Smoke signals., April 15, 2015, Image 15

S moke S ignals
APRIL 15, 2015
15
Membership briefed on ways to improve clinic
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Health and Wellness Department
employees, as well as members
of the Tribe’s Health Committee,
briefed Tribal members on efforts
to improve medical care and service
at the Health and Wellness Clinic
during the April 12 General Council
meeting held in the Community
Center.
Health Committee members
Patti Tom-Martin and Alan Ham
told the packed General Council
audience that access and quality
of care, as well as communication,
needs to improve.
“We wanted to begin by acknowl-
edging that we do have problems
that need to be fixed,” Ham said,
adding that the committee has the
beginning of a four-page plan to
improve service.
Health Services Executive Direc-
tor Jeffrey Lorenz went through a
PowerPoint presentation that gave
an overview of the services offered
at the Health Clinic, including
medical, dental, optometry, behav-
ioral health, pharmacy, lab, X-rays,
community health, adult foster care
and speech therapy.
Lorenz discussed current efforts
that will help improve the quality of
patient care. The clinic, he said, is
encouraging all patients to connect
with a primary care provider, which
will improve the continuity of care,
patient health, communication,
prevention coordination efforts and
overall satisfaction.
“You’ll save time because you
won’t have to go over your health
history every time you come in to
see a provider,” Lorenz said.
The clinic also has instituted a
new urgent care system designed
to increase patient access, quality
of care and provider satisfaction
since the doctors and family nurse
practitioners will see a mixture of
acute and chronic cases. Every day,
a dedicated provider will see acute
cases on a first-come, first-served
basis.
The clinic also has started a
Patient Portal so that clients can
access their health records via the
Internet and is preparing to add
a part-time internist – Dr. Dag
comments from
audience mem-
bers.
Culture Com-
mittee member
Marcus Gibbons
commented on the
lack of a cultur-
al or traditional
component in the
department’s mis-
sion statement,
which Lorenz
said he is think-
ing about adding
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
to the statement.
Tribal Health Services Executive Director Jeff Lorenz listens
Tribal Elder
as Tribal Elder Wink Soderberg asks a question during
Wink Soderberg
said he liked the
Lorenz’s update on the Grand Ronde Health and Wellness
idea of a Patient
Center during the April 12 General Council meeting.
Portal because it
will
save
time,
which
saves money.
Kremer – who has a sub-specialty
He also suggested the clinic hire
in dealing with kidney disorders.
more providers. “We need a full
The addition of Kremer should
house here,” he said.
make it more convenient for pa-
Tribal Elder Marcella Selwyn
tients with kidney problems who
said that the Health and Wellness
will no longer have to travel to
Department needs to check on
Salem or McMinnville, Lorenz said.
homebound Tribal Elders, espe-
Other items the Health and Well-
cially those who have recently been
ness Department will be addressing
hospitalized. Her comment was
in the near future, Lorenz said, are
endorsed by Tribal Council member
development of a code of conduct,
Denise Harvey, who added that
improvement of the referral pro-
when it comes to providing health
cess, more timely communication of
care for Tribal members, especially
test results and developing job spe-
home checks for Elders, “It’s not
cific competencies. The clinic also
always about the budget.”
will work on improving communi-
Other Tribal members lobbied
cation with patients through use
for medical provider and pharmacy
of the online Patient Portal, a ded-
hours on Saturdays.
icated Health and Wellness page in
“Not everybody gets sick Monday
Smoke Signals, frequent updates
through
Friday, 8 to 5,” said Tribal
on the Tribe’s Facebook page and
Council member Jon A. George.
updating the department’s web-
“We don’t schedule our illnesses, so
page at www.grandronde.org.
I think Saturday we could look at.”
Lorenz added that the department
Tribal Elder Val Grout compli-
also will soon be holding community
mented the department’s Adult
meetings to solicit input.
Foster Care workers. “They take
Tribal Council Vice Chair Jack
excellent care of Tribal Elders,” she
Giffen Jr. said Tribal Council also
said. And Veronica Gaston praised
is currently looking at transitioning
Lorenz for moving his office to the
to a health authority to oversee op-
first floor of the clinic to be closer
eration of the Health and Wellness
to daily operations.
Clinic, as well as bringing in a third
Also attending the General Coun-
party to audit how well the clinic is
cil
meeting were Medical Director
operating.
Dr. Lance Loberg, Family Nurse
“An audit will make the clinic
Practitioner Amanda Mehlhoff and
stronger and see where our weak-
Health & Wellness Business Office
nesses are,” Giffen said.
