MAY 1, 2016
Important Skookum information
Letters have gone out seeking information and documentation on pri-
mary health insurance coverage to Tribal members who do not have other
primary coverage information available in the Skookum Health Assistance
Program (SHAP) information system. Requests for this information will
continue on an annual basis.
If you have received a letter, please respond to the request or call with
questions. SHAP is not insurance. It is a health assistance program
and payer of last resort for members without primary health insurance
coverage.
We realize this is an inconvenience, however, in order to make SHAP
sustainable for generations to come, we need everyone’s cooperation.
We appreciate and welcome your questions.
Thank you,
Tresa Mercier
Contact information:
tresa.mercier@grandronde.org or 503-879-2008 –
Skookum Health Assistance Program manager
barbara.steere@grandronde.org or 503-879-2487 –
Tribal Member Health Care specialist
loretta.meneley@grandronde.org or 503879-1359 –
Certiied Application assister
or call toll free at 800-775-0095
Tobacco Prevention
Stay healthy by not using commercial tobacco products and be a positive
role model for your loved ones, family, and community.
Beneits
• Money in your pocket from not buying commercial tobacco products;
• Positive role model for your loved ones;
• No exposure to secondary smoke;
• No tobacco breath.
If you are currently using tobacco products, there are many beneits of
quitting. If you are a smoker, quitting will reduce your chance of having:
• Cancer of the lungs, throat, mouth, lips, gums, bladder and kidney;
• Heart disease, hardening of the arteries and stroke;
• Emphysema and other lung diseases;
• Circulation problems.
If you have children, your quitting can lower their risk of:
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - (cot death);
• Asthma;
• Ear infections;
• Allergies;
• Bronchitis and other lung problems.
Do you know about third-hand tobacco smoke?
Third-hand tobacco smoke remains in clothes, hair and surroundings
after a cigarette is extinguished. The chemicals in tobacco smoke are found
in clothes, walls, ceilings, curtains and skin of smokers. When they touch
another person or hug a child, those toxins are transferred to them.
Facts
Tobacco use is responsible for more than 430,000 deaths each year and
is the largest cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United
States.
S moke S ignals
21
Safer, more efective
pain management
Living with chronic pain can be challenging. It is essential that you and
your doctor discuss treatment options with all of the risks and beneits
carefully considered. Some medications, such as prescription opioids, can
help relieve pain in the short term but also come with serious risks and
potential complications, and must be prescribed and used carefully.
The new CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain helps
inform providers’ ability to offer safer, more effective pain management
and supports clinical decision making about prescribing opioids. www.cdc.
gov/drugoverdose/prescribing/guideline.
Opioids are natural or synthetic chemicals that reduce feelings of pain.
Common prescription opioid pain relievers include:
• Hydrocodone (Vicodin);
• Oxycodone (OxyContin);
• Oxymorphone (Opana)
• Methadone;
• Fentanyl.
Are opioids safe?
Prescription opioids can help with some types of pain in the short term
but have serious risks. They can be an important part of treatment in some
circumstances and can effectively relieve suffering for patients with active
cancer or others in hospice or palliative care, but studies are not available
to indicate whether opioids control chronic pain well when used long term.
Before taking opioid medication for your chronic pain:
• Discuss pain treatment options, including ones that do not involve
prescription drugs;
• Tell your doctor about past or current drug and alcohol use;
• Discuss all of the risks and beneits of taking prescription opioids.
What are the risks from opioids?
Patients taking prescription opioids are at risk for unintentional overdose
or death and can become addicted. From 1999 to 2014, more than 165,000
persons died from overdose related to prescription opioids in the United
States. Up to one out of four people receiving long-term opioid therapy in
a primary care setting struggles with addiction.
In addition to the serious risks of addiction and overdose, the use of
prescription opioid pain relievers can have a number of side effects, even
when taken as directed:
• Tolerance, meaning you might need to take more of the medication
for the same pain relief;
• Physical dependence, meaning you have symptoms of withdrawal when
the medication is stopped;
• Increased sensitivity to pain;
• Constipation;
• Nausea, vomiting and dry mouth;
• Sleepiness and dizziness;
• Confusion;
• Depression;
• Low levels of testosterone that can result in lower sex drive, energy
and strength;
• Itching and sweating.
Remember, your doctor is a partner in your pain treatment plan. It’s
important to talk about any and all side effects and concerns to make sure
you’re getting the safest and most effective care.
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.
Health & Wellness Center Entrance
Reminder: The drive-through entrance at the Health & Wellness
Center is for loading and unloading only. The entrance was built
with our Elders and those with mobility issues and their ease of ac-
cess in mind. If you are coming to the center to pick up prescriptions,
please park in one of our regular parking spaces.
Thank you,
Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center Administration