HEALTH
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
A7
Hospital moves on without
management company
District pays fee to
retain CEO Daly
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Blue Mountain Hospi-
tal District became an indepen-
dent hospital two months ago
after the board voted to cut ties
with its longtime management
company.
The contract with the com-
pany — which provided various
services ranging from fi nancial
audits to a group purchasing
organization to reduce costs for
supplies — expired March 31.
Hospital district board chair
Amy Kreger said the board
hired Derek Daly, the hospital’s
CEO, who was an employee
of the management company
Health TechS3 until April 1.
Kreger said Daly’s new two-
year agreement costs $273,000
per year. She said his “Health
Tech-provided” annual salary
was roughly $273,000.
She said the board negoti-
ated essentially a one-time fee
to retain Daly and any other
Health TechS3 employees.
Under the terms of the con-
tract, the hospital could retain
Daly for a cost comparable to
33% of his salary, and Kreger
said the district paid a fl at fee of
$90,000 to hire Daly away from
Health TechS3.
Daly said he became
invested in the community over
the last couple of years and did
not want to leave the county.
“I bought a home here last
year, I brought my wife here,
I got married here and I’ve
formed relationships,” he said.
Kreger said it is crucial for
the county’s organizations to be
made up of people who have a
stake in the community.
“I think it’s vital to our
county and for the success
of all entities that people are
vested and invested, which are
two very diff erent words,” she
said. “That’s their time and their
eff ort and their interest.”
Kreger said continuity in
leadership positions is key in
building and maintaining trust
in organizations.
“People get uneasy when
change comes at a rapid pace,”
Kreger said.
In October, Daly said part-
ing ways with Health TechS3
would mean it would lose
access to its group purchasing
organization.
Daly said a GPO, much like
a big-box retailer, derives buy-
ing power from a large pool and
spreads it across its network.
“It’s like when you buy at
Costco and you buy in bulk,” he
said. “You get the ability to get
at better prices.”
Daly said on April 8 that
their vendor Vizient, a not-for-
profi t health system, is looking
for a GPO with pricing levels on
par with the previous costs.
Kreger said the hospital still
gets access to Vizient’s GPO,
but at a diff erent level of access.
Daly added that, with the
hospital not committed to its
contract with Health TechS3,
they have the freedom to create
those partnerships elsewhere.
“We have those dollars, and
we can utilize them when we
need to on an as-needed basis
rather than an all-inclusive
basis,” he said.
Daly said March 31 did not
look much diff erent than April
1. He said in the months lead-
ing up to the transition he gave
the board “early intention” to
stay and continue to ensure that
April 1 looked like March 31.
Daly said this consisted of
“leveraging “relationships and
creating partnerships — from
an accounting fi rm with knowl-
edge of critical access fi nan-
cial reports to experts in survey
compliance regulations.
Kreger said a common mis-
conception people had about
the management company is
that they made the day-to-day
decisions. She said that was not
the case.
Kreger said they provided
information, resources and
made recommendations.
“The board, along with
the CEO, governed and made
decisions for Blue Mountain
Hospital, prior to April 1,” she
said. “And we’re not going to
do anything diff erent.”
Vaccinations replace infections
as key to lower COVID-19 limits
By Gary A. Warner
Oregon Capital Bureau
The Medford area has
less than half the number of
COVID-19 cases than the
Bend area.
But restaurants in Deschutes
County can have twice as many
customers as Jackson County’s
in their dining rooms starting
Thursday.
The virus is spreading at
twice the rate in Portland than
in La Grande.
But last call will be about
a half hour before lights out at
11 p.m. in Union County bars
while down at the Moda Center
in Multnomah County, people
packed together without masks
at an NBA playoff game. After-
ward, they can party until
midnight.
The comparisons underline
the new reality in Oregon this
week: COVID-19 cases are no
longer the only measuring stick
for how tight restrictions are
placed on counties.
The new key to opening up:
vaccination rates. Get a shot of
vaccine into the arms of 65%
of eligible residents age 16 and
up and any county could be
dropped to the least restrictive
level of rules.
“This disease remains dan-
gerous for those in communi-
ties with high rates of unvacci-
nated individuals,” Gov. Kate
Brown said Tuesday. “That’s
why I’m encouraging all Ore-
gonians to roll up your sleeves,
take your shot, and get a chance
to change your life.”
The new format explained
why some counties with high
vaccination rates but less than
stellar marks on COVID-19
cases could be in the lower
risk group while counties with
lower numbers might fi nd
themselves still facing mod-
erate or high risk levels of
restrictions.
From Thursday, May 27,
through Thursday, June 3, the
Oregon Health Agency has
placed 15 counties in the high
risk level, three at moderate
risk and 18 at lower risk.
Twelve