8
S moke S ignals
JUNE 15, 2016
Clinic hires two family nurse practitioners
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
Grand Ronde Health & Wellness
Center Family Nurse Practitioner
Lorrie Amitrano prefers to shake
hands the right way.
She doesn’t like any of that light-
ly taking her hand when she irst
meets you. She likes a irm hand-
shake.
And if she likes you, she might
even teach you how the Navajos
shake hands.
Amitrano, who previously worked
for the Navajo Nation and lived in
Arizona before coming to Grand
Ronde, is one of two new medical
providers who recently began prac-
ticing at the Grand Ronde Health
& Wellness Center.
Amitrano and Kecia Harris are
the Tribe’s new family nurse prac-
titioners who have rounded out
the medical staff and given Tribal
members options when receiving
medical services.
Amitrano and Harris see patients
of all ages.
“Family practice is a generalized
term that refers to caring for pa-
tients all through their lifespan.
So from newborn through end of
life,” said Clinical Nursing Super-
visor Christa Hosley. “They (family
nurse practitioners) see and take
care of everyone.”
Hosley said family nurse practi-
tioners are providers. They write
prescriptions, diagnose, order di-
agnostic exams, lab tests and im-
aging, and make referrals.
Not only are family nurse practi-
tioners registered nurses, but they
are considered advanced practice
registered nurses educated and
trained to provide health promotion
through diagnosis and treatment
of acute illness and chronic con-
ditions. According to the Interna-
tional Council of Nurses, family
nurse practitioners have acquired
expert knowledge and complex de-
cision-making skills.
“One of the things we have been
working on and we continue to work
on is improving patient access to
health care,” said Hosley. “The goal
is to improve access, and so by ill-
ing our positions and increasing our
provider panel we have been better
able to meet the needs of the Tribe
and the community.”
Amitrano has been on the job for
four months.
Kecia Harris
Lorrie Amitrano
“I started here in February so I
am deinitely the new kid on the
block,” said Amitrano. “I have a
long history with Native American
populations. I worked extensively
with the Navajo people for a long
time.”
Amitrano said she drove around
Grand Ronde before deciding to
accept the position at the Health
& Wellness Center.
“I thought the monies that were
provided (for health care services)
here were really spent well. The
complex out here is just very im-
pressive,” said Amitrano. “The
attention to detail said that the peo-
ple who were governing the monies
were spending it very wisely and it
impressed me.”
Amitrano said she has been wel-
comed to the Health & Wellness
Center with open arms.
“The people that I have been
working with have been fabulous.
The staff here – everyone has just
been so nice,” said Amitrano.
Amitrano, who used to be a para-
medic and ran an ambulance com-
pany, said she is ready to use her
skills and knowledge to beneit the
Tribe. She said she can do every-
thing a family medical doctor can
do and that the only difference is
she reports to a board of nursing
and doctors report to a board of
medicine.
“I’m master’s prepared,” said
Amitrano. “I’ve gone on to get a lot
more credentials. I’m board certi-
ied as a professional nutritionist.
I’m board certiied as an advanced
holistic nurse. I look at the whole
patient and the whole person. I’ve
been taking care of patients in so
many different ways as I’ve con-
tinued on my caregiving. So for me,
it’s always been about the whole
person.
“Every person that comes into my
ofice, I really embrace the sacred
nature of that person. I’m honored
to be here.”
Amitrano is a board-certified
family nurse practitioner with the
American Academy of Nurse Practi-
tioners, a board-certiied advanced
holistic nurse with the American
Holistic Nurses Association and
a certified nutrition professional
with the National Association of
Nutrition Professionals.
“Lorrie is very nurturing,” said
Hosley. “She has a passion for the
holistic care style. She’s looking at
improving a person’s health, qual-
ity of health and quality of life.”
For Harris, this is her irst job as
a family nurse practitioner after
graduating from Gonzaga Universi-
ty in Spokane, Wash., in December
2015.
“I’m a brand new nurse practi-
tioner,” said Harris, who started
working in Grand Ronde in March.
