S moke S ignals
JANUARY 1, 2018
Health & Wellness Center closures
• Monday, Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day (all day)
• Monday, Jan 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day (all day)
• Monday, Feb. 19 – Tribal Chiefs’ Day/Presidents’ Day (all day)
Be sure to request your prescriptions
early to cover closure days.
Thyroid Awareness Month
January is the month everyone decides to go back
to the gym or get in shape. The month for changes;
the month for new beginnings.
January also is the month that has been deemed
Thyroid Awareness Month. This is the time when
the thyroid gland gets some much needed cover-
age. Unfortunately, not everything circulating or
being shared in the cyber universe is correct so we
will use this time, in honor of Thyroid Awareness
Month, to share some information regarding the
little gland.
The thyroid is a small gland located in the base
of your neck that is part of the endocrine system. This tiny gland has a
big job. The gland is responsible for various functions including the me-
tabolism, regulating body temperature, cognitive function, digestion and
much more. To make it easy, the thyroid affects the entire body and when
it is not working properly you will definitely feel the effects.
Thyroid problems
Many people are familiar with the condition known as hypothyroidism.
This typically describes the condition where the thyroid gland is in a
sub-optimal state and is not producing enough of the thyroid hormones
necessary for the body to function, but hypothyroidism is also linked to
thyroid conversion issues (the inactive form, T4, is not converting to the
active form, T3) and transport issues. While this condition accounts for
many people who are suffering from thyroid dysfunction, there are various
other conditions as well. These conditions include hyperthyroidism (thyroid
gland in an over-active state), Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s disease
(autoimmune diseases), goiter (thyroid enlargement), thyroid nodules
(growths on the thyroid gland that can be caused by another condition,
i.e. Hashimoto’s) and thyroid cancer.
Dysfunction symptoms
The symptoms vary depending on the condition, but there are many
warning signs that something is not right. There are more than 300
symptoms that indicate thyroid dysfunction, the most common ones being:
n Cold hands/feet (hypothyroidism)
n Dry skin (hypothyroidism)
n Unexplained weight gain (hypothyroidism)
n Unexplained weight loss (hyperthyroidism)
n Loose bowels/diarrhea (hyperthyroidism)
n Vision issues (Graves’ disease)
n Difficulty swallowing (goiter/thyroid nodules)
n And many more!
If you are having these symptoms, please see your primary care provider.
Resources came from NAHIS
15
Inclement weather alert!
Please be sure to call the Health & Wellness Center before traveling in to
appointments at the clinic during inclement weather. Health & Wellness
Center staff will make every attempt to call patients during closures. Also,
please sign up for emergency notifications about Tribal campus closures
on the Tribal website at www.grandronde.org or follow the Tribe’s primary
page on Facebook.
Attention Tribal members
We are asking that all Grand Ronde Tribal members who do not
have primary health care coverage apply for no-cost health care
coverage. As we have done for the past several years, we ask that
to avoid being suspended from the Skookum Health Assistance Pro-
gram that you apply and provide documentation of the application
process, acceptance or denial. Save Our Skookum will be following
up with individual letters for those who we show do not have primary
coverage.
This does not apply to you if you have Medicare, employer
insurance or state coverage.
We would like to standardize the application process for consis-
tency and effectiveness. This would mean Tribal members would go
through the process of applying for coverage between the months
of December through February. This will be a more consistent and
overall easier process. Of course, if someone loses primary coverage,
applying for no-cost alternate coverage also would need to occur at
the time of loss.
We know this request is confusing and inconvenient, but to keep
Skookum sustainable for years to come, we really need everyone’s
cooperation.
If you have questions, please contact one of the Save Our Skookum
team members below:
• Tresa Mercier, 503-879-2008 or tresa.mercier@grandronde.org
• Barbara Steere, 503-879-2487 or barbara.steere@grandronde.org
• Melody Baker, 503-879-2011 or melody.baker@grandronde.org
We also have Certified Application Assisters who can answer your
questions about Oregon Health Plan and assist with the application
process:
• Dana Morfin, 503-879-1359 or dana.morfin@grandronde.org
• Leah Bailey, 503-879-2197 or leah.bailey@grandronde.org
CTGR Community Health and Northwest Senior and Disability Services Present:
WHAT TO DO WHEN NOTHING ELSE WORKS?
Thyroid problems
Grand Ronde Health &
Wellness Pharmacy
Please be advised for:
Refill Requests
In order to best serve you, please note the
following time requirements for your refill requests:
(Valid) Refills remaining – Called in between 8:30 to 11 a.m.,
anticipated pickup/send out by 5 p.m. Called in after 11 a.m.,
12:30 p.m. next day pickup, excluding holidays and weekends.
NO refills remaining – up to 7 days*
*This allows us time to coordinate and correct
any needs that may exist for your refill
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU WILL BE OUT
BEFORE THIS TIME FRAME ON A MAINTENANCE
MEDICATION SO THAT WE CAN BEST
ACCOMMODATE YOUR NEEDS.
Thank you for allowing us to
serve your prescriptions needs.
Dysfunction symptoms
REAL SOLUTIONS IN DEMENTIA CARE
A holistic perspective on caring for those with memory loss
Featuring Guest Speaker Joyce Beedle, RN, BSN.
Thursday, Jan. 18 - 11:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Where? Tribal Gym
FREE event! Lunch and door prizes!
RSVP: Contact CTGR Community Health, 503-879-2016
