Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 1998)
SpilyayTymoo Warm Springs, Oregon December 3, 1998 5 Brush completes clerkship in Warm Springs Warm Springs IHS Service Unit Director represents Warm Springs on a larger scale 1 M'l" I"M' ' IW.',-"-''"1' ilin ji Mi ' .. k'.oi,' mil -..,...., .,..., I Marina Brush Since 1992, medical students at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) are required to get part of their training and education in rural or medically under served areas through an AHEC office. Marina Brush is one of the Third-year medical students completing a six week primary care clerkship in Warm Springs, OR, with Dr. Creeiman, and the help of Cascades East AHEC. Since 1 992, 395 medical students have completed six-week primary care clerkships in 27 Oregon communities, under the guidance of 120 local preceptor physicians. Since the clerkship was initiated, the percentage of OHSU medical school graduates choosing to pursue careers in primary care (including internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics) has increased dramatically. During the clerkship, each medical student completes a community project on a local health issue, such as access to prenatal care, prevention of cervical cancer and tobacco use among adolescents. Some of the students' findings have drawn attention to previously overlooked local health care issues and have prompted change in the way community health care is provided. For more information on community projects completed by students in your community, please call Leilani Richards at (541) 884 0602. Twenty-six year old Brush is from Portland and enjoys hiking, skiing, reading, traveling and volunteer work. She has received a BA in Chemistry at the University of Hawaii and completed clerkships in surgery, medicine and psychiatry. By Nat Shaw People acquainted with Russ Alger, the soft spoken Service Unit Director for Indian Health Service at Warm Springs, know he is a sincere man with a concern for others. Alger is friendly and easy to approach. What people may not realize is that his concern for others led him on a successful journey to help the people of Warm Springs, and at the same to n The Museum At Warm Serines . " i t TTvnntc fnt Nniramttai 1QQQ " Chanaine Exhibit Gallery 7 t . .. . ill j, i a f"lraditional Baskets $ fiKXX K1 I if ! ' n -iJaneKlrlqMitrick1 V 6PMI (lecturfcbook"signing) f JFREE Admission 16 The Museum 1 UliUtU; UV i III" December 4 December 5 fiTilil1 ,4 Foimdation Hi The Museum's: December Gift Shop: 2Q oRSffisE "10 off Beadwork" rRcmcmbet.Cliritlma.i&.right around th comCTlLt us help :::::::3pecial::someanR.::Onr:HoJidty:; I ! For More InformaHon call: (541) 553-3331 f 1 I I -zl -di -igj -igj ?uss i4jer Warm Springs IHS Service Unit Director time gained him national recognition. Alger, a 24 year veteran of Indian Health Service, came to Warm Springs as the chief pharmacist in 1983. Prior to coming to Warm Springs, the Oregon State University pharmacy school graduate was the chief pharmacist and supervisor of the lab and x-ray departments for the Quinault Indian Nation in Washington State. In May, 1991, Alger became the Service Unit Director when Lee Loomis left to accept a position in the Portland Area Office. Russ Alger has spent 15 years in Warm Springs; 7 and a half years as Service Unit Director. Those years have been busy. A new, ultra-modern, 37,400 square foot, Health and Wellness Clinic opened in 1993. The staff expanded from three doctors to five, one dentist to three, with one being a pediatric dentist, one public health nurse to four, three nurses to nine, and one optometrist. The staff has more than tripled, and with new health equipment, health care has improved dramatically. In 1995, Alger was nominated by the Portland Area Service Unit Directors to be the area representative for the National Council of Service Unit Directors. Late in 1996, Alger took over as the Chairman of the Organization after being selected by the executive committee of the National Council. The National Council is made up of representatives from each of the 12 areas of Indian Health Service. Serving on the council required frequent travel. Alger said his work in Rockville, Maryland, usually took two days a month, and other council commitments added up to a total of a week out of each month. Alger stepped down as Chairman last January. He explained that as the Chairman, he represented all the service units on the Executive Leadership Group (ELG). The ELG is appointed by Dr. Mike Trujillo, National Director of the Indian Health Service. Alger also served on Trujillo's advisory board on decisions that affected health care issues for IHS. Alger said, "We got the legislative branch of IHS headquarters to obtain approval from the Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) to allow IHS Service Units to collect medicaid reimbursement when IHS physicians provide medical services to Indian patients at local private hospitals. The monies collected for this, help provide improved services at the local service units." Alger explained that there was a loophole in the regulations, and the change made a dramatic impact on the ability of IHS to charge for services that had previously gone unpaid. Dr. Trujillo wrote to