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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2016)
FEBRUARY 1, 2016 Clinic closure notice for February • Monday, Feb. 15: Closed all day (Tribal Chiefs Day/ Presidents’ Day) S moke S ignals 13 New Skookum cards are coming! In a few weeks, all Tribal members on the Skookum Health Assistance Program will be receiving updated cards. Please replace your old card with your new card. Be sure to look for your new card in the mail! Please be sure to plan ahead for appointments and medication refills! February is Heart Month ɫaxayam kʰanawi ɫaksta (Hello Everyone): Time for your favorite Save Our Skookum team to start reminding Tribal members without primary coverage to start exploring the Affordable Care Act resources. This includes state Medicaid programs. We need everyone who DOES NOT have primary health insurance cov- erage to apply for coverage and provide proof of application to SOS. If you are eligible for coverage at no cost to you, we ask that you use it primary to the Skookum Health Assistance Program (SHAP). This saves the health program (and you) by not paying primary. SHAP is not insurance coverage. It is a payer of last resort, which means the program is funded by the Tribe to assist Tribal members with eligible health care costs and pays as a last resort. This notice does NOT apply to members with Medicare, employee coverage or other health insurance. If you have questions, please call one of the SOS team members at 800- 775-0095 or 503-879-5211 and ask to speak to Tresa Mercier, Loretta Me- neley, Barbara Steere, Melody Baker, Tauni McCammon or Erica Mercier. Flu shots available at the Health and Wellness Center Check-in with Patient Registration for a flu shot anytime between 8 and 11 a.m. and 1 and 4 p.m. Mail order terminated for other Tribes In October 1997, the Pharmacy opened for business at the grand opening of the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center (GRHWC). The Pharmacy was established to provide high-quality services to Tribal members and the surrounding community; with a mission to provide excellent medicine, med- ication counseling and responsive review. Pharmacy staff collaborate with medical providers and patients to ensure safe, effective pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical alternatives are considered for patient treatment. In 2008, the Tribe ended the use of an outsourced pharmacy mail order service for the Tribal health plans and the GRHWC Pharmacy began provid- ing these services. This internally sourced pharmacy mail order service was marketed to other Tribes in Oregon and Washington in 2012, and in 2013 three Oregon Tribes commenced using the GRHWC Commercial Pharmacy mail order service. Current Pharmacy operations include services to Tribal members, Native Americans of other Tribes, employees and community mem- bers via local and mail order services. The original intent of the commercial mail order Pharmacy program was to provide a valuable service to other Tribes, while generating enough income to cover all expenses of the Pharmacy. In October 2015, it was determined the GRHWC commercial mail order Pharmacy operations were not profitable and the program was detracting from provision of services to Grand Ronde Tribal members; though the intent of the program was commendable, the expenses to operate the program exceeded the generated income. Due to this inequity, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde made the difficult decision to terminate its mail order pharmacy arrangements with the three Oregon Tribes contracted for the service. In October these Tribes received a 90-day notice of the program’s closure and were notified the last day of the service is Jan. 31, 2016. This closure does not affect other mail order operations provided at GRHWC Pharmacy. If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Rowe at 503-879-2236. 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 Managing Your Cholesterol & Triglycerides Steps for Blood Lipid Control: Along with choosing a better diet, there are other steps you can take to improve your blood lipids. You can be sure you are maintaining healthy blood lipids by taking all these steps: • Lose extra weight; • Exercise regularly; • Reduce other heart risks; • Get your blood lipids rechecked. Watch Your Weight: Do you weigh too much? If so, your body stores more fat and cholesterol. This may cause your blood lipid levels to rise. Losing weight can help lower your triglyceride level. It also may raise your HDL level. Remember, the quickest way to lose weight is to decrease your calorie intake. Ask your health care provider what your target weight range should be. If you need to lose weight, it is best to lose it slowly and avoid fad diets. Why exercise? Frequent exercise helps lower your triglyceride level. It also can help you lose weight and can help lower other risks to your heart health. Walk, jog or swim most days for at least 30 min- utes. This is aerobic exercise that strengthens your heart and lungs. • Before starting to exercise, work with your provider to plan a program that is right for you; • Warm up for five minutes or so. Mild stretching or slow walking helps warm up muscles and joints; • Exercise aerobically for 30 minutes most days of the week; • Cool down by repeating your warm-up for five to 10 minutes. Reduce Other Heart Risks: High blood lipids are one of the many risk factors for heart disease. You have no control over factors such as your family’s history of heart attacks or your age. But you can control other risks, such as: • Quit using tobacco products. Smoking, chewing and dipping can raise blood lipids and make them harder to control. Daily exposure to tobacco smoke puts you at risk as well. • Control high blood pressure and diabetes through diet, weight loss, exercise and medicine. • Frequent monitoring can help you track your efforts. • Reduce the stress in your life. Ask your health provider for in- formation about handling stress. • Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure and triglycerides. Get Regular Check-ups: Visit your health care provider often to be sure that your blood lipids and other risks for heart disease are under control. • Talk to your health care provider about how often you need to have your blood lipids checked. • If your levels are not in a healthy range, your health care provider will want you to have them rechecked often or until they reach a healthy range. Taking Medicine: Even if you keep up with lifestyle and diet changes for six months, your blood lipid levels may not reach your target range. If this is the case, your doctor is likely to prescribe medicine to lower your lipids. • You may be put on medicine sooner if you have heart disease, diabetes or a combination of other heart disease risk factors. • Even if you take medicine, stick with the changes you have made. That way you will be sure to get the best results. Do you want to make these health changes? Avoid losing in- terest as time passes. Commit to your goals and make a plan. • Be specific about your goals. Set goals that address the results you want. What do you want to have happen? Example: I will walk three days a week and swim one day a week. • Choose goals that have results you can measure. Set a deadline like six weeks or three months from now. Example: I will time how long I walk each day. • Can you meet your goals? Keep in mind that you can always raise the bar once you have reached your first goal. Example: I will walk for 30 minutes each time I walk. • Will you reward yourself along the way? Try sticking to nonfood rewards. Example: When I reach my goal, I will buy myself a new pair of walking shoes.
