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I NSIDE — A3
States, Oregon
counties consider
reopening
strategies
Siuslaw News
Peace Harbor’s
COVID-19 incident
command
By Damien Sherwood
For the Siuslaw News
Now passing three months since
Oregon’s first reported case of
COVID-19, state and county gov-
ernments are strategizing a cautious
reopening of public and business life.
Balancing the trade-off of risks
to public and economic health has
proven a point of contention for
many and has prompted certain
county governments to begin push-
ing for easing the restrictions hand-
ed down since Gov. Kate Brown’s
March 23 executive order.
On April 22, the Douglas County
Board of Commissioners authored
a letter imploring Brown to consent
to the first phase of reopening in
Douglas, Coos, Curry, Jackson and
Josephine counties effective April
25 under federal guidelines. The let-
ter, with all five county commission-
ers’ signatures, was set to be sent to
Brown on April 24, though the gov-
ernor’s office has not responded to
the letter as of press time.
While the commissioners stated
that they “understand the concern
of an increase in COVID-19 cases
once restrictions are eased,” the let-
ter makes the case for all five coun-
ties meeting the state’s proposed
criteria for reopening.
State Criteria
Brown has expressed favor for a
regional approach in reopening the
economy depending on certain cri-
teria being met.
See REOPEN page 6A
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
VOL. 130, NO. 34
F LORENCE , O REGON
WEATHER
Light rain with a
high of 58 and a low
tonight of 49.
Full forecast on A3
Story & Photo
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
COMMUNITY
PeaceHealth Peace Harbor staff prepare for the day in the COVID-19 resource war-room.
Medical center increases telehealth options, pandemic protocols
“T
elehealth isn’t necessarily new,
but this is new to us,” said
PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Nurse
Practitioner Heather Posegate. “The
virus kind of jumpstarted us into
this technological age and will help
us in many different ways.”
As the Siuslaw region began
preparing for the first wave of
COVID-19 infections earlier this
year, PeaceHealth Peace Harbor
looked at technologies and practic-
es that would help prepare for any
possible spikes in infections. Tele-
health, which will allow patients to
get a variety of medical advice from
their home computers, is just one of
a multitude of preventive measures
put in place to ensure the hospital is
protected in any potential surge in
COVID-19.
As the state begins the process
of reopening, along with allowing
the hospital the ability to begin
non-emergency procedures, Peace
Harbor representatives spoke on
the different aspects of their re-
sponse, from creating complex pa-
tient flows to minimize infection,
mapping out specific action plans
for possible hotspots in the city, and
introducing technology like tele-
health. In the process, the medical
center’s staff believe they made im-
provements that will create a better
experience for patients beyond the
concerns of COVID-19.
“The one thing we want to get
out is that the hospital is the safe
place to come,” said William Foster,
medical director of the emergency
department. “We’re screening peo-
ple, we’re masking people. We’re
still limiting visitors to a large ex-
tent, but that’s probably going to
relax some. But if you need to be
here, whether it’s an emergency or
whatever, it’s a safe place to come.”
While telehealth has been used at
Peace Harbor for a while, particu-
larly in the field of mental health,
this is the first time the hospital has
seen a wide adoption of telehealth.
Primary care has been working
with it for two weeks, while special-
ty care is rolling out this week.
The process of setting up a tele-
health appointment is relatively
simple. Once a patient has con-
tacted their provider and set up
a time, patients will need to sign
up online. For the next couple of
months, PeaceHealth is providing
free guidance on how to sign up for
the service.
See HEALTH page 5A
Florence Chamber
gathers leaders
INSIDE — A3
LIFESTYLE
Stories of the Siuslaw
INSIDE — B
Local restaurateurs battered but hopeful Contemplating connection with
‘Take out’ option is financial lifeline
while shortages threaten food supply
Siuslaw School District, Hyak
RECORDS
$1.4 million partnership could provide
fiber internet to area families
Story & Photo
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
The Siuslaw School District is dis-
cussing the possibility of bringing
fiber internet to its students at a dis-
counted rate for the next five years
through a partnership with local
internet service provider Hyak. The
project was proposed during last
Wednesday’s school board meeting
by Hyak co-owner Robbie Wright,
along with School Board Chair Guy
Rosinbaum and Superintendent
Andrew Grzeskowiak.
The potential deal would include
a $1.4 million investment by the
district to Hyak, which would use
the funds to install 40,000 feet of
gigabit fiber optics in specific ar-
eas throughout the Siuslaw School
District.
In return, the district would re-
ceive a five-year contract where all
students in the reduced lunch pro-
gram would receive free internet
access, while the remaining stu-
dents would receive a 25 percent
discount. The deal would also in-
clude a waiver of any maintenance
fees, totaling almost $1 million.
The project, which could be
completed by September, could
potentially bring fiber internet to
hundreds of residents within four
key areas, and could jumpstart the
region’s upgrade to fiber internet.
In addition, the deal could
help the district with future so-
cial distancing orders due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The dis-
trict’s schools, which are already
feeling the effects of overcrowd-
ing, could better institute possible
continued social distancing regu-
lations by splitting school between
distance education and in-school
instruction.
A final component of the deal
could also create more equity for
students as the district begins to
shift more resources online.
But questions remain, including
whether or not the Siuslaw School
District is financially capable of
entering into such an agreement,
and whether or not the economic
See FIBER page 5A
NEW: TV GUIDE
Inside — B3-B4
KIDS CORNER
Activities for kids
Inside — B5
CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and notices
Inside — B6
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2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2020
The COVID-19 cri-
sis has changed the way
that most Americans
approach even the most
familiar of activities.
One of the cornerstones
of human culture, eat-
ing, has been severely
impacted by the pan-
demic and has been
costly on many levels.
The activity around
food is central to what
drives us individually,
1285 Restobar co-owner Kurt Hargens and
as families and as a soci-
chef Jon Holden invite people to order take
ety. It also generates bil-
out from area restaurants.
lions of dollars of reve-
nue each year, adding to the bottom for its ocean, lakes and dunes, with
line from small towns to America’s hundreds of residents relying on
largest cities.
work within the community’s many
Plus, socializing on many lev- eating establishments.
els revolves around the sharing of
Ordering meals “to-go” has not
food. It is a core element of cultures been banned by recent statewide
around the globe, in America and executive orders limiting social
certainly in Florence, where the contact and public gatherings, and
economic component of the pan- the option provides a semblance of
demic has had a devastating impact. normalcy to a growing number of
Florence is known as much for area residents.
the variety of its dining sector as it is
See RESTAURANTS page 7A
Obituaries &
response logs
Inside — A2
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