“I am here to help you reach your
health goals. I think this is going
to be a fabulous career.”
Harris, who grew up in Sandy,
said she had reached a point where
she was looking for a change and
that she wanted to gain more skills
to improve her life.
Her father asked her one day if
she had ever thought about a career
in nursing. She looked into it and
completed a two-year degree at
Blue Mountain Community College
in Pendleton in 2003.
Harris went on to attend Washing-
ton State University in Pullman and
received a bachelor’s degree in 2009
and a master’s degree last year.
Harris said she feels comfortable
Summer Arts Program scheduled
The Art Conspiracy of Yamhill County will hold its Summer Arts
Program for students 9 to 16 years of age from Amity, Sheridan,
Willamina and Grand Ronde with preference given to returning
students and students from these areas.
The Summer Program consists of eight days of 2.5-hour morning
and afternoon classes four days a week for two weeks. Courses are
taught by working artists and educators.
Classes will be held at Amity High School Monday through Thurs-
day, June 20 through June 30. Transportation will be provided from
Willamina High School at 8:15 a.m. daily and Friday, June 24, is
reserved for a ield trip to the Hallie Ford Museum in Salem.
Classes are limited to 10 students to maximize learning. Scheduled
classes include ceramics, painting, beginning digital photography,
manga/comic drawing and AM Rock Band, among others.
Registration is accepted irst-come, irst-served with a $25 deposit
due with registration.
For more information, visit artconspiracy.simdif.com on the Inter-
net or the Art Conspiracy West Valley page on Facebook.
in her new work environment and
feels supported by those around
her.
“Everyone here has been very in-
vested in my success as a provider
and that’s been really nice,” said
Harris.
She said it is the interactions
with her patients that make nurs-
ing the right career for her.
“My take is we need to make this
a collaborative relationship (be-
tween patient and provider),” said
Harris. “Together, if you are honest
with me, we can reach your health
goals. Patients need to know that
we are here to help and support and
nurture. We want this to be a pre-
mier place for people to get care.”
Health Services Executive Direc-
tor Kelly Rowe said Amitrano and
Harris it not only the educational
and professional criteria they were
looking for when filling the two
family nurse practitioner positions,
but they it the community as well.
“When we were looking at hiring for
the position and when we interviewed
we were really trying to ind the right
skill set, of course, but also the right
it,” said Rowe. “We were trying to
ind someone who wants to be here
and be part of the team and bring
better health, but also for the right
reasons. Both Lorrie and Kecia inter-
viewed well and they came across like
they care. They are passionate about
their skill, but also about people and
that’s what we want.”
Rowe said Amitrano’s experience
working in Indian Country will be
invaluable and that Harris is the
right it for the Health & Wellness
program.
“The sense I got from her (Harris)
wasn’t just empathy and compas-
sion, it was also enthusiasm,” said
Rowe. “She was so passionate about
wanting to work within a small
community and she wanted to be a
part of something bigger than her
and that for me was the right it.
“The nurse practitioners that we
brought on fit incredibly well to
be part of the team. They are key.
They are essential. The idea is to
bring people in that are a good it
and that they are here for the right
reasons – to be able to care for our
membership, to really be part of the
community and to be part of the
family. That’s their role.”
Harris lives on a small farm out-
side of Dayton with her husband,
three dogs, two cats, four alpacas
and 18 hens where she spins alpaca
wool into yarn.
When not working, Amitrano
can usually be found hiking to a
waterfall or traveling to a wine
tasting, farmer’s market or musical
event.
WIC visits Health & Wellness Center
Pregnant? Breastfeeding? Does your family include a child under
the age of 5? If so, you may qualify for the Women, Infants and Chil-
dren 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 representative visits the Health
& Wellness Center on the irst and third Tuesday of the month, June
21 and July 5. Walk-ins are welcome between 8:45 and 11 a.m. When
WIC clients arrive at the Health & Wellness Center, they should enter
through the Wellness Department located at the back of the medical
wing. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 503-
623-8175, ext. 2297.