. Fibber McGee’s broadcast
medium, once
14. Warsaw native
15. Equine 23-Across
16. Etching agents
17. Truckloads
18. “No contest” or “not guilty”
19. Derby transaction
20. Hang on to first place
23. One has a day in May
24. “___ thy father ...”
25. Employer’s posting
30. Where Arches National
Park is
31. ___-to book
32. Homophone for “sense”
36. Dallas NBA player, briefly
37. Most cautious
40. Lubricating medium
41. Reduce drastically
43. Bit of cote chatter
44. Where a pig might be
found?
45. “Don’t let it happen!”
49. Take care of, as duties
50. Common words of
commitment
51. Big ego, or what
encompasses 20-, 25-
and 45-Across?
55. Serve that gets you a
quick point
58. Like a certain tale or order
59. Similar
60. Full of holiday spirit
62. Tiptop
63. What gets into a beach-
goer’s shoes
64. Noticeable navel
65. Where a fork might be
encountered
66. Guess: Abbr.
67. Bunch of baby birds
CLUES DOWN
1. Grouch
2. Queen Anne’s ___
(white plant)
Joseph United
Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran
Church
3rd & Lake St. • Joseph
Pastor Cherie Dearth
10 AM Worship
Phone: 541-432-3102
409 West Main - Enterprise
Online AND In Person
For More Info
Worship
Online at
541-432-3102
JosephUMC.ORG
JosephUMC.org
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
at 9am
Pastor Cherie Dearth
Pastor John B. King Jr
phone (message): 541-426-4633
web: gracelutheranenterprise.com
Enterprise
Christian Church
St. Patrick’s
Episcopal Church
85035 Joseph Hwy • (541) 426-3449
We have ‘In-person worship” @ 9:00 am
(Guidelines observed)
Sunday School at 10:30
Parking Lot Radio/Facebook @ 9:00
100 NE 3rd St, Enterprise
NE 3rd & Main St
541-426-3439
Worship Service
Sunday 9:30am
David Bruce
Pastor, Enterprise Christian Church
Lostine
Presbyterian Church
Discussion Group 9:30 AM
Worship Service 11:00 AM
Childrens program during service
Blog: dancingforth.blogspot.com
3. Tweak the wording of
4. Subsidies and such
5. Person who never arrives
6. Informed
7. Get into gear?
8. Netflix’s “The Kominsky ___”
9. Burst inward
10. Not as ruddy
11. Surface calculation
12. In need of a recharge
14. Friend
21. Steak city of Nebraska
22. Pass, as a bill
23. Abbr. on a citation, perhaps
25. Sounds of well-tuned engines
26. Abbr. in a citation
27. What flows from Mount Etna
28. Neither this ___ that
29. Once again?
33. Neophyte gamer
34. Polynesian image
35. Toy such as Rosebud
37. Roulette necessity
38. Geological span
39. Bulgaria’s most populous city
42. Freed, like peas
44. Debate position
46. Feeling relaxed
47. Grey Goose liquors
48. Occasional bit of work
49. Alabama city in civil rights history
51. Red carpet figure
52. Dr. Pepper Museum’s Texas home
53. Clue
54. Word after “deep” or “defensive”
55. Voice above tenor
56. Award talked about on “Mad Men”
57. Gave the once-over
61. Hemingway’s “In ___ Time”
107 E. Main • Enterprise • 541-426-3351
www.bookloftoregon.com
Summit Church
Sundays at 9:30 am and 11 am
Sundays
at 10 am
at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise.
at are
the required
Cloverleaf
Hall available
in Enterprise
Masks
- but made
at the door.
Pastor: David Pendleton
541.398.0597
Hwy 82, Lostine
www.summitchurchoregon.org
Stephen Kliewer, Minister
Cloverleaf Hall • 668 NW 1st St. • Enterprise, OR 97828
Wallowa
Assembly
of God
702 West Hwy 82
Wallowa, Oregon
541-886-8445
Sunday School • 9:am
Worship Service • 10:am
Pastor Tim Barton
Visit Us on
Seventh-Day Adventist
Church & School
305 Wagner (near the Cemetery)
P.O. Box N. Enterprise, OR 97828
Church 541-426-3751
School 541-426-8339
Pastor David Ballard 503-810-9886
Worship Hour
10:30 a.m. - Noon
Christ Covenant
Church
Pastor Terry Tollefson
Church Office: 541-263-0505
Worship 9:00 a.m.
723 College Street, Lostine
Enterprise Community
Congregational Church
Join us at the
BIG BROWN CHURCH
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Bible Studies:
Bible Studies:
Sundays
9:30 am &
Sundays, 9:30 am &
Thursdays, 5:30 pm
Thursdays, 5:30 pm
Led by Lay Pastor Archie Hook
301 NE First St. • Enterprise, OR
Find us on Facebook! 541.426.3044