AUGUST 15, 2015
IMPORTANT SKOOKUM INFORMATION
ɫaxayam kʰanawi ɫaksta,
It’s time for us to review Tribal members’ health care coverage needs. We
will be sending correspondence to members for whom we do not have primary
coverage information on. We receive information on our members’ coverage
from our third party administrator, Shasta. If they do not have active prima-
ry coverage information in their system for you, we will be sending a letter
requesting that you contact us and provide that information. If you feel you
have already provided this information, please don’t be upset if you receive a
letter. Just give us a call and we will do whatever we can to assist you.
In some cases, you could be suspended from the Skookum Health Assistance
Program if you do not comply with our request for information. This is only
a suspension from the program. Once we receive the information we need,
Skookum will be restored and claims will be processed.
If coverage is affordable, we encourage members to maintain primary health
care coverage. The Skookum Health Assistance Program is a payer of last
resort; not insurance. If coverage is available to you at no cost, we require
members to apply for and use it as primary coverage before using Skookum.
Having primary coverage will help keep Skookum sustainable.
If you have not applied for coverage through the Affordable Care Act and
do not have primary health care coverage, please contact one of the Save Our
Skookum team members right away or go online at www.healthcare.gov to
apply for coverage in your area.
This does not apply to Tribal members with Medicare.
We sincerely thank you for your help and cooperation with this effort. We
want to make sure that Tribal members have a health assistance program
available for many years to come.
Hayu Masi
• Tresa Mercier – tresa.mercier@grandronde.org
• Barbara Steere – barbara.steere@grandronde.org
• Melody Baker – melody.baker@grandrond.org
• Loretta Meneley – loretta.meneley@grandronde.org
• Sydney Clark – sydney.clark@grandronde.org
• Erica Mercier – erica.mercier@grandronde.org
• Tauni McCammon – tauni.mccammon@grandronde.org
Get up-to-date vaccines
Back-to-school season is here. It’s time for parents to gather school supplies
and backpacks. It’s also the perfect time to make sure that your children are
current on their vaccines.
Getting children all of the vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s immunization schedule is one of the most important
things parents can do to protect their children’s health and that of classmates
and the community. Most schools require children to be current on vaccinations
before enrolling to protect the health of all students.
Today’s childhood vaccines protect against serious and potentially life-threat-
ening diseases, including polio, measles, whooping cough and chickenpox.
“Thanks to vaccines, most of these diseases have become rare in the United
States,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immu-
nization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC. “But many still exist here,
and they can make children very sick, leading to many days of missed school,
missed work for parents, and even hospitalization and death.”
In 2012, more than 48,000 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) were reported
in the United States. During this time, 20 deaths were reported – the majority
of these deaths were in children younger than 3 months of age.
“Without vaccines, these numbers would be much, much higher,” Schuchat
said. “That’s why kids still need vaccines.”
When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk of disease and
can spread diseases to others in their classrooms and community, including
babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened
immune systems due to cancer and other health conditions.
School-age children need vaccines. For example, children who are 4 to 6
years old are due for boosters of four vaccines: DTap (diphtheria, tetanus
and pertussis), chickenpox, MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) and polio.
Older children, like pre-teens and teens, need Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and
pertussis), HPV (human papilloma virus) and MCV (meningococcal conjugate
virus) vaccines. In addition, annual flu vaccines are recommended for all
children 6 months and older.
Check with your child’s doctor to find out what vaccines they need this year.
Parents can find out more about the recommended immunization schedule
at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents.
Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center
Lab/X-ray hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday:
8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. – closed 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. – closed 12:30-1:30 p.m.
S moke S ignals
17
DIABETES BASICS
What is diabetes?
Diabetes means your blood sugar is too high. Your blood always has
some sugar in it. Your body needs sugar for energy to keep you going,
but too much sugar in the blood is not healthy.
What is pre-diabetes?
Pre-diabetes means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal,
but not high enough for diabetes.
•People with pre-diabetes are at higher risk for getting type 2
diabetes and heart disease.
•You can reduce your risk of getting diabetes. You may even be
able to have normal blood sugar levels again. This may happen
if you lose a small amount of weight by eating healthy and being
more physically active.
What is type 2 diabetes?
People get type 2 diabetes because the cells in their muscles, liver
and fat do not use insulin properly. Over time, the body also cannot
make enough insulin. This leads to high blood sugar. Having high
blood sugar for some time can lead to serious problems with your eyes,
heart, kidney and nerves.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type in American Indian and
Alaska Native people. This type of diabetes can happen at any age,
even in children.
What factors increase my risk for getting pre-diabetes and
type 2 diabetes?
• Being physically inactive;
• Having a parent, brother or sister with diabetes;
• Having had the kind of diabetes that can occur during pregnancy;
• Being overweight.
What are the signs of type 2 diabetes?
Signs can be severe, very mild or none at all. This depends on how
high blood sugars have become. Look for these signs:
•Increased thirst;
•Increased hunger;
•Fatigue (feeling very tired most of the time);
•Increased urination;
•Unexplained weight loss;
•Blurred vision.
A blood test to check your blood sugar will determine if you have
pre-diabetes or diabetes
Can type 2 diabetes be managed?
Yes. Taking care of your diabetes every day will help keep your blood
sugar in a healthy range. It will help you prevent health problems that
diabetes can cause over the years
Where can I get help with pre-diabetes and diabetes?
•Your health care team (doctor, nurse, diabetes educator, dietitian,
psychologist, fitness coach, social worker) can help you.
•Talk with them about diabetes. They can help you make a physi-
cal activity and healthy eating plan that will work for you. Many
people also need medication to treat diabetes.
•Get help from others. Talk with your family and friends and ask
for support.
Grand Ronde Health &
Wellness Center Dental hours
Emergency walk-in times:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 8-8:10 a.m.
Thursday: 9:30-9:40 a.m.
Scheduled appointments:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Thursday: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
For appointments and information, call 800-775-0095 or 503-879-2020.
Don’t get caught
without your medication
Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center Pharmacy hours:
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; closed 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; closed 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
REFILL LINE: 503-879-2342