Smoke Signals
April 1994
Page 6
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Contract Health Services Information
Contract Health Services, (CHS) has been working
on refining the pre-authorization system for receiving
services. It has been very confusing to tribal members about
what services are actually authorized and will be paid for.
The new procedure will cut down on any questions about
receiving authorization or no notification for appointments.
Beginning April 4, 1994, when a patient calls for
pre-authorization, you will be given a confirmation number
for that visit only. This will be for one doctordentist visit
only and will not include any referrals to the hospital for x
rays or lab services. Patients will need to call for additional
confirmation numbers for ancillary services.
EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS
If you are seen in the emergency room of a hospital,
you have 72 hours (3 days) after you receive these services to
notify CHS of your visit. Patients will not receive a
confirmation number for emergency room visits. Patients
will be notified that their visit has been written down and will
be reviewed by our Nurse Practitioner for Priority Level.
CHS has a limited amount of funds to last the entire
year. In order to insure funds are available all year, the
program must operate at a PRIORITY I LEVEL. Priority I
Level services are limited to: loss of life, limb, and the senses.
If a patient seen in the emergency room for something that
is not a true emergency, it will be denied. (Please note the list
of clinics open on wceicendsand evenings.) Theseclinics can
be used as an alternative to the emergency room. Patients,
do, however, need to familiarize themselves with these
clinics, so when their services are needed, the clinics will
know what kind of coverage the patients have.
Remember, this new procedure will begin April 4,
1 994. It may be helpful to have a pen and paper ready to write
down your confirmation number and the name of the CHS
Specialist who issued the number. If you have any questions
or concerns, please call Teri Holsclaw, Barbara Steere, or
Jackie Provost at 1-800-775-0095 or 879-2002.
After-Hour Clinics
St. Vincent Scholls Urgency Care
12442 SW Scholls Ferry Rd., Suite 100
Tigard, Oregon 97223
Phone: 642-8725
Open 7 days per week 8:00-8:00
Mercantile Urgent Care
4035 SW Mercantile Drive, Suite 110
Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035
Phone: 635-5302
Open 7 days per week 8:00-8:00
Tanasborne Urgent Care
1881 NW 185th Suite 101
Aloha, Oregon 97006
Phone: 690-6818
Open 7 days per week 8:00-8:00
Emanual After Hours Clinic
2801NGantenbien
Portland, Oregon 97201
Phone: 280-3200
Open Monday-Friday 6:00-Midnight
Immediate Care Clinic
3777 commercial Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97302
Phone: 588-9026
Open Monday-Friday 9:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M.
Your Health Care Providers Letfs Talk Teeth...
And Their Schedules By Linda Mann, RDH
FOR APPOINTMENTS
Call Sarah at 879-2002
FOR PRESCRIPTION REFILLS
Call Darlene at 879-2004
CARE PROVIDERS
Donna Brenneman
Donna is seeing patients every Monday,
Thursday, and Friday in April. Mondays from 8:00
A.M.-6:00 P.M., Thursdays from 8:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M.,
and Fridays from 9:00 A.M.-5 :00 P.M. There will be no
morning clinic hours on April 1 and April 8.
Bette Seagren
Bette is seeing patients every Wednesday from
9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.
John Richards
John is seeing patients every Tuesday from 8:00
A.M.-6:00 P.M.
There will be no walk-in hours on Wednesdays
and Fridays, and there will be no clinic on Wednesday,
April 13 or Monday, April 25.
Hi
Dr. Scott van Dyken
This month I would like to welcome Dr. Scott van
Dyken, our new permanent dentist at the Grand Ronde
Dental Clinic. Dr. van Dyken and his wife Lise moved here
from Sequim, Washington, to accept this position. Having
been raised in Washington, he is no stranger to the Pacific
Northwest. He was born in Germany but moved to the States
when he was about two years old. He graduated high school
in Sequim, then went on to Peninsula Community College
and took conjoint courses at the University of Washington
and Seattle University. Dr. van Dyken graduated from
Oregon Health Sciences University with a doctorate in
Dental Medicine.
(Continued)
What Loss Of Life, Limb, Or
Senses Really Means
Contract Health Services does have federal
regulations and gmdelmestodispersefundsforallofContract
Health Services. The regulations for emergency room visits
require Contract Health to review emergency room visits for
Priority I Level services. Priority I Level services include:
loss of life, limb, or the senses.
Emergency room visits are very expensive and
usually patients have to wait for long periods of time to be
seen. Therearealternativeanswers to going to theemergency
room. ContractHealthhastriedtoprovidesome information
and alternative ways of finding health services or receiving
care during the weekend or late evening. (See clinics, left.)
Things you can do before going to the emergency
room:
Call the local emergency room nurse. Heshe will ask
routine questions such as, "How long have you been sick and
what isthenatureofthe illness?" "Do you have a temperature,
and what is it?" Be ready to answer these questions as the
nurse will not be able to advise you as well without this
information.
Call your family physician.
Things to consider before going to the emergency room:
Consider how long you have been sick. When your
Emergency RoomReport isbeing reviewed, the practitioners
will look at how long you were sick before your visit.
Remember, emergency rooms are very costly and usually
treat true emergencies first.
For possible sprains: ankles, wrists, fingers, etc., ALWAYS
TRY ice, rest, and elevation of the affected area for at least
24 hours. '
Then try rest, heat, and elevation to the affected area for the
second 24 hours. Hopefully, by then you will get in to see
your regular doctor or clinic.
For small children with a sudden onset of fever or ear pain,
try: taking the child's temperature, giving Tylenol to reduce
fever, a tepid bath to reduce fever. After a reasonable amount
of time has passed, and the fever hasn't lowered, call the
emergency room nurse.
Forchildrenwithafevernotexceeding 102 degrees,
try the above steps. If the fever goes down, then the child can
probably wait to see hisher regular physician or clinic
worker.
HEAD TRAUMA, FRACTURES, LACERATIONS
REQUIRING STITCHES
All of these can usually be paid for depending on the
above statements.
Services requiring admittance to the hospital through
the emergency room do not require review.
Let's Talk Teeth, continued
Dr. van Dyken and his wife have been married for
three years, and recently moved to the Sheridan area. They
are looking forward to getting to know the community and
exploring the coast and nearby mountains. When he's not
in the clinic, Dr. van Dyken likes to bowl, jog, and play
pinball.
For the next month or two, Dr. van Dyken and Dr.
Devin Jenkins will be seeing patients in the clinic.
Appointments are readily available, so now is the time to get
the dental work you have been meaning to have done. The
Dental Clinic Hours are 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M Emergency
walk-ins are from 8:00-9:00 A.M No appointment is
necessary for emergencies. Patients requesting emergency
treatment should register with the receptionist no later that
8:00 A.M.
The dental team is looking forward to providing
excellent care in a professional manner by treating and
preventing dental disease in the tribal population.
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