November 1994
Page 5
Health and Human Services
New physician 011 board Contract Health Services:
Smoke Signals
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Z)r. Glenn Gerritz is seeing
Dr. Glenn Gerritz recently joined
the Health and Human Services
staff as the new health clinic full
time physician.
A graduate of the University of
OregonMedicalSchool,Dr. Gerritz
is Board Certified in Internal
Medicine and has been in practice
for 24 years. During that time he
has done psychiatric and urgent
care work as well.
He has also been a physician for
the Yakama and Warm Springs
clinics.
"I most recently worked in an
urgent care facility setting in
Roseberg," said Dr. Gerritz. "I
heard about the need for a doctor in
Grand Ronde through a contact at
Indian Health Service. " Dr. Gerritz
also worked at Oregon State
Hospital in Salem for six years.
Dr. Gerritz and nurse practitioner
Donna Brenneman are both
available to see patients at the Tribal
clinic.
"Now that there are two health
care providers, most patients can
be seen within a day or two making
theirappointment,"hesaid. Clients
will no longer have to wait for days
v
No Cavity Club
Congratulations to the recent members of Ally the Alligator's No
Cavity Club: Bill Dunn, Clayton Dunn, Jon Dunn, Kyle Keart, and
Patrick Tasa.
patients in the clinic
before they can be seen by a care
provider," said Dr. Gerritz.
Our new doctor says his main
interest lies in the care of the elderly,
although he also has an interest in
chemical dependency counseling
and patient services. Dr. Gerritz
has helped patients with the
problem of depression in his
psychiatric background, and
understands the process of
addiction.
"I hope the clinic will be able to
offer complete primary care to tribal
members, "he said. "This includes
emotional as well as physical
health."
Dr. Gerritz believes a new health
clinic would be of tremendous
service to the community and to
tribal members. He estimates that
most people could take care of their
health needs without having to go
to outside clinics.
He is also looking forward to the
arrival of a pharmacist, a position
that is being advertised now.
If you would like to make an
appointment with Dr. Gerritz, call
the clinic's toll-free number: 1-800-775-0095.
Patient Expenditure Summaries explained
Contract Health needs to
apologize for the recent letter and
"Patient Expenditure Summary"
that was sent to everyone who has
used Contract Health Services this
year. The cover letter sent was
somewhat confusing in that it didn't
explain exactly what the Patient
Expenditure Summary was.
Hopefully, this article will help clear
up some of the confusion.
A patient Expenditure Summary
is an explanation of what services
havebeenpaidforornotpaidforby
Contract Health. When a document
CHS Eligibility Cards
To receive your Contract
Health Eligibility Card, you
must first fill out or update
your health application. You
can receive your application
by calling 1-800-775-0095 or
879-2002. We will be glad to
send you one.
Smokeout scheduled for
By Linda Mann, RDII
Thursday, November 17 is the
Annual Great American Smokeout!
If you are a smoker, why not choose
this day to quit? If you're not a
smoker, why not adopt a friend to
support throughout the day? The
American Cancer Society has some
great material with tips on fighting
temptation, what to do if you give
in, and more. These materials will
be available in the Tribal Dental
Clinic for anyone interested. For
those staff members willing to
participate, there will be a kick-off
breakfast the morning of the 17th.
You will receive materials to help
you quit.
Now is the time to decide to quit.
Stopping smoking is the single most
important thing you can do for your
health. More than 3 million
Americans quit every year. You
can too! The following tips are
taken from the U.S. Department of
is open, the document for that
appointment has not been paid.
When the summary reads "paid",
then the bill has already been paid.
If the summary reads cancelled,
that can mean the document could
have been paid in full by the
insurance company, and Contract
Health owes nothing. It can also
mean that the appointment was
changed to a different date and a
new document was made for a
different date of service. Contract
Health will be sending these Patient
expenditure Summaries twice per
Youth concert and laser light show
On November 5, the Human Services Division will be sponsoring
a health fair and concert with a laser light show at the Chemawa
Indian School gymnasium and auditorium. It will feature the
Boyd Family Band. Hours of the event will be from 1 -5 p.m. For
more information please contact Bonnie Tom, Wellness
Coordinator at 879-2016.
Health and Human Services
brochure entitled, Clearing the
Air...How To Quit Smoking And
Quit For Keeps.
Prepare yourself for quitting.
Decide positively that you want to
quit. Try to avoid thoughts of how
difficult it will be.
List all the reasons you want to
quit Every night before you go to
bed, repeat one of the reasons 10
times.
Begin to condition yourself
year.
The idea behind sending these
letters was to let patients know
what appointments had been paid
andwhichonesweren't. Hopefully,
this kind of communication will
help cut down on late bills and
referrals to collection agencies.
Contract Health also sends a letter
to all doctors who have seen our
patients. This is to remind them to
send back tribal documents to
Contract Health.
We are sorry for the confusion,
and thanks for the calls.
November
physically. Start a modest exercise
program. Drink plenty of fluids,
get rest, avoid fatigue.
Set a target date for quitting.
Know what to expect
Understand that withdrawal
symptoms are temporary. They
usually only last 1-2 weeks.
Know that most relapses occur
within the first week, when
withdrawal symptoms are strongest
and your body is still dependent on
nicotine. Be aware that this will be
your hardest time. Use all your
assets: family, friends, and other
distractions. Seek support
Realize that most successful ex
smokers quit for good only after
several attempts. You may be one
of those who can quit on your first
try. But if you donX do not give up.
Try again.
Call the Dental Clinic for more
information on quitting. Make 1994
the year you quit for good!