Alger upon the conclusion of his assignment as Chairman. "Your insightful leadership and your ability to set health care priorities and direction were valuable to the work of the NCSUD."Trujillostated, "These past fewyears have brought many changes to the IHS changes that have significance for all Indian people. The involvement of experienced leaders such as yourself in helping to guide and shape these changes at the national level has been vital to the future health and welfare of all American Indian and Alaska Native people." An area where Alger provided leadership on the national scene was in the diabetes program. Warm Springs already had a model diabetes program, however some people were reluctant to agree to additional money for the program. Alger was able to successfully argue that money should be available for all programs including Warm Springs. "We were able to negotiate, on behalf of the Warm Springs Tribe, a $65,000 grant per year for five years from IHS to focus on diabetes prevention activities at the Warm Springs Service Unit," he said. Always interested in good health care, Alger commented on Managed Care's decision to lift restrictions on the use of Mt. View District Hospital. "I think it's a real plus for the community. With St. Charles taking over management of Mt. View, our patients will receive quality care and more continuity of care since they will be closer to home. We have had an excellent relationship working with St. Charles and we expect that to continue at Mt. View Hospital." Alger is now a member of the 20 Person Leadership Development rogram for Indian Health Service. The work group is charged with the responsibility to design a leadership development program for the Indian health care system. Frequently, individuals are selected for leadership positions with little to no formal management training. Documentation has shown that health professionals cite the lack of training in leadership and management as a primary factor for resigning. Alger stated, "Given the complex issues facing the health care field, it became apparent that leadership development is a need that has not been addressed." The group will design a leadership development approach using available external and internal resources. Once in place, the program will be a tremendous asset in developing expertise for health care professionals. On January 6, 1999, the farm boy from Fall Creek, Oregon, will receive an award at the IHS National Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. In the continuing tradition of good leadership on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Russ Alger will receive the National Council of Service Unit Directors Award for Exceptional Performance. According to IHS, the award demonstrates that the National Council of Service Unit Directors strongly encourages individual initiative, accomplishment, and accountability for actions that tend to increase the overall effectiveness of the Indian Health Service. Alger has long been a proponent of Warm Springs, supporting community programs. He has been a regular contributor to the Comprehensive Plan bench-marking process. Alger's excellence has been noted by his peers and he will accept his national award on January 6. Some in our community recognized his unique capabilities long ago. Open house to be held on December 9 Suicide Prevention and Survivors of Suicide December 16, 17,1998 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Kah-Nee-Ta Lodge For more information contact Charlotte Herkshan or Jean Green at 553-3205 f ) Games wanted Board games wanted to donate to the Warm Springs Corrections de partment. For more information call Billie Jo Bagley at 553-1171 or De tective Hornbuckle at 553-3272. Annual Timber Symposium to be held at Kah-Nee-Ta Resort The 23rd Annual National Indian Timber Symposium will be held at Kah-Nee-Ta, April 12-15, 1999. In conjunction with the symposium, the Confederated Tribes are sponsoring a logo contest. The logo design should encompass all natural resources ac tivities. The deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Monday, December 7, 1998. The logo should be done in black and white, and an 6 12" by 7" in size. The logo will be used for advertis ing, promotion and the cover of the symposium book. The winning entry will receive a $200 cash prize. For more information contact Theron Johnson at Forestry, 553-2416 or Colleen Johnson at 553-7134. by Russ Alger, IHS Service Unit Director The Health and Wellness Center invites the community to come into our Open House which will be held on December 9th, 1998 and will in volve Tribal and IHS Programs. The Open House will be from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. At 10 a.m. a short welcoming ceremony will occur in the Administrative waiting room of the Health and Wellness Center. The Open House celebrates 5 years of providing medical and dental ser vices in the Health and Wellness Center, which was built by the Con federated Tribes in 1993. The Open House will include a Health Information Fair, Health Cen ter tours, IHS and Tribal Department displays and light refreshments. Please come in and meet our friendly staff and learn more about the Health Services available to the Warm Springs community and all Native Americans. Health and Wellness CenterCom munity Forum The Indian Health Service in con junction with the Warm Springs Health and Welfare Committee is sponsoring a community forum on the evening of December 9th, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The purpose of the forum will be to gather information from the com munity members we serve in three specific areas, they are: 1. What are the positive strengths andor aspects of the Health and Wellness Center? 