Smoke Signals
4
Clinic: rammodtel will mem more
exaimi rooms; wide rame off sieirvices
Continued from front page
medical conditions that don't require a
doctor and keep the doctors free to see
patients with more immediate problems.
"What we envision when a patient
walks in the clinic, when we are done
with the triage area, is they will walk
up to the desk in medical, they will see
that on one side we have a window for
regularly scheduled patients and on the
other side we will have a window for
walk-in patients," said Casale.
Doctors will be able to see walk-in
patients during two blocks of time each
day. The first block of time will be prior
to lunch and the second will be after.
Casale said patients who want to see a
specific doctor will be given a time when
that doctor is available and they can
either wait until the doctor is free or
they can be seen by an available phy
sician as soon as possible.
"They are hour-long blocks of time," said Casale.
"Each doctor will have an hour-long block of time
before and after lunch that has been blocked out
just for walk-in patients."
The triage nurse is the only one who will be able
to schedule patients to see a doctor during those
blocks of time.
"We are trying to be as flexible as we can with
our patients," said Casale.
Casale said the optometry department has been
moved to another location in the clinic and the area
is now being remodeled with new exam rooms.
"It really made sense if we are placing the triage
nurse there that we have exam rooms available
for the triage nurse to put patients in for the doc
tor to come and see them," said Casale.
MEDICAL CLINIC
tii I t ti fo-Vf t
rl
i
With the remodel, the reception area of the
medical clinic should be able to schedule walk
ins When they arrive. Photos by Brent Merrill
The triage nurse will have a certified medical
assistant that will aid the nurse in managing those
patients prior to a doctor's follow-up.
Casale said one of the new exam rooms will be
set-up as a specialty clinic where chiropractic ser
vices and an Elders' foot clinic will be stationed.
The clinic's massage table will also be moved into
the specialty clinic. The triage system would be
set up for grand opening by the end of November.
Casale said the chiropractor and podiatrist will be
contracted for one day a week.
JOHN CASALE: Clinic administration
presents a welcome challenge
FOOT CLINIC:
Added relief for Elders
According to Clinic Administrator John
Casale, the clinic will now have an Elders' foot
clinic available one day a week. Casale said
Native communities have a greater need for
proper foot care, especially in the Elder popu
lation. "The elderly population here probably suf
fers more from diabetes than other communi
ties," said Casale. "One of the unfortunate side
effects from diabetes is poor circulation. When
you have poor circulation, you have less blood
flowing to those areas, and it takes longer for
sores to heal and effected areas are more prone
to a variety of medical problems like infection
and tissue breakdown."
Diabetes is a lifelong disease caused by an
inability of the pancreas to make enough in
sulin to help glucose enter cells. Glucose is a
form of sugar the body uses for energy. The
body makes glucose from food. Diabetes causes
glucose to reach above-normal levels in the
bloodstream and must be controlled.
Casale said the foot clinic is designed to bring
the elderly population into the clinic so their
feet can be managed.
Elders who have difficulties with their feet
can come in and get needed care from a knowl
edgeable physician. Foot pain can effect the
whole body and cause intense discomfort.
"r ; "If your feet hurt, your whole body can hurt,"
said Casale. "If you have poor circulation, you
can get your feet massaged and get them
warmed up and it is going to make you feel
better. It is a really great service."
Casale said the service is not expensive and
the benefits to the elderly community are
great.
By Brent Merrill
With the confidence of a man who knows where he's going and
where he wants to take his program, Grand Ronde Health and
Wellness Clinic Administrator John Casale is a man on the move.
Casale has worked for the Tribe for more than two years now. He
came on board just before the Health and Wellness Center opened in
October of 1997.
With more than 15 years of experience in the health and medical
field, Casale has served as the chief financial officer at Willamette Falls
Hospital in Oregon City. He was also the reimbursement manager at
St. Vincent's Hospital in the Portland area.
Casale has also been a health care consultant and worked the Medic
aid program for the federal government.
"I have a wide range of knowledge of the administration and finance
that revolves around health care," said Casale of his experience. Casale
said he knows what it takes to successfully run a health care practice in
today's world. He went to work getting the wellness facility up to speed
on all commercial aspects of a successful medical clinic.
"At first it was a struggle," said Casale. "But, now we are really com
ing on strong and we are looking to the future."
Casale said it is his goal to make the Grand Ronde Health and Wellness
Center a success. And, even though he wants the facility to be successful
financially, he wants the facility to be a lasting benefit to the community.
"More importantly, (than finances) is that ten years from now we want
the health of this community to be better than it is now," said Casale of
his role in the community. "Fifteen years from now, we want the teenag
ers we are dealing with right now, to be clean and sober adults."
Casale hopes, in five years, the dental hygiene awareness in the com
munity will improve to that of a more urban area.
"We focus a lot on preventative care and education," said Casale.
"What we found, was that people, Native and non-Native, had gone
without health care, dental in particular, for years and years and years.
People coming in need more that just cleaning, they need jaw re-con-
? ' . j I i
RV
-s v ?. f- 1
2i
.it
I- '
-
hi .. ..
John Casale, (right) and Shirley Walkhoff, triage nurse, say the new
exam rooms are almost ready.
structions, bridges made and teeth pulled out."
A nutritionist will be brought on board to help educate people about
proper eating habits .
Casale said he likes Indian Country because he sees it as a challenge.
"I saw what they wanted to do here," he said. "I saw what existed here
and I knew that this would be a real challenge to make this facility suc
cessful and educate not only the public on changes their lifestyles, but to
educate the Tribe to what it means to provide a professional, state-of-the-art
medicine delivery system."
Casale said the learning curve of employees at the facility has been
straight up.
"My hat is off to the people here and what they have done," said Casale
of the medical and support staff.