FEBRUARY 1, 2018
S moke S ignals
19
Health & Wellness Center closures
• Monday, Feb. 19 – Tribal Chiefs’ Day/Presidents’ Day (all day)
Be sure to request your prescriptions
early to cover closure days.
Attention Tribal members
Hepatitis C breakthrough
There is some big news: We can now cure hepatitis C. This is the first and
only viral illness that we can cure. This is historic. Medicine can now cure a
viral illness. Medicine could not cure a virus until now.
We can do this through some new medications that have become available
to cure hepatitis C. One of these medications is Harvoni and it was released
in October 2014. The breakthrough of this medicine has been declared by
infectious disease specialists as “the beginning of a new era in medicine.” It
even has been compared to the breakthrough discovery of antibiotics.
For hundreds of years, medicine could diagnose all types of bacterial infec-
tions like pneumonia, strep throat and skin infections, but could not treat any
of them. Then penicillin was discovered. Penicillin was revolutionary. Since its
discovery infections that previously could only be diagnosed became treatable.
Many antibiotics were developed and treatments improved. By eliminating
infections, average life expectancy increased dramatically.
It is estimated that 5.2 million people in the United States currently have
hepatitis C. Fifty percent of these people do not know they have the disease.
They do not know they have it because most people who have chronic hepatitis
are asymptomatic for years and have not been tested for hepatitis C.
This is especially important to American Indians who have higher rates
of hepatitis C than any other ethnic group. In an effort to serve the needs
of the community, the Grand Ronde Medical Clinic has begun a Hepatitis
C Elimination Program. The goal of the program is to eliminate the disease
from our community.
How do we do that?
1. We need to raise awareness about hepatitis C.
2. We want everyone whose birth year is between 1945 and 1965 to get tested.
3. Other people at risk for hepatitis C should also get tested.
4. We need to use these amazing new medications to cure hepatitis C.
5. We need to prevent people from getting hepatitis C in the first place.
It will take the whole community to do this. We need your help.
GET TESTED GET CURED
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 Program 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 in-
surance or state coverage.
We would like to standardize the application process for consistency
and effectiveness. This would mean Tribal members would go through
the process of applying for coverage between the months of Decem-
ber 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
Living Well with Chronic Conditions
CTGR Community Health Presents
Restore the Honor
In this FREE workshop, participants learn how to manage their conditions
and continue to live fulfilling lives. Lunch provided!
Topics Include:
Pain & Fatigue Management
Better Breathing
Healthy Eating
Medication Usage
Making Informed Treatment Decisions
Evaluating Elder Abuse, Neglect and Autonomy
Friday, Feb. 23 - 5:30-7:30 p.m.
@ CTGR Community Center
Soup and refreshments will be served
Location: Community Center meeting room
Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Dates: Monday, Feb 5 – March 19
To register, call Susan at 503-879-2016 or e-mail health.promotion@nwsds.org