Manager Tresa Mercier.
After his presentation, Lorenz
Before the Health and Wellness
fielded almost 20 questions and
presentation, 28 Tribal members
and community residents were
honored by Tribal Police Chief
Al LaChance for completing the
eight-week Community Emergency
Response Team training.
Those who received their certif-
icates were Roger Asbahr, Betty
Bly, Patrick Dempsey, Violet Fold-
en, Jerry George, Tribal Council
member Tonya Gleason-Shepek,
Annette Haller, Shannon Haskins,
Gladys Hobbs, Mel Holmes, Rich-
ard and Scarlett Holtz, Elizabeth
Houck, Ronald Johnson, Duke
Kimsey, Deborah Kroeker, John
Mercier, Marion Mercier, Patricia
Mercier, Candice Olsen, Carmen
Parren, Greg Patton, Raymond
Petite, Sally Petite, Delores Pinder
and Dorothy Piper.
In addition to the certificates,
they received CERT backpacks
filled with supplies needed in case
of an emergency.
In other action, George gifted a
necklace to new General Manager
Dawn Doar, who was attending her
first General Council meeting.
The next General Council meet-
ing will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday,
May 3, in the Community Center.
George, Bobby Mercier, Brian
Krehbiel, Travis Stewart, Vet-
erans Royalty Queen Savannah
Ingram and Senior Miss Grand
Ronde Promise Rimer opened the
meeting with cultural drumming
and singing.
Ann Lewis, Eric Bernando and Jo-
anna Brisbois won the $50 door prizes
and Tribal Elder Alton Butler won the
$100 door prize. Two necklaces made
by George and jars of food donated by
Gaston also were raffled off.
The meeting concluded with an
almost two-hour executive session
devoted solely to the MicroGREEN
Polymers issue.
An edited version of the meeting
without the executive session can
be viewed on the Tribal website,
www.grandronde.org, under the
News tab and then click on the
Video link.
Tribal members wanting a copy
of the entire meeting should con-
tact Tribal Council Chief of Staff
Stacia Martin at stacia.martin@
grandronde.org or 503-879-2304. n
MicroGREEN Polymers closes operations on April 3
No impact expected on
Tribal services, per capita
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
An Arlington, Wash.-based com-
pany that Native American Tribes,
including the Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde, invested in closed
on Friday, April 3.
MicroGREEN Polymers was
founded in 2002 and used its pat-
ented technology to create InCycle
recyclable cups made from recycled
water bottles.
Over the last two years, the
company had raised money from
numerous investors to pay for
expansions to keep up with orders
placed by several major airlines.
Along with the Stillaguamish Tribe
and waste and recycling firm Waste
Management, the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde invested in
the company, purchasing preferred
stock and convertible debt in 2013
and 2014.
In addition, the Grand Ronde
Tribe issued loans to Ilihi LLC, a
limited liability company wholly
owned by the Tribe, for investing
in MicroGREEN notes secured by
the company’s assets, including
intellectual property.
The Tribe’s initial investment in
MicroGREEN won a Deal of the
Year award at the Native Ameri-
can Finance Officers Association’s
seventh annual Leadership Awards
luncheon held in New Orleans in
2014.
The company, which at one point
employed more than 100 people,
closed its doors and the main phone
number is now answered with a
recorded message that says, “We
have ceased operations and are
closed until further notice.”
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn
Leno said that the company’s clo-
sure will not affect Tribal budgets,
per capita payments or other Tribal
services, but will slow the rate of
return on the Tribal endowments.
Leno also said the Tribe is work-
ing to recover its investments by
the sale of MicroGREEN’s assets.
Tribal Council sent a letter out to
the membership on April 9 regard-
ing MicroGREEN.
Tribal Council also scheduled a
special meeting at 5 p.m. Wednes-
day, April 15, in the Tribal gym to
thoroughly brief Tribal members on
MicroGREEN.
It will be held in executive ses-
sion. n
WIC to visit Community Health
Pregnant? Breastfeeding? Does your family include a child under the age of
5? If so, you may qualify for the Women, Infants and Children program. With
WIC, people can receive answers to nutritional questions and access fruits and
vegetables, whole grains, eggs, milk, cheese, juice, cereal and more. A WIC rep-
resentative will be at Community Health on the first and third Tuesday of the
month between 9 and 11 a.m. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information or to
schedule an appointment, call 503-879-2078. n