2. What would the community like to see improved at the Health and Wellness Center? 3. What are the community priori ties for the provision of Health care in the future for the Health and Wellness Center? Mr. Clint Jacks, OSU Extension Agent will be the facilitator. We will follow a timed agenda. There will be a light meal of stew and frybread to start off the activities. The full agenda will be coming out in the mail shortly and flyers will be posted throughout the community. The Indian Health Service and the Warm Springs Health and Welfare Committee wish to encourage all Native American users of the facility to please come to the meeting and participate in the forum. Thank you and we look forward to your participation. Army Recruiting Increases College Fund Religious poems wanted A $1000 grand prize is being of fered in a special religious poetry contest sponsored by New Jersey Rainbow Poets, free to everyone. There are 28 prizes in all totaling over $2,000. "We think great religious poems can inspire achievement", says Frederick Young, the organization's famous contest director. "We're es pecially keen on inspiring beginning poets and we think this competition will accomplish that. Oregon has pro duced great poets over the years and we'd like to discover new ones from among the Warm Springs-area grassroots poets. To enter, send one poem only 21 lines or less to: Free Poetry Contest, 103 N Wood Ave. Suite 70, Linden NJ 07036 or enter on-line www.freecontest.com. The deadline for entering is De cember 11, 1998. Poems may be written on any subject, using any style as long as there is a spiritual inference. A typical poem might be a love poem, or nature poem, one that inspires. Winners will be notified by the end of March 1999 and will be invited for free publication. All en trants will receive a winner's list. Army Recruiting Increases Col lege Fund to $50,000, Implements $3,000 Sign-Up Bonus (Portland, OR) - U.S. Army Recruitng Command officials an nounced today that maximum ben efits under teh Montgomery GI Bill plus the Army College Fund have been increased from $40,000 to $50,000 for persons who qualify for this program. The Army College Fund is available to applicants who qualify for selected Army skills. In a related move, the Army Re cruiting Command also announced revisions to its enlistment bonus pro gram. Effective immediately, quali fied applicants are eligible for a $3,000 sign-up bonus, if they report to training between now and May 3 1 , 1999. In the past, Army bonus pro grams will remain in effect, offereing up to $12,000. In some cases, applicants may be able to combine this new $3,000 sign up bonus with an existing enlistment bonus that targets a specific specialty. However, the total bonus with an existing enlistment bonus that tar gets a specific specialty. However the total bonus amount cannot ex ceed $6,000 for a three-year or $12,000 for four or more years. During the last recruiting year, more than 11,000 young men and women who entered the Army quali fied for and selected the Army col lege Fund. These young soldiers will earn a potential of over 375 million dollars in money for college or voca tional training. Both these programs recognize the Army's commitment to attract the best and the brightest from America's youth population. Any young person or parent who would like to know more about these enlist ment incentives should contact their local Army recruiter for more details. Home holiday safety tips offered On Patrol- by Don Courtney Burglar alarm leads to arrest: A silent alarm triggered at the Warm Springs Education building led to the arrest of several juveniles who entered the building at about 2:30 am on Thursday, November 26,1998. The individuals will be referred to the Juvenile department for possible charges of Break & Entering, Mali cious Mischief, and Curfew Viola tion. Thanks is extended to the Jefferson County Sheriffs office for providing assistance during this call. Fire ruled accident set by candle Follow-up to a reported fight in progress call at the 1322 Deerloop apartment complex found that an apartment was on fire where renters were seen removing items from the apartment. The Warm Springs Fire & Safety department was then summoned on the discovery of the fire. Once extin guished, the fire was found to have started in the upstairs bedroom area in what authorities said believed was caused by a candle that was left burn ing. No one seriously injured, several visiting individuals and bystanders were treated for minor smoke inhala tion. Thanks goes out to the Jefferson County Emergency Medical Services and the Jefferson County Fire Dis trict for their response and assistance in this matter. On another note, to the individual that used a few choice words, went around the officer at the