10
S MOKE S IGNALS
NOVEMBER 1, 2014
Tribe prepares for
potential Ebola cases
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Although the Ebola virus has been
sweeping through West Africa and
cases have been reported in Texas
and New York City, brought back
to the United States by those who
have traveled to the infected area,
some might think that Grand Ronde
is immune from preparing to handle
a case of the dangerous disease.
Not so.
Tribal Emergency Operations
Coordinator Jamie Baxter has held
two meetings with Tribal personnel
to ensure that if someone with Ebo-
la visits Spirit Mountain Casino or
comes to Grand Ronde, the Tribe
will be prepared.
“The Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde is participating with
Oregon Public Health, our emer-
gency medical services and hospital
partners, and local public health
to ensure we are prepared for an
Ebola victim,” Baxter said.
“We feel our risk is low, but Ebola
is an issue of national signifi cance
and we are committed to doing our
part to ensure the safety of the
Tribe and Oregon.”
So far there have been no Ebola
cases in Oregon, but a Seattle-area
nurse who returned from treating
Ebola patients in West Africa was
being monitored and voluntarily
restricting her movements, the As-
sociated Press reported on Oct. 23.
In a modern society, an infec-
tious, deadly disease such as Eb-
ola can be only a plane fl ight and
car drive away from almost any
community in the United States,
including Grand Ronde.
The Tribe has held two meetings,
on Friday, Oct. 17, and Thursday,
Oct. 23, of its Health Care Incident
Management Team and created
an Incident Action Plan in case an
Ebola victim is discovered locally.
Jeffrey Lorenz, executive director
of Tribal Health Services, is desig-
nated as the incident commander
Jamie Baxter
Bulb planting
and safety
offi cer while
Public Af-
fairs Direc-
tor Siobhan
T a y l o r
would be
the public
informa-
tion officer
during an
Ebola event.
Health & Wellness Accredita-
tion Coordinator Jill Hafliger is
the planning chief and Sharon
Laddusaw, the Tribe’s Laboratory
manager, is her deputy.
One of their objectives is to de-
termine supplies the Tribal clinic
has and what needs to be ordered
within a week. The resources need-
ed to prevent the spread of Ebola
to medical personnel range from
fl uid-resistant gowns, particulate
respirator face masks, infection
control tape to disposable commode
liners. There also is a need to iden-
tify an isolation room in the clinic
in which to keep patients suspected
of having the virus.
Once appropriate supplies are ob-
tained, the clinic needs to schedule
staff training in the proper donning
and taking off of the protective gear.
The Tribe also is coordinating
with the West Valley Fire Depart-
ment and Salem Hospital and West
Valley Medical Center in Dallas to
coordinate a response to a potential
Ebola patient.
Even if no Ebola cases ever reach
Grand Ronde, the exercise will reap
benefi ts for the Tribe, Baxter said.
“When all is said and done,” she
said, “our Health and Wellness Clinic
will have strengthened its infection
control practices. We are also using
this event as a teachable moment for
teaching and training staff in the Inci-
dent Command System, how to do an
Incident Action Plan and our Public
Information offi cer will likely learn
the Joint Information System.” n
Photo courtesy of Peter Moore
After singing a blessing song, Tribal Council member Jon A. George
plants the fi rst camas bulb in newly built raised beds at the Tribe’s
Natural Resources Department on Wednesday, Oct. 15. The “Plants for
People” project, between the Tribe and the Institute for Applied Ecology
and funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, is an eff ort
to grow culturally important plants with the goals of increasing the
availability of culturally signifi cant and native restoration plants and
to determine the feasibility of a plant materials program in Grand
Ronde. The beds will be used to provide a source of plant material to
be transplanted into Tribal gathering areas. “The goal is to grow our
own stock for restoration purposes rather than having to acquire them
from an outside nursery,” said Natural Resources Department Manager
Michael Wilson. In addition to camas, Yampah, redosier dogwood,
Pacifi c willow, Lewis’ mockorange, Oceanspray and Pacifi c ninebark will
be planted in the near future.
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