NEWS
BlueMountainEagle.com
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
A3
Hospital adds speech
language pathology program
Elementary students line up at various stations at Prairie
City School’s gym to learn from the visiting staff of the
Oregon Coast Aquarium. Students from Humbolt, Seneca
and Monument schools also joined in the event.
Oregon Coast
Aquarium shares
knowledge at
Prairie City School
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
A total of 270 elementary
students from four Grant
County schools enjoyed
learning about marine life
from Newport’s Oregon
Coast Aquarium staff who
visited Prairie City School.
Enjoying the April 18
event were kindergarten
through sixth grade stu-
dents from Prairie City,
Monument
and
Sen-
eca, and Humbolt Ele-
mentary’s
kindergar-
ten through second-grade
students.
Two aquarium scientists
shared information about
whales and other sea crea-
tures that live off the Ore-
gon Coast, including the
various species and their
sizes, also the difference
between marine mammals
and fi sh and how they sur-
vive. The presentation
included a life-sized infl at-
able killer whale.
Prairie City Superinten-
dent/Principal Casey Hall-
garth said the event was
fun and interactive for the
students.
“It was a pleasure to be
able to host this event and
to offer it to our neighbor-
ing schools,” Hallgarth
said. “It gave a chance for
our kids to see other faces
and to learn a little about
marine life.”
Contributed photos
Christie Winegar’s fi rst-grade class at Prairie City School
enjoys the visit from Oregon Coast Aquarium staff members.
The aquarium’s presentation included life-sized infl atable
whales.
Kowing recognized for
home care support services
Blue Mountain Eagle
Linda Kowing, employed
with Blue Mountain Home
Health & Hospice in John
Day, has been recognized for
her exemplary role in provid-
ing support services in home
care.
Her colleagues Sylvia
Ross, Krista Qual, Michelle
Gibson, Marsha Pereira and
Meredith Thomas nomi-
nated her for this prestigious
award.
“Linda assures that we
thrive as a team,” they wrote.
“Billing, patient care, OASIS,
denials, patient visits, deaths
to name a few, but also sew-
ing outfi ts for our kids, shar-
ing her family with us, taking
time to make sure we are OK
as a team. Without Linda we
don’t know what to do. She
sets us up for success every
day and sets the bar high for
performance and work ethic.
Linda, although very hum-
ble and would never say it, is
in fact our team captain, our
champion, and the reason we
thrive as a team.”
Linda was presented
with her award at the Ore-
1809 First Street • Baker City • (541)523-5439
gon Association for Home
Care’s annual conference
April 19 at the Eagle Crest
Resort in Redmond during
a special recognition awards
ceremony.
The Oregon Association
for Home Care is a trade
organization representing
providers of skilled home
health, hospice and in-home
care services throughout the
state of Oregon. Each year,
the association recognizes
outstanding leaders in the
home care industry.
Charissa Moulton
dedicated to
improving
patients’ overall
health, quality of
life
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Blue Mountain Hospital
District has something to
talk about — a new speech
language pathology pro-
gram available for patients
of all ages.
Having
the
pro-
gram available locally
through the Rehabili-
tation Services Depart-
ment at BMHD means that
patients will no longer
have to travel to receive
the needed therapies.
Speech
language
pathologist
Charissa
Moulton is making the
rounds and is seeing the
positive impact in the
patients she’s seen after
just one month of the pro-
gram rolling out.
There are varying rea-
sons a person may need
help from someone with
Moulton’s
expertise,
including a stroke, Parkin-
son’s disease, dementia or
a brain injury.
“It’s bigger than just
speech and language,” she
said.
For example, if a per-
son’s oral skills have
been affected by a stroke,
Moulton can offer swal-
lowing therapy. A person
with this diffi culty may
aspirate water and need a
thicker consistency of liq-
uid or need dietary modifi -
cations for softer food.
Depending on why they
have trouble swallowing,
Moulton may teach oral
strengthening exercises or
compensatory strategies,
such as a chin tuck or turn-
ing their head to the side.
If a patient has speech
problems, Moulton can
assist with what’s called
alternative and augmented
communication,
which
could include an iPad to
help them communicate, or
pictures, writing or point-
ing to something written.
Moulton
can
also
address cognitive issues
a patient may be hav-
ing, as well as voice dis-
orders, stuttering, lan-
guage, speech and sound
disorders.
If a patient has been
admitted to the hospital,
the process would include
a doctor referring patient to
Moulton, who would then
perform an evaluation with
the patient and diagnose
the severity of the problem
and recommend therapy or
dietary modifi cations.
Moulton also sees peo-
ple on an outpatient basis.
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THANK YOU!
The sophomore, junior and senior classes
from Spray High School, along with the
Spray School
District staff, would like to express our
appreciation to the community of
John Day and surrounding areas.
We thank the following businesses for hosting
our annual job shadow week.
We couldn’t do it
without your willingness to help!
119353
$9 Adult, $7 Senior (60+), Youth
John Day River Vet Center
Chester’s Thriftway
Les Schwab Tire Center
Blue Mountain Hospital
Len’s Drug
Pioneer Feed & Farm Supplies
Doug’s Motor Vehicle Repair, Inc.
Grant County Sheriff’s Office (Jail)
1st Choice Auto Body
Again, thank you!
Sincerely, Spray High School Students & Staff
A speech language pathologist is a professional trained to evaluate, diagnose and treat
patients who have diffi culty speaking, swallowing or understanding the speech of others.
Abnormal speech, language, cognition or swallowing function can be caused by a disease,
illness, developmental delay or physical defect. Speech language pathologists are trained
to determine the cause and treatment for disordered communication. They also work with
other professionals to help patients who have cognitive or swallowing problems.
Speech language evaluations may occur for people who have experienced a stroke, a
developmental disability or experienced head trauma. They may also occur for people
with cancer, dementia or general deterioration of mental activity, oral surgery or hearing
impairment.
When should a person ask about a speech-language evaluation?
• Coughing or choking when eating or drinking
• Having a hard time expressing what they want to say
• Easily confused
• Others don’t understand them well
• Not always understanding conversations or what is read
• Having a hard time organizing thoughts
• Voice changes
• Having surgery on any oral structures (tongue, jaw, throat)
Anyone experiencing these symptoms or who has a family member with the symptoms can
speak with a doctor about a referral for a speech-language evaluation.
A Mt. Vernon resident,
Moulton has lived in Grant
County for nine years and
is married with three chil-
dren, ages 3, 5 and 8.
In her free time, she
enjoys camping and hunt-
ing with her family and
visiting with friends and
relatives.
Prior to receiving her
Master’s of Communica-
tion Sciences and Disor-
ders degree from Idaho
State University, Moul-
ton was an early interven-
tion specialist and speech
therapist through the Grant
County Education Ser-
vice District for nine years,
working with children ages
0-5.
While working toward
her master’s, she com-
pleted 1,260 clinical hours
assisting younger and
school-age children and
adults under supervisors
in Pocatello, Idaho; Merid-
ian, Idaho; Boise, Idaho;
and Pendleton.
Blue Mountain Hospital
District’s physical therapy
department is now called
the Rehabilitation Ser-
vices Department because
it now includes the speech
language
pathology
program.
Rehabilitation Services
Manager Megan Pass,
who also holds a Doctor
of Physical Therapy and
is a physical therapist,
said she’s excited about
the opportunity for Grant
County residents.
“We are providing
excellent speech therapy
care here,” Pass said. “This
minimizes the amount of
required travel out of town
for health care. It is also
furthering BMHD’s mis-
sion statement ‘Quality
healthcare close to home’
as we now provide speech
language pathology in our
own community.”
The demand for speech
therapy is high nationwide,
Moulton said, and based
on the number of referrals
she’s seen, the need locally
is great as well.
Moulton said she fi nds
her fi eld of work interest-
ing and rewarding.
She said functional
swallowing skills play a
key role in overall health,
and she’s dedicated to help-
ing individuals achieve an
improved quality of life.
It’s a great experience to
see someone go from eat-
ing pureed foods to enjoy-
ing some of their favorite
foods again, she said.
“A couple people who
have been discharged (in
the past month) have been
able to go back to the foods
they had before they came
in,” she said.
She added, “There’s
nothing so fulfi lling as
helping someone who is
not able to express them-
selves — you can see their
frustration — to being able
to communicate with peo-
ple and see their person-
ality come out and their
confi dence.”
For more information,
contact the Rehabilitation
Services Department at
541-575-4157.
The John Day Volunteer Fire Department would like to thank all of the
following donors for their continued support & donations to the
Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Every item/money donation that
was received was greatly appreciated.
Lastly, a big thank you to the community for continuing to
support the John Day Volunteer Fire Department &
surrounding Volunteer Fire Departments.
We apologize greatly if we have failed to list your
name for any donation given to the John Day
Volunteer Fire Department.
119565
MOVIE SCHEDULE MAY 10 - MAY 16
WHAT IS A SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST?
Squeeze In Restaurant, A Bit of Europe, John Day Video Shoppe, Tidewater,
Inc., John Day Golf Club, Malheur Lumber Company, Stylish ’10’ Nail Salon,
Mobile Glass, Polaris, Dinomart Synclair, Timbers Bistro, Mills Building
Supply, John Day NAPA Auto Parts, John Day Flower Shop, Nydam’s Ace
Hardware, The Cut Above, Ed Staub & Sons, Triangle Oil, 1st Choice Auto
Body, Darkhorse Rentals LLC., Doug’s Motor Vehicle Repair, Katrina’s
Haircare, Len’s Drug, Cloud Nine Hair Salon, True Value Hardware, 1188
Brewing Co., Ken Kindig L.T.C., P.C., Solutions, US Bank, Darla Carpenter,
Karin Brantish, etc., Jan Jackson from Seaside, OR, Bank of Eastern
Oregon, Old West Federal Credit Union, Mountain View Mini Mart, Roan
Coffee Outwest, El Cocinero, Lonnie’s Cut & Style, O.T.E.C.C., Huffman’s
Market & Chester’s Thriftway.
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The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Hospital District speech language pathologist Charissa Moulton, left, and
Rehabilitation Services Manager Megan Pass, doctor of physical therapy, have helped establish
a speech language pathology program for individuals on an inpatient and outpatient basis at
the hospital in John Day.