Spily3y Tyrnoo, Wjrir? Springs, Oregon March 8, 2001
SIDS high in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has the most
fatalities per live births from Sud
den Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
in the state. This translates to one
of the highest in the nation. To up
date staff on recent findings on this
killer, Health Services invited
Kathleen Arthur of SIDS Resources
of Oregon to present an in-service
forum on March 2.
SIDS, whose cause has yet to be
determined, is unusual in that it is
described in terms of what it is not.
This "diagnosis of exclusion" is: the
sudden death of an infant under one
year of age which remains unex
plained after both an autopsy (to rule
out heart failure, aneurysm, suffo
cation, trauma or other causes) and
a thorough investigation of the
infant's medical and social history.
Although death rates have de
clined over the past five years, SIDS
remains the most significant health
problem for infants between two and
12 months in terms of infant mor
tality. The national average of SIDS
deaths between 1992 and 1998 was
one in 1064. In Oregon, chance of
mortality rose to 1 in 680, while in
Jefferson County the figure was one
in 400. Researchers point out that
the Jefferson County statistics are
possibly skewed by the relatively
small number of county births per
year (300). However the rate of SIDS
deaths has remained constant from
year to year, giving greater credence
to the statistic.
Several risk factors have been
identified as contributing to the dis
ease. Happily some of these - the
infant's sleeping position being the
most important - are easy to change.
(See sidebar.) Unfortunately,
babysitting relatives and child care
providers may be unaware of current
prevention measures. able factors arc sex - boys are more
often victims; time of year - fall and
Less modifiable factors arc: low winter carry most risk; and ethnicity
birth weight or prematurity of the - African American, Native Amcri-
infant and young age or low educa- can and Alaskan Native children die
tional level of the mother. These fac- from SIDS at twice the national av
tors are often linked. Non-modifi- erage.
Prevent SIDS!
PARENTS: Tell your babysitters about the latest ways to lower the risk
f SIDSI They may not be aware of these simple rules:
L The single most important preventative technique is to place th
nfant on his back when in the crib. The first time a baby is placed on hi
lummy, he is at a greater risk for SIDS. Don't assume that even a licensee
lay care provider knows this fact!
2. No smoking around the baby - before or after birth!
3. Do not overdress the baby. Overheating can be a risk factor. .
4. Avoid blankets - a simple one-piece sleeping outfit is safest. No
hats.
5. Don't put any loose articles in the crib - pillows, fluffy bumpers,
tuffed animals, etc.
6. Avoid a soft underlaymcnt. Use a safety-approved, firm mattress.
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Faith Berry, three month old daughter of Wanda and Billy Joe
Berry, demonstartes a healthy crib environment.
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Grandparents meet
"Here, they finally had a struc
, tured life - school, homework, sta
bility, a safe environment." A grand
mother laments the fate of the three
children she cared for. Like many
women in Warm Springs, she had
taken her cousin's children when
their mother's addictions created
havoc in their lives. However, despite
her efforts, their five years under her
care included disruptive visits by the
mother and, finally, the children
were returned home.
, Four years later, the grandmother
describes the children as "paying the
price." The three are experiment
ing with drugs and alcohol. The 14-year-old
is not in school. "I see their
mother's behavior all over again,"
she said. "The circle continues. It
should have been broken."
She blames much of the disaster
on poor communication between
the agencies involved. "I thought the
system was to work for the children,
but they didn't network; they didn't
know what was happening with the
mother," she said. "People who
don't want to do anything with their
lives seem to know how to use the
system. But the good people are
made to jump through hoops."
" This is one story. (A fictitious
compilation of a number of anec
dotes.) Others were shared at a meet
ing on February 27 at the OSU Ex
tension offices, one of five OSU
branches able to downlink a satel
lite videoconference "Grandparents
Raising Grandchildren."
Across the country, one in 10
grandparents have been the primary
support of a grandchild at some time
in their lives. Currently 6 percent
of children live in a grandparent
headed household.
