SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016
Health
from 1A
Oregon governor’s office south
valley/mid-coast regional solu-
tions
coordinator
Jackie
Mikalonis also attended.
Henry said, “Since the advent
of the Affordable Care Act,
550,000 new patients have
entered the Oregon healthcare
system. That system was already
struggling with a shortage of
healthcare providers before that.
The city government does not
have the knowledge or the ability
to solve this problem. What we
can do is support the efforts of
our dedicated healthcare profes-
sionals.”
Audience members were
encouraged to write questions on
cards handed out as they entered
the seating area.
PeaceHealth panel members
explained the current nationwide
doctor shortage and new recruit-
ment procedures and then
answered audience questions.
Richard Bennett, vice presi-
dent of operations of Peace
Health Medical Group for
Oregon, said most physicians
were moving to urban areas with
populations over 500,000 and
that less than 10 percent are mov-
ing to rural practices. He also
said that there is currently a doc-
tor shortage of between 40,000
and 50,000 in the United States.
“We have a shortage today, but
we are going to have a larger
shortage as we go to 2025,” he
said. “This is a national issue. We
can’t meet the demand.”
Michael Penrose, system
director of provider services for
PeaceHealth said, “We are target-
ing applicants who were born,
raised or educated in the states of
Oregon,
Washington
and
Alaska.”
According to Penrose, most
residents come out of training
with about $250,000 to $300,000
of debt and that PeaceHealth was
offering a loan forgiveness pack-
age of up to $100,000 for a five-
year contract.
Henry read the audience ques-
tions that had been assigned to
specific panel members.
The questions ranged from
getting prescription refills and
referrals and how to deal with
chronic health problems, all
without a primary provider, and
what patients can do if they do
not like their provider.
Henry read one question,
“Providers are required to sign
off on prescription refills. If I
don’t have a provider, how do I
get my refills?”
Nina Harvey, director of oper-
ations for PeaceHealth Medical
Group replied, “You go through
the same process; you call your
pharmacy and request a refill.
That will come into our office
and it will be processed. The
providers as a team are going to
take care of the need of the
patients of the clinic. It could
take longer. It is always a good
idea to call in 10 to 14 days
before you run out.”
Henry read the next question
on referrals for specialists and
services such as physical therapy
and imaging.
“How will these services be
ordered for patients without
providers?” he asked
Bennett replied, “We will be
working within the clinics to
DATE AND TIME: 09/01/2016 at 12:00 PM
David Clark, DO
Eugene, OR
SPEAKER:
1285 Restobar
1285 Bay Street in Old Town
Florence, OR 97439
LOCATION:
EVENT CODE:
TR380590 (1333668)
evaluate what your needs are and
making sure you get those things
that provide the best care for you.
If your physician is no longer
here, we are going to take care of
you.”
Henry read, “How will ongo-
ing problems with chronic condi-
tions be handled? If I don’t have
a primary care provider, who will
monitor my health needs?”
David Duffey, vice presi-
dent/medical
director
of
PeaceHealth Oregon said, “In
addition to the provider, there is a
team of individuals that help us
in our population health strate-
gies in managing some of these
chronic diseases. We have nurse
care managers, advanced practice
clinicians, physician assistants
and nurse practitioners that will
help. When you need help, go to
the clinic and we will help you as
quick as we can.”
Another question Henry pre-
sented to the panel addressed
how Peace Health would provide
information when new doctors
are available.
Harvey replied, “We have
providers coming for the end of
this year. For patients without
providers, they should be able to
be placed with those new
providers. They should all
receive letters by January or
February.”
Henry read, “Why, when we
call to see our primary doctor, are
we referred to the walk in clinic?
We are charged a premium as a
new patient and then told to see
our primary doctor, who we
wanted to see in the first place.
Now we have to pay two co-pays
to take care of one issue.”
