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documents (all 3rd party Le. medicare, private
insurance authorizations that are 30 days or older are
hereby cancelled.
7) All school activity physicals must be provided in an
IHS, tribal or urban clinic. This is not CHS Priority 1.
(The Grand Ronde Tribe Health Clinic is open every
Wednesday in addition to one Saturday per month.
You must call for appointment)
8) Those living within 45 minutes transportation time,
are required to receive routine health services through
the Grand Ronde Health Clinic, Chemawa or the
Portland Indian Health Clinic This is a mandatory
requirement and will be strictly adhered to.
9) To agressively pursue payments from alternate
resources on all CHS patients to offset costs to the
CHS program.
HEALTH
NOTES
i --
1:
The Polk County Health Department will conduct the
next well child clinic on October 27, 1987 from 1 to 3:00
pan. The clinic is held at the Nazarene Church in
Grand Ronde. For more information, call 623-8175.
Are you interested in walking? Several Grand Ronde
ladies have started walking weekdays at 930 ajn. If
you are interested in Joining them, drop by the tribal
cemetery. Seven and one quarter laps equal one mile
and there is no traffic problem.
The mall walker club is In full swing with over 500
members. Sponsored by Salem Hospital and the
Lancaster Mall, the dub encourages exercise for
everyone. The official hours are daily 8-10 ajn. Par
ticipation packets are available at the Salem Hospital
Community Relations Department of the Lancaster
Mall Office, 8:00 ajn. to 5:00 pan. weekdays.
The next Tribal Health Clinic Is on September 12, 1987.
Please call for an appointment
September 17, 1987 at 2:00 pjn., Myron George,
counselor from Chemawa, will be here to speak on
family violence. For more information, please call 879
5211. How many teaspoons of fatsugar are In a Big Gulp
soda or 2 ounces of dry roasted peanuts? Find out at
the Calorie Auction on Friday, October 9, 1987 at 10-30
ajn. Jean Charles-Azure, Chemawa Nutritionist will be
at the Depot for the Class.
PRIORITY HEALTH CARE
Tribal members, please remember that the following
priority changes have been mandated by Indian Health
Service to cut costs at least for. the remainder of this
fiscal year (to September 30, 1987).
PLEASE CHECK THESE CHANGES BEFORE
CALLING FOR PRE-AUTHORIZATION WHEN
REQUESTING HEALTH SERVICES TO INSURE
Tini SERVICE IS WITHIN CURRENT PRIORITY 1
FOR CHS. .
1) Delay CHS medical and dental services and refer
rals that could be provided in the next fiscal year,
which begins October 1, 1987.
2) Deny emergency room services for NON-EMERGENCY
Care ( A determination as to whether the
emergency visit was life threatening will be made at the
time within 72 hours CHS Is notified of the visit)
3) Deny all non-emergency CHS services provided
WITHOUT prior CHS authorization.
4) Eliminate eyeglass services for everyone for the
remainder of FY87.
5) Eliminate non-prescription (over the counter) items
from CHS.
l " 7 I V I .
4
Young traditional dancers at 3rd Annual Pow wow
IMPORTANT TIPS FOR GOOD SEPTIC TANK CARE
Individual septic tank-soil absorption systems are most
frequently used in rural areas and In some unsewered
suburban residential areas. A septic tank system will
serve a home satisfactorily only if it Is properly de
signed, installed and adequately maintained. Even a
good system which does not have proper care and
attention may become a nuisance and a burdensome
expense.
Remember, a septic tank-soil absorption system which
does not function properly frequently becomes a
neighborhood health hazard. To obtain satisfactory
service, the homeowner must know something about the
design, operation and maintenance of his own septic
tank system.
Where It Is Impossible to connect a community sewer,
the home buyer should satisfy himself that his septic
tank soil absorption system is properly designed and
installed to serve the anticipated number of occupants
of the house. He should also be sure that the system is
located where it is not likely to endanger water supply
systems, and that the absorption system is capable of
disposing of liquid wastes under year-round weather
conditions. This information is usually available at
your local health department
When septic tank systems are improperly designed or
maintained, liquid wastes may overflow to the ground
surface or the plumbing In the home may often be
stopped up. These overflows not only create offensive
odors but are also a health hazard. Sewage may
contain dysentery, infectious hepatitis, typhoid and
para-typhoid or other infectious disease organisms.
Ponded sewage creates breeding places for some kinds
of mosquitoes and other insects.
The purpose of a septic tank is primarily to condition
household wastes, Including water from the laundry
and the bath, discarded food scraps, and body wastes
so that it may be more readily percolated Into the
subsoil of the ground. The normal use of bleaches,
detergents, soaps and drain cleaners does not harm or
interfere with the operation of the system.
A septic tank is a water tight structure in which organic
solids are decomposed by natural bacterial processes.
The flow of sewage is slowed in its passage through the
tank so the large solids settle to the bottom and
accumulate as sludge. Grease and lighter particles rise
to the surface and form scum.
6) Seek to aggressively review and cancel open CHS Partto,,y treted 8wae' w eRluent nowln8 from
the tank still contains large numbers of harmful
bacteria and organic matter in a finely divided state or
in solution. Foul odors, unsightly conditions and
health hazards will develop if this effluent is ponded on
the surface of the ground or carried away In open
ditches. Final disposal of the effluent in a subsurface
soil absorption system is necessary to avoid these
problems.
The bacteria present in a tank are able to thrive in the
absence of oxygen. Such decomposition in the absence
of air is called "septic", which led to the naming or the
tank. Solids and scum are digested and reduced to a
smaller volume by the bacteria in the tank. However, a
residue of Inert solid material remains which must be
stored during the interval between tank cleanings.
There are no known chemicals, yeasts, bacteria,
enzymes or other substances capable of eliminating or
reducing the solids and scum in a septic tank so that
periodic cleaning is unnecessary. The addition of such
products is not necessary for the proper functioning of
a septic tank soil absorption system.
To facilitate cleaning and maintenance, the homeowner
should have a diagram of his septic tank system,
showing the location of the house, the septic tank
manholes, the piping and the soil absorption system.
This information should be kept on the premises,
regardless of a change in occupancy.
Septic tanks and soil absorption systems frequently are
damaged when heavy trucks or other equipment drive
over them. An accurate diagram of the system enables
the homeowner to keep heavy vehicles away from the
critical area. A line of cast iron pipe instead of tile
should be installed under any necessary crossings for
heavy vehicles.
Neglect of the septic tank, however, Is the most frequent
cause of damage to soil absorption systems. When the
tank Is not cleaned, solids build up until they are
carried into the underground soil absorption system,
where they block the flow of the liquid into the soil.
When this happens, the soil absorption system must be
rebuilt a costly undertaking. The precautions of
periodic inspection and cleaning oT the tank prevent
this needless expense and work.
Indian Health Service recommends cleaning the septic
tank every two years for a home with four or more
occupants and every three years for smaller households.