E Coosh EEWA: The way it is
Page 3
Spilyay Tymoo December 16, 2020
Letters to the editor
Flu shots
The Warm Springs Clinic
reminds the community that
it is not too late to get your
seasonal flu shot.
Flu shot hours at the clinic
are 9 to 11 a.m. on Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday and Fri-
day; and 2 to 4 p.m. every-
day.
Flu shots will be given by
nursing staff, curbside in the
comfort of your car. Present
to the clinic entry gate dur-
ing the above hours.
A wish...
We’d like to wish my
youngest sister, Susan
Switzler Coronado, a
very Happy Birthday in
Walla Walla, Washing-
ton.
Sending our love and
prayers for healing. We
miss you and wish we
could visit more often.
Love and hugs
always.
From the
Tsumpti family.
patch Center switched the
night shift dispatch functions
over to Frontier Dispatch
for a period of 30 days.
The decision to utilize this
service was made so the fo-
cus would be on training the
two new dispatchers.
Please, for emergencies
dial 911. Please avoid using
the non-emergency line for
emergencies. Although both
the dispatch centers Frontier
and Warm Springs have the
same role and function, there
are slight differences in how
calls are handled.
This is a temporary switch
for night shifts between Sun-
day and Thursday and we
look forward to having the
opportunity to provide qual-
ity training to our new dis-
patchers, so we can get our
Call Center up and fully func-
tioning again.
We also thank our
partnering agency Frontier
Dispatch Center for the will-
ingness to assist us in this
time of need.
Crystal Greene, Lieu-
tenant, Warm Springs Police
Department, Corrections/
Telecommunications Divi-
sion.
Births
OpaLynne Rosey Williams
Lyle Williams Jr. and
Ashlynne Danzuka are
pleased to announce the
birth of their daughter
OpaLynne Rosey Williams,
born on December 3, 2020.
OpaLynne joins brither
Maliky, 5, and sister
Mozanntique, 1.
Grandparents on the
father’s side are Judith
Kalama and Allen Charley.
Grandparents on the
mother’s side are Kathy
Danzuka and the late
Roosevelt ‘Rosey’ Suppah.
Minnie L. Charley
Leonard Y. Charley Sr.
and Delberta P. Williams of
Warm Springs are pleased
to announce the birth of
their daughter Minnie L.
Charley, born on December
11, 2020.
Minnie joins brother
Leonard Jr.
Grandparents on the
father’s side are Minnie L.
Charley of Warm Springs,
and Timothy Barnett of
Oklahoma City.
Grandparents on the
mother’s side are Josie Wil-
liams and Warner Williams
of Warm Springs.
W.S. Dispatch
To the Warm Springs Com-
munity,
As of last Sunday, De-
cember 13 at 7 p.m., the
Warm Springs Police Dis-
KNT water
The Kah-Nee-Ta Resort
area, specifically the Hamlets,
is seeing a temporary water
shutoff notice for this
Wednesday, December 16.
The installation of the
south Kah-Nee-Ta pressure
relief valve station and al-
titude valve is the reason
for the temporary shutoff.
Approximately 58 resi-
dences are affected by the
December 16 shutoff.
According to Utilities, dis-
colored water or air in the
line is possible in the area
after installation and water is
back in service.
If experienced, run cold
water until water runs clear.
If you have questions,
call Chico Holliday at Utili-
ties, 541-553-3246.
A covid
update from
clinic staff
Due to the impact of
Covid-19 on our community,
the Warm Springs Clinic will
be limiting appointments for
routine care that are not ill-
ness related.
We will still be available
to help assist with any imme-
diate or urgent medical needs
during our normal operating
hours.
We will continue provid-
ing assessment and screen-
ing for people with covid
Spilyay Tymoo
(Coyote News, Est. 1976)
Publisher Emeritus in Memorium: Sid Miller
Editor: Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Our of-
fices are located at 4174 Highway 3 in Warm
Springs.
Any written materials submitted to Spilyay Tymoo
should be addressed to:
Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 489, Warm Springs, OR
97761.
Phone: 541-553-2210 or 541-771-7521
E-Mail: david.mcmechan@wstribes.org.
Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $20.00
Fond farewells to two from clinic team
T he Warm Springs
Health and Wellness Cen-
ter bid farewell in De-
cember to Yvonne
Iverson and Capt. James
Gemelas. Yvonne and
James are long-time
members of the Health
and Wellness team, and
both are leaving to pur-
sue new opportunities.
At the clinic we are
grateful for the years of
service they have pro-
vided. Yvonne has been
the clinic budget analyst
since 2013. She also man-
ages Purchasing, Ware-
house, and Quarters
staff.
She has functioned as
our Incident Command
Finance Chief during our
Covid-19 pandemic op-
erations.
Yvonne attended the
IHS Leadership Training
Program, and has been a
member of the Warm
Springs Executive Man-
agement Team for many
years.
