S moke S ignals
JUNE 15, 2017
27
June is National Safety Month
Additional funding request from the
Skookum Health Assistance Program
To ensure that Tribal members’ requests for health care services receive
the highest level of attention, the Skookum Health Assistance Program has
implemented the “additional funding request” for health care services.
An additional funding request should be used when you have received a
denial of services requested from Shasta Administrative Services.
If you are a Tribal member and have received a denial of services requested
from Shasta, you have the option of contacting the Save Our Skookum team
members, who will make every effort to obtain information from Shasta and/
or your provider for review of the denied request.
Depending on the request, the Save Our Skookum team will enlist the
help of Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center providers, Dental director,
Medical director, Pharmacy director and Behavioral Health director to review
documentation from the provider requesting the denied services. With the
help of these professionals and funding availability, a determination will be
made whether to fund the requested services.
The level of funding available always will play a role in approval or denial
of an additional funding request, which does not apply to services deemed
medically necessary. Medically necessary services allowed through the
Skookum Health Assistance Program will not be required to go through an
additional funding request review.
For information or to request additional funding, please contact:
•
Barbara Steere – 503-879-2487
•
Melody Baker – 503-879-2011
•
Tresa Mercier – 503-879-2008
Prescription painkiller abuse:
June is National Safety Month
Injuries are a leading cause of disability for people of all ages, and they
are one of the leading causes of death for Americans ages 1 to 44. The
good news is everyone can get involved to help prevent injuries.
This June, we encourage
you to learn more about important safety
Transportation
safety:
issues like prescription painkiller abuse, transportation safety and slips,
trips and falls.
• Prescription painkiller abuse: Prescription painkiller overdos-
es are a growing problem in the United States, especially among
women. About 18 women die every day from a prescription painkiller
Slips,
trips and falls:
overdose — more than four times as many as in 1999.
• Transportation safety: Doing other activities while driving,
like texting or eating, distracts you and increases your chance of
crashing. Almost 1 in 5 crashes (17 percent) that injured someone
involved distracted driving.
• Slips, trips and falls: One in 4 older adults fall each year. Many
falls lead to broken bones and other health problems.
You can make a difference. Find out ways to help reduce the risk of
these safety issues. For more information visit http://www.nsc.org/act/
events/Pages/National-Safety-Month-Free-Materials.aspx
Come check out our National Safety Month table from 2 to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, June 21, in the clinic atrium.
Opioid Use Disorder
By Andrew Gibler
Oregon State University College of Pharmacy
Increased abuse of prescription opioids and subsequent increases in ac-
cidental opioid-related deaths have caught the attention of policy makers
in the United States and in Oregon.
On July 22, 2016, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act was
enacted that authorizes the federal government to strengthen opioid pre-
vention and treatment programs
According to the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,”
substance use disorders are associated with a pattern of inappropriate
substance use that adversely affects one’s personal or professional life.
In persons with substance use disorders, there is an underlying change
in the way the brain functions that can persist beyond detoxification and
result in repeated relapses and intense cravings when exposed to certain
stimuli.
These addictive substances alter brain circuitry involved in complex
functions like motivation and decision-making and diminish natural
reward mechanisms for essential substances like food and water. Plea-
sure normally experienced with stimuli like food or social interactions is
diminished with repeated use of addicting substances.
Opioid analgesics have been used for decades to manage pain, but they
also can produce feelings of dysphoria and sedation, which places them
at high risk for misuse and abuse. In addition, tolerance to regular use
of an opioid analgesic can result in the need over time for higher doses to
achieve analgesia.
From 2007-14, the number of private insurance claim lines with an
opioid dependence diagnosis increased 3,203 percent, with most of the
claims associated with persons between 19-35 years of age. With ease of
accessibility to opioids, it is imperative that physicians understand how
to recognize opioid use disorder and navigate treatment strategies with
their patients.
For more information about Opioid Use Disorder, contact your primary
care provider or Behavioral Health program.
Skookum Health Assistance Program
online portal
Did you know you can access your Skookum Health Assistance Program
information at www.shastatpa.com?
You can look for things like:
Find a network health care provider
Print a temporary ID card
View your health care claims and deductible/out-of-pocket balances
Contact customer service online
Just go to the website and register for a user name and password in a few
minutes and you will have access.
Massage at Health & Wellness Center
Mind, Body & Soul Therapeutic Massage started at the Health &
Wellness Clinic last year. Remember: Appointments for massage
are not managed by the Health & Wellness Center staff. To schedule
an appointment, call 971-237-2561.