scene, and then proceeded to run over the fire hose; count on this as a strong warn ing: It is against the law to disobey a police officerfs directive to stop on a scene like this; and secondly, it is also against the law to run over a charged fire hose. Crime Stoppers: On the return of the crime stop pers hotline, the Warm Springs Po lice continue to thank those who have stepped forward to place a call to the line dedicated to assist in helping to resolve past crimes or prevent new ones. The number to call is 55J 2202. Community Policing Division: In the latest development at ad dressing community policing, the department is currently organizing a Community Policing Division that will help assist the department in the educational aspects and prevention of crime. This division will be headed up by a Lieutenant supervisor who will oversee the two new COPS positions and the Attendance Truancy Offi cer. Future plans are underway to secure a fourth position as a school resource officer to assist the Madras Police and the Jefferson County Sher iffs Resource Officers within the school district. Current personnel already as signed to this division include, Mariam Tias as the school Atten dance Officer, Dawn Kirk and Earlene Tufti as newest Community Police Officers. Following the depletion of the federal dollars granted to the tribes for the two new positions, the tribes will to have to pick up the positions as part of the agreement to these grants. With the holiday season fast approaching, here are some safety tips to keep in mind so that you will have an enjoyable experience. Decoration Lighting Indoor lights Avoid overloading any circuit. Add up amps you are using for each string and consider 15 amps as a maximum for most circuits. If any outlet connections are hot to the touch, you have a problem and should reduce the number of light strings or use a larger cord supply. If any circuit breakers are hot, you are using too many lights on that circuit. Indoor Lights Miniature lights are the safest. Turn off lights at bedtime and whenever no one is present. Use proper sized extension cords. Tree safety Natural trees are not a great risk if you follow these suggestions. Cut a fresh base before placing the tree in a stand. Do not use lighted candles or high output lights on trees. Do not place trees near space heaters, heat vents, or block exits. Remove Christmas trees when needles begin to fall. Do not attempt to dispose of your dried tree in your fireplace. Candles Lighted candles should not be located under or near other combustibles such as dry greens, paper products, etc. Lighted candles should be placed in non-combustible holders such as glass. Candles should be extinguished when no one is present. Thanks to all for making the trip possible To the editor, The NASU Club of MHS and JCMS would like to thank a number of people who made it possible for our club to visit Chemawa to attend their Indian Pride Day on Friday, November 20th. Nineteen students and five chap erones traveled to Salem. We left at 7 a.m. and returned at 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning. We arrived at Chemawa at 10:30 a.m. in time for theirassembly and listened to a Wash ington Coast Elder speak about the importance of traditions, culture, and teaching the youth about their tribal ways and traditional foods. Next, was a Kiowa man from Anadarko, Okla homa who spoke about spiritual val ues, the Creator, Drugs & Alcohol abuse, also about the Native Ameri can Church. We saw the Apache Dancers from the Peter Roosevelt school of Arizona. Alfred Nauslaw was their Indian Dance Advisor. They performed the Crown Dance and a healing dance to name a few. After lunch we were entertained by Tony RedHouse who is a gifted story teller and sound effects person. He per formed the Eagle Dance and the Hoop Dance on stage. And last was the NA Portland band known as "Eagle Jump". The students then had din ner, toured the dorms before attend ing a dance DJ'ed by a man from Arizona. We left around 9 p.m for home. Returning to Warm Springs around 12:30 a.m. Saturday morn ing. Tired. I wish to thank those people who made this trip possible for us. They include: Rebecca Soliz-Tribal Member and staff member from Chemawa, who went out of her way to get us to Chemawa to attend this event. Thank you very much Becky, we hope we can return soon to visit again. Warm Springs Education Com-mittee-for allowing us the funds to get there. Without your help we would' ve been dri verless. Thank you too, for your support, encouragement and backing for the NASU Club. Austin Greene-Thank you Aus tin, for the loan of the bus on such short notice. Bob Moran-Thank you Mr. Moran, for driving us to Salem on short notice also. You're a saint for putting up with us and all the com motion during the trip. Hope you will be available for future NASU trips, (smile) To all five Chaperones-who re sponded to my short notice with valor and dedication. They are RJ "Mon ster" Payne, Mrs. RJ "Monster" Selena Payne, Josie Williams & Travis Bobb. Thank you guys for responding to my call to duty, (smile) May the Creator greatly bless you all who helped bring this trip together. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Respectfully, Myrna J. Frank, NASU Advisor