Bennett said, “Having that
question put out here into the
public forum raises issues for us
on this panel. We are going to
come up with some innovative
ways to address this. I can’t say
we are going to have an answer
tomorrow. We need to work with
you to make this as easy as possi-
ble. We are under some stress
here because we have lost some
providers. We are going to try
and do the best we can.”
The next question asked if
rumors of doctors spending little
time with patients were true.
Bennett said, “There is no
truth to that. ... There is no
restriction on five minutes per
patient.”
Duffey added, “We want to get
as many patients through as we
can. We don’t want to dally a lot
in the room, but if we took an
hour for every visit that came in,
that would mean there would be
a lot of people that didn’t get seen
that day. We have no require-
ments on how long somebody
spends with an individual
patient.”
Another question asked if
PeaceHealth had an ombudsman
and for ways that person could be
contacted.
Bennett replied, “PeaceHealth
has a patient family advisory
council. We have patients that are
a part of that council located in
Eugene.”
He added that the council does
visit Peace Harbor.
“How will the walk-in clinic
manage the increase in patients?”
Henry read. “Will wait times
become unrealistic for patients
that work and can’t sit waiting for
hours?”
Harvey said that the walk-in
clinic will have longer waits.
“We do have a program where
you can walk in and get your
name on a list and then you can
leave,” she said. “We can call
you when your name rises to the
top of the list so you don’t have
to wait so long.”
After the meeting, Bozievich
said, “I’m impressed with the
recruitment effort they are doing.
I’m a little jealous because we
have a similar issue in recruiting
people to our public health sys-
tem. Particularly mental health
providers are hard to recruit right
now.”
Peace Harbor CEO Rick
Yecny said the medical center
has five new potential primary
recruits scheduled to visit the
facility. In addition, three new
providers have signed on and will
start by the first of the year, with
one more to begin in 2017 and
one in 2018.
“We are trying to fill positions
now and create a pipeline for the
future,” Yecny said.
Issues
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
LORRAINE
GRAHAM
Florence Garden Club
Lorraine has been a
Florence Garden club
member since 2007. She
has been an actual member
in many club projects. She
has been the Plant Sale
Chairperson for the last
5-years. She also works
part time at Kitchen
Klutter on Bay Street. She
is a delightful person and a
team player.
Florence
Garden Club
Florence OR, 97439
First Baptist Church
Wanda Johnson, Broker
Coldwell Banker Coast Real Estate
County Transfer and Recycling
Chad Clement, D.D.S., P.C
SPONSORED
BY:
Oregon Pacii c Bank
Sawnson’s Pest Management
Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County
7 A
from 1A
The Trans-Pacific Partner-
ship is a trade agreement
aimed at promoting economic
growth, creating jobs, improv-
ing partnerships and increas-
ing environmental concerns
among 12 countries. Negotia-
tions concluded on the part-
nership in 2015, but it has yet
to be signed. Opponents argue
that it takes away rights of
countries and their people in
order to favor corporations —
“because it was written by
corporations,” DeFazio said.
“American people have
woken up to it ... I think we’re
going to beat it. I think finally
we’re going to stop this mad-
ness of trade policies that
export our jobs and challenge
our sovereignty. I am hope-
ful,” he said.
After about 20 minutes,
DeFazio invited the audience
to ask questions.
People asked for more
information on the Trans-
Pacific Partnership and about
plans to help Congress and
the Senate accomplish more,
the stockpiling of emergency
equipment to assist communi-
ties, increasing gun security,
protecting Social Security and
about more local concerns,
such as the timber industry,
transportation access, tsunami
preparedness and rural health
options.
DeFazio has been a U.S.
representative since 1987. He
responded “I have a bill for
that” on several issues. He
was also able to point out his
track record in voting for or
against controversial bills.
“I can only do what I can
do on one side of Capitol
Hill,” he said. “I try. I’ve done
bipartisan bills in the House,
but I can’t force the Senate to
do anything.”
DeFazio invited people to
send him — and the rest of the
Oregon contingent — com-
ments on these and other
issues.
For more information, go
to defazio.house.gov/.
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