The American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP), one of the
sponsors of the event, is aggressively
tackling the problems of grandpar
ents raising grandchildren. The
video conference included discus
sions of how Colorado, Delaware
and Kentucky have responded to the
needs of grandparents.
Warm Springs participants, both
"grandmothers" and concerned pro
fessionals, agreed that the legal rami
fications of informal custody often
prevent the caregiver from authoriz
ing health care, talking to teachers
and other parental necessities. Paren
tal visitation can be disruptive to
impressionable children, yet the
grandmothers believe agencies favor
parental rights at the expense of the
children's well-being. Financial con
sequences can be overwhelming. A
legal foster parent receives financial
assistance for children in the home,
a relative docs not.
The group fielded ideas for solu
tions: have the money "follow the
child" to whatever home he is in;
expand the definition of grandpar
ent to other members of the family
not in a direct blood line to the child;
improve inter-agency communica
tion. Custodial grandparents in Warm
Springs must learn to navigate both
tribal and state laws when their
childrcns' needs can be met only
off the reservation. Yet minors and
elders are undcrreprescnted in the
legal system. Furthermore, attorneys
supposedly familiar with "tribal
matters" often have expertise in land
issues, not elderminor law.
It is ironic that individuals who
lovingly take in children, usually
after their child raising days are os
tensibly over, face more difficulties
than would the parents themselves.
The day's purpose was to identify
issues unique to Warm Springs, work
with other "grandparents" on solu
tions, and ultimately implement
changes in tribal andor state legis
lation. In his remarks, AARP vol
unteer. Ken Cooper, described his
organization as a potent lobbying
force for change.
Before adjourning, participants
scheduled a follow-up meeting on
Wednesday, March 28 at noon.
Hoyer hopes that this will be one
of a series of meetings which will
lead to a support group for custo
dial grandparents in the community.
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Meet our new provider Students take over health services
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Margaret Koepping, Family
Nurse Practitioner (FNP) is the
newest medical provider at the
Warm Springs Health and Wellness
Center. She started work here on
Dec. 18. Ms. Koepping is scheduled
in the outpatient clinic as a provider
for Same Day and Urgent Care
needs. She will be working from 9:00
am to 7:00 pm Monday through
Thursdays.
Marge comes to us originally
from the Puget Sound and North
ern Cascades areas of Washington.
She previously worked in the Indian
Health Service in Chinle, Arizona,
before returning to Graduate School
for her Masters of Nursing degree
and Family Nurse Practitioner's cer
tification. She was most recently
working in the Seattle area with the
King County Corrections Depart
ment. In seeking this position,
Marge stated a desire to return to a
smaller community with a rural
lifestyle. She is excited to be involved
in a community health care setting
with the opportunity to interact
with families and to teach as part of
her practice.
The staff at the Warm Springs
Health and Wellness Center is happy
to have Marge on board as one of
our providers. By seeing those pa
tients with limited, yet urgent needs,
our new nurse practitioner allows
more time and flexibility for the
physicians on staff to schedule ap
pointments for those patients with
long term, chronic problems on a
timelier basis. As noted above, Ms.
Koepping will be the provider in the
Late Clinic (from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
Monday through Thursday). This
change will mean that physicians
will not be able to schedule for Late
Clinic appointments. However, be
cause of the additional manpower,
the physicians will have more avail
able appointment time throughout
the week.
The demand for services has
steadily increased over the past sev
eral years since the Confederated
Tribes constructed the Health and
Wellness Center in 1993. The staff
and administration at the clinic are
dedicated to meeting those increased
demands through a variety of means.
New technologies, more efficient
scheduling of provider services, and
better utilization of space are all ar
eas that are being worked on to bring
the best possible service to the com
munity. With this in mind, please join us
at The Warm Springs Health and
Wellness Center in welcoming
Marge Koepping to Warm Springs.
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On Wednesday, February 7th ap
proximately 200 Warm Springs sec
ond and fourth graders were bused
over to the Warm Springs Dental
Clinic for a lively open house. Clinic
staff began this tour seven years ago
to celebrate National Children's
Dental Health Month. Last year the
medical staff joined forces with den
tal to present an even more compre
hensive and entertaining event for
the children.
Staff, dressed in a tropical pirate
theme, treated the children to skits
and puppet shows designed to make
the students feel comfortable in the
medical environment as well as teach
them about issues important to their
health. The children eagerly partici
pated in the entertainment as well
as the mock "exams" held in the den
tal clinic.
The following day, approximately
100 Head Start Children toured the
clinic for an open house of their
own. And, on the 9,h, many first and
second grade students received den
tal sealants in honor of the month.
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Dental Assistant, Camille Hall,
and helpers prepare for a
cleaning
Third grader, Charlene Chee, scrubs those big teeth
Police department introduces new officer
Boat Launching Site to
Close for Construction
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has announced
closure of the Warm Springs Boat launch on the Deschutes from
March 5 through the end of the month for improvements. A re
opening date is unknown at this time. Improvements include wid
ening the boat ramps, enlarging the parking and boat staging area,
and replacement of a rest room.
Parks officials recommend Mecca Flat, located two miles down
stream from U. S. 26 as an alternative access point for launching
boat and raft trips.
Officer Introduction
Hello my people, my name is
Ron Belgard, my Indian Name is
Washte' Wichasha in Lakota Trans
lation it means good man. I am of
ChippewaCree and Tootootni Na
tions. I have recently started work
with the
Warm
Springs
Police De
partment Patrol Di
vision. I
am very
glad to be
employed
by this de
partment and I am
also glad
to be working for this community
and its people. I have been living on
the Warm Springs reservation off
and on for the past twenty vcars de
pending on where the best pow
wows are at-aves!
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I have come to realize what a
beautiful place I live at. The people
have always treated me good, I have
never felt better about being any
where. I am really happy to be ac
cepted by so many wonderful folks.
I am also a Sundancer and whenever
I 'm not working, I attend Washut
Services to pray for blessings of fam
ily, the foods we harvest, and the
numerous issues we face as Native
people everyday.
As a police officer for the Warm
Springs community, my goals are to
Protect and to Serve to the best of
my ability. I would also like to es
tablish a career-oriented program
with our youth to help them gain
an understanding of what it means
to be Warriors and Leaders. We need
to educate our youth not to fall prey
to those evils that have become so
prevalent in our Native peoples lives.
Working with youth, I plan to
revive their interest of our traditional
way of gathering sacred foods hunt
ing and fishing, and making the
Longhouse the primary focus of our
young ones before it disappears for
ever. While out in the community,
please feel free to come talk with me
regarding problems I may be able to
assist with. I encourage everyone,
especially the youth who are our
most important asset for the future
of this reservation.
Thank you for your love and
kindness, and thank you for your
time.
Community Policing
Spring is coming and with the
warmer weather more outdoors ac
tivity. Is everyone ready to be out in
the fresh air, work on gardens yards
fix fences etc For many this is a time
to do cleaning, and haul trash, and
all of the rest of the things we do
when spring time comes. Some of
our Patrol Division officers, led by
Officer Bob SprengeL are looking at
ways to help do some cleaning of the
basketball court in West Hills along
with help from local street residents
and volunteers. So those of you that
were watching us up there on Fri
day will know what we were doing.
For more information you can con
tact Sgt. Lonny Mcliwen at 553
3272, Officer Bob Sprengel at 553
2217, Lt. Stoncy Miller at 553-2283,
Bob Medina at 553-2274 or Nancy
Collins at 553-4943.
The Community Police Officers
have started the knock and talk vis
its with the people of the commu
nities. There has been information
given on Neighborhood Watch,
alarms and systems, door locks,
crime prevention tips and other top
ics given on these visits.
Dogs
There have been a number of calls
on loose dogs chasing children in
different parts of the Agency area
latclv. Dog owners need to know
that they arc responsible if some one
gets bit or injured by a dog at large.
An owner of a dog involved in such
an incident can be issued a citation
for Maintaining a Public Nuisance.