A6
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
SHOOTING THE BREEZE
Community HEALTH BEAT
Voices from the dust
L
Quality Healthcare Close to Home
170 Ford Road, John Day • 541-575-1311 • www.bluemountainhospital.org
Blue Mountain Hospital District
Telehealth Serving Grant County
By Megan Pass, PT, DPT, NCPT
During this every-changing time, a Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order from our governor,
and need to maintain social distancing, Blue Mountain Hospital District is doing everything
possible to serve Grant County Residents, in a safe and effective manner. As such, both Strawberry
Wilderness Community Clinic Providers and BMHD Rehabilitation Services have rolled out
telehealth. Telehealth is a real-time video chat where a link is sent to the patient through either text
message or email for a scheduled appointment with a SWCC Provider or BMHD Rehabilitation
Therapist.
Strawberry Wilderness Community Clinic Providers are offering telehealth as an option to serve
your needs. We are able to provide care virtually for refills, chronic disease management (diabetes
visits, some blood pressure visits, etc.), and some sick visits. Unfortunately, the Oregon Health
Authority postponed preventive and wellness visits until it is deemed safe. Many patients, who
had appointments postponed, are being called, and given the option to schedule telehealth visits.
If internet access is an issue, the providers will phone patients to manage chronic health problems.
We all understand that life goes on, and we are committed to helping you manage your chronic
conditions.
Please contact Strawberry Wilderness Community Clinic at 541-575-0404 for any health needs,
and they will happily direct you to the best treatment option.
Rehabilitation Services, which includes our doctors of physical therapy, occupational therapist,
and speech therapist, are now offering telerehab as appropriate and as a virtual case management
option. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telerehab and virtual case management was not an
option to rehab professionals. Some insurance companies, including Medicare, are changing the
regulations to make sure you are well taken care of.
Telerehab is a regular physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy visit done
over real-time video chat. We will invite you to the “chat room” about 5 minutes before your
appointment through a text message or email. This can be done on your computer or smart
phone. If you are an existing patient and want to opt in, give us a call and we will walk you
through the process to get you started.
Virtual case management is either over the phone, or ideally through real-time video chat. If you
are an existing patient and have a question, concern, or change in status, reach out to us and we
will guide you on how to set up the video chat.
Rehabilitation Services at BMHD is seeing patients on a critical basis following all precautions.
We continue to reach out to you to move you forward on your rehabilitation journey. Call us with
any concerns at 541-575-4157.
Whether you opt in to telehealth or not, we are here to serve you. We at Strawberry Wilderness
Community Clinic and Rehabilitation Services value your care and are here to serve the health
needs of our community.
ter exudes personality, which
ike many of you I
makes it such a wonderful gift
have accumulated
to give and to receive.
quite a few things
When I was in second
in my life. Some of these,
grade, I decided to write my
without a doubt, are junk. I
grandfather a letter. I don’t
keep them because some-
day I might need them or per- recall what I said, but I wrote
haps someone I know will
it in the best handwriting my
need them. Other things are
7-year-old hands could mus-
ter. What happened
priceless and could
next was the special
never be replaced.
part. Grampa Keith
To the untrained eye,
wrote back. Nothing
the junk and price-
less treasures may
mushy, no life words
resemble each other
of guidance, merely
in appearance. But
a brief message to his
as the saying goes,
grandson. My mother
Dale Valade
things are not always
couldn’t believe it.
as they appear. While this
Grampa was not the letter-writ-
ing type. So she kept the letter
article isn’t focused on hunt-
ing or shooting, per se, I think for me until I was old enough
it speaks to those of us who
to be given its charge. Only 10
desire to preserve history
years later Grampa passed on.
and continue tradition. I have
How I wish now that I had con-
tinued to write letters to him.
always been a writer, it seems.
I especially love the tradition of The things he had seen and the
counsel he could’ve provided.
letter writing. Emails and texts
All I have is the one, and I
just don’t have the same effect
for me. There is just something cherish it dearly.
My challenge to you, my
about ink on paper folded and
readers, is to pick someone,
sealed in an envelope. It’s not
anyone you can think of, and
only words; it’s a gift, some-
thing published especially for
write them a letter. Give it
some thought. Pick your words
you that you can hold on to for
carefully as there is no back-
your whole mortal life and, if
passed down, your descendants space button. You may well
bestow a once in a lifetime gift
can continually cherish.
Like everything else about a that will be held in the high-
est esteem for generations.
person, handwriting is unique.
