6
APRIL 1, 2021
Smoke Signals
Clinic ribbon-cutting
Pharmacy adds lockers
for prescription pickup
The Grand Ronde Pharmacy has added lockers for people to pick up their
prescriptions, according to Pharmacy Director Lincoln Wright.
The lockers are located at the southwest entrance door marked Pharmacy
Locker Pickup and are available 24/7, 365 days a year.
“When the order is placed in the locker, the patient receives a random
code via text or e-mail,” Wright said. “That randomized code is specific to
that locker for that one order. Once the order is picked up that code is no
longer useable. There’s also an app they can download on their smartphone
so they can track their pickup history and more easily share the code with
someone else they want to pick up for them.”
Pharmacy patients must fill out a Patient Contact Preference form and
provide their e-mail address or phone number to receive locker notifications.
“We’ve been testing it for a few weeks, so patients can start using it as
soon as we receive the contact preference form and upload their e-mail
address,” Wright said. “The upload of e-mail addresses only happens a
couple of times a day so the first order can be delayed depending on when
everything is ready. After that the e-mail and cell number stay in the
system and orders can be delivered to the lockers several times a day.
“If patients don’t have an e-mail, like a small child, we have a manual
workaround to help the parent get the text message. Generally, the e-mail
is used for the first pickup and then the patient can enter in their cell
number for text alerts on future orders.”
For more information, contact the Pharmacy at 503-879-2342.
Listening sessions set
Photo by Great Circle Recovery staff
Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy, Executive Director of
Health Services Kelly Rowe and Tribal Council member Steve Bobb,
Sr. participate in the grand opening of the Grand Ronde Tribe’s first
medication-assisted treatment clinic to combat opioid addiction on
Monday, March 22. Also attending was Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris
Mercier. The Great Circle Recovery Opioid Treatment Program clinic is at
1011 Commercial St. N.E. in Salem and is the first Tribally operated MAT
clinic in Oregon. The Tribe also plans to open a clinic in east Portland
on Southeast 82nd Avenue this summer. Portland resident Jennifer
Worth was hired to be the clinics’ Operations Director in December.
“Opioid addiction is something that does not discriminate,” Kennedy
said. “It takes lives, destroys families and haunts Tribal and non-Tribal
communities alike. That’s why it was important for the Tribe to bring
these services to those seeking treatment.”
PORTLAND – The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Affiliated
Tribes of Northwest Indians, Columbia River InterTribal Fish Commis-
sion, Prosper Portland and Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
are starting an 18-month planning process to engage Tribes, Tribal or-
ganizations and the Portland metro area Native American community to
seek ideas, identify needs and explore development opportunities for the
proposed Center for Tribal Nations and Waterfront Education Park at the
OMSI District on the eastern shore of the Willamette River.
The property includes 23 acres of which 18 are available for the new
development with 3 million square feet of new useable space.
As part of Phase One, a series of listening sessions have been scheduled,
all running from 1 to 3 p.m. The sessions will be held on March 31, April 13,
April 26, May 13 and June 2 and will be conducted using virtual meeting
applications like Zoom. People also can complete a survey regarding the
proposal at atnitribe.org/center-tribal-nations/.
For more information or to provide additional input, contact Don Samp-
son at DP@Seventhgenerationllc.com or 541-215-2753 or James Parker at
Jparker@atnitribes.org or 541-249-5770.
Tribal Veterans Service Office Veteran Outreach Event
12,748 people have received
vaccines, including 6,905
shots for Elders 55 and older
BLAZERS continued
from front page
nated on Twitter, saying: “Just got
vaccinated today with my brothers.
The faster we get vaccinated, the
sooner we can return to our lives
with our loved ones.”
Forward Robert Covington did
the same, saying, “First step in the
right direction of life getting back
to normal.”
The Blazers, citing health and
privacy concerns, declined to elab-
orate on how the team and Tribe
connected in arranging the vacci-
nations.
The Tribe received its first doses of
the Moderna vaccine in late Decem-
ber, with priority going to clinic per-
sonnel, Tribal first responders, adult
foster care workers and residents.
The vaccine rollout was expanded
to include all Tribal members 55
and older in late January, and to the
general public in February.
To date, more than 50 percent of
Tribal employees have been vacci-
nated and 90 percent of Health &
Wellness Center employees have
received both shots.
Total vaccines administered are
12,748, including 6,905 shots put
into the arms of Elders, who are at
highest risk for complications from
COVID-19.
Tribal Communications Director
Sara Thompson said the Tribe has
been able to draw an additional 800
doses from its current supply.
“Each dose is important,” she
said. “We’re excited to be part of
the effort to vaccinate the com-
munity, our partners and combat
COVID-19.”
Second doses of the COVID-19
vaccine are usually given 21 to 28
days after the first.
*Memorial Day*
Honoring families of Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde Veterans who have walked on…
Let us express our gratitude and pride for those who served; those
who put their lives on the line; and the families who supported
them. We raise our hands to acknowledge and honor the service of
the Veteran in your family and their memory. hayu masi.
To Receive a Memorial Day gift:
1. Be a Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CTGR) Tribal Member or,
a Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde family member with
2. A CTGR Veteran in your family who has made their journey (from any
service era) and,
3. Submit a photo, biography, story, or information about your tribal veteran
and/or their military service by May 21, 2021 (to TVSO office by mail/email) .
(All information submitted is kept confidential and will not be shared).
In return:
The first 100 submissions get to choose one of the following gifts:
A gardening tool kit for the veterans gravesite (15 available) or,
A picture frame for the veterans photo (15 available) or,
A 4x6” American flag with a silk flower (40 available)
5.5x8” Military Branch flags (a few of each branch, 30 available)
Gift pick up will be during Memorial Day Week. Individuals who sign up will be contacted to set
up a date/time for drive-through pick-up.
Arrangements can be made if you would like your gift mailed.