Yvonne is also a
trained Health Improve-
ment Professional, and a
symptoms at our outdoor
testing and triage area.
Covid-19 symptoms in-
clude fever, cough, short-
ness of breath, sore throat,
headache, weakness, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, or un-
usual skin rashes.
In-person appointments
will continue, but will be lim-
ited as we continue to pro-
vide care during the covid
Pandemic.
If you have a medical
need please call our Sched-
uling desk at 541-553-
2610.
If you have questions
about Covid-19, or if you
are having covid ymptoms,
please call our Covid
Nurse Line at 541-553-
5512.
We appreciate your un-
derstanding during these
challenging times.
Remember we all have a
responsibility to slow the
spread of covid. Stay Home
and do not have visitors.
If you must go out for
an essential needs
· Mask Up.
· Wash your hands often.
· Keep a safe distance
from others; that is, six feet
or more.
Warm Springs Clinic
staff.
Slow the spread
To slow the spread of
Covid-19, residents of the
Warm Springs Reservation
need to stay at home ex-
cept for essential activities
like grocery shopping,
work or medical appoint-
ments.
Employees on adminis-
trative leave need to stay at
home except for the above
reasons.
Limit your contact with
anyone not from your
household by staying home
and not allowing contact with
people from outside your
household.
Anyone who has tested
positive, or has had a close
contact, should be quaran-
tined at home, and stay at
home through your quaran-
tine time.
Yvonne Iverson
certified Nonviolent Crisis
Intervention trainer.
She has constantly sup-
ported our clinic staff in
both quality improvement
and safety activities in addi-
tion to her regular duties.
A Warm Springs tribal
member, Yvonne started
her work at the clinic while
still in high school.
After completing college,
she returned to work for the
Confederated Tribes in the
Community Health Depart-
ment, where she worked for
12 years.
She started as a physical
therapy aide and ended as
the Community Health Pro-
gram Manager, demonstrat-
ing her unique ability to mo-
Cpt. James Gemelas
tivate and lead.
Meanwhile, Cpt. James
Gemelas arrived for duty in
1993 when the War m
Springs Health and Wellness
Center first opened.
He started in the Confed-
erated Tribes Managed Care
Department as a case man-
ager. Jim took part time
leave in 1995 to parent his
young children while con-
tinuing to work fill-in at the
Pharmacy.
Cpt. Gemelas returned
full time as the Pharmacy
director in 2003 before
transferring to his current
position as Clinical Applica-
tions Coordinator in 2006.
Also known as Cap-
tain Calm, Jim has guided
the Warm Springs Health
and Wellness staff, both
tribal and IHS, through
a wide variety of clinical
computer applications,
including the use of the
Electronic
Health
Record and other data
collection programs. He
has cheerfully filled in at
our pharmacy whenever
needed.
In addition to his regu-
lar duties, Jim has func-
tioned as our Incident
Command System Liai-
son Officer from March
of 2020.
Jim will be transfer-
ring to the Office of In-
formation Technology
for IHS.
We are grateful for all
he has done in his time
here and know he will
continue to serve all of
IHS as he works with the
Electronic
Health
Record development pro-
gram.
The Warm Springs
Health and Wellness
Center team.
Mask-up
campaign
with Bigfoot
The Northwest Port-
land Area Indian Health
Board has shared its
‘Bigfoot Mask Up’ cam-
paign material with the
Confederated Tribes.
The campaign includes
a large all-weather wooden
cutout of Bigfoot (left,
with Neal of KWSO).
The cutout has its own
specially fitted mask (in
this photo the Bigfoot is
getting ready to mask up).
The campaign material
also includes yard signs
with Covid-19 safety mes-
sages (see page 2).
The Indian Health
Board shared its campaign
with tribes throughout the
Northwest.
D.McMechan/Spilyay
From the Oregon
Health Authority
We know that holiday cel-
ebrations are important for
many.
Though many traditions
involve gathering with our
friends and family, this year
the best way to honor loved
ones is to celebrate at home
with only the people we live
with.
If you are considering
gathering with people you
don’t live with, here are
some tips for making the
decision:
Check your community
risk level to see what gather-
ing size is allowed.
Talk to the host about
what steps are being taken to
increase safety.
Gathering outdoors is
safer than indoors.
Wear a mask indoors and
outdoors. Avoid shouting or
singing.
Absolutely: Stay home if
you are sick or have been
near someone who thinks
they may have or have been
exposed to Covid-19.
Remember, it’s okay if
you decide to stay home and
remain apart from others. Do
what’s best for you.
Rather than canceling the
holiday celebrations, plan
your festivities and maintain
your traditions with those in
your household and include
others virtually.
Spring at COCC
For winter and spring
terms Central Oregon Com-
munity College will continue
to offer the majority of its
services remotely, facilities
will remain closed to the pub-
lic.
A Christmas chuckle with artist Travis Bobb.