For when each of us is gone,
Some folks write small and
all that remain are our words
sharp letters while others write
large and rounded letters. Most and deeds. Spread the wisdom
that you hold. Lord knows the
of us were taught to write in
world could use it.
cursive; some don’t. Of all
Who do you plan to write
the many letters I’ve received
to? Email us at shootingthe-
and written, some have been
breezebme@gmail.com!
accentuated with illustrations
Dale Valade is a local
or 4-by-6-inch photographs, or
country gent with a deep
occasionally announcements,
love for handloading, hunt-
sometimes money. Every-
thing about a handwritten let-
ing and shooting.
John Day Basin Conservation Corps
provides summer jobs for youth
Blue Mountain Eagle
The North Fork John Day
Watershed Council is still plan-
ning to hire for the John Day
Basin Conservation Corps,
although preparations will be in
place for mitigating effects from
the pandemic. The John Day
Basin Conservation Corps pro-
vides a paid work experience
for Grant County youth ages 14
to 24. Typical job experiences
are trail maintenance, planting
and caging native plants, build-
ing and maintaining fences and
building in-stream wooden
structures. These jobs will help
build resumes, prepare the crew
members for a career in natural
resources and provide a positive
experience working outdoors.
The applications and job
descriptions are available
online at nfjdwc.org/open-po-
sitions. Applications will be
accepted until the time the pro-
gram starts, which is tentatively
scheduled for June 15. For
more information, contact Kris
Thornton at kris@nfjdwc.org or
541-620-1187.
Forests close developed recreation sites
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Malheur, Umatilla, and
Wallowa-Whitman national
forests are temporarily closing
all developed recreation sites to
align with direction from state
governors to stay home, stay
safe and save lives during the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The closure applies to
campgrounds, trailhead facil-
ities, picnic areas, rental cab-
ins, Sno-Parks and boat ramps
across the forests’ shared foot-
print in Oregon, Washington
and Idaho, according to a press
release. Forest roads, trails and
general forest lands remain
open to the public, but all vis-
itors are strongly urged to prac-
tice social distancing.
The three national for-
ests in the Blue Mountains
are jointly taking these mea-
sures to encourage compliance
with Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention guidance
on social distancing to slow
the spread of COVID-19. The
governors of Oregon, Wash-
ington and Idaho have called
for residents to stay home and
avoid any non-essential travel
or gatherings. Additionally,
these closures will reduce
potential pressure on emer-
gency services in rural com-
munities. Those who become
lost, injured or otherwise in
need of assistance while rec-
reating in the forest may
strain limited search, res-
cue and health care resources
at a time when there are no
resources to spare.
This action will signifi-
cantly reduce risks to for-
est visitors, employees, vol-
unteers and contractors from
coronavirus.
While developed recreation
sites are closed, the national
forests are currently open. At
this time, commercial and pri-
vate activities, such as timber
harvest, grazing and dispersed
recreation, may continue.
All reservations made for
forest recreation facilities
during the temporary closure
will be fully refunded.
Fossil Beds implement closures
Provider View
Blue Mountain
Care Center
Resident of the Month
Helen Frazier
Blue Mountain Eagle
Patient View
Helen was born on February 26, 1934 in Quincy, California. She
has three brothers. She was raised in Eastern Oregon and Idaho. Helen
married Dean in April of 1952. Together, they have three children and
raised them in Bates and Prairie City Oregon.
Helen worked as a cook for the Golf Course, was a store owner and
as a housewife. Helen and Dean spent 13 years wintering in California,
golfing and traveling with timeshares.
Helen came to the Blue Mountain Care Center on December 12, 2019.
S181330-1
John Day Fossil Beds
National Monument, in
response to Executive
Order 20-12 issued by Gov.
Kate Brown, is announcing
additional modifications to
operations to support fed-
eral, state and local efforts
to slow the spread of the
new coronavirus.
In addition to the exist-
ing closure of the visitor
center, trails, overlooks and
picnic areas will be closed
to the public until further
notice. All outdoor areas of
the park are closed. The clo-
sures will be in the follow-
ing areas:
• Clarno Unit: Trail of
Fossils, Clarno Arch trail,
Geologic Time trail and
Clarno picnic areas.
• Painted Hills Unit:
Painted Hills Overlook trail,
Carrol Rim trail, Painted
Cover trail, Leaf Hill trail,
Red Scar Knoll trail and
Painted Hills picnic area.
• Sheep Rock Unit:
Island in Time trail, Blue
Basin Overlook trail, Flood
of Fire trail, Story in Stone
trail, Cant Ranch picnic
areas and trails and Mascall
Overlook.
Updates about National
Park Service operations
will be posted on nps.gov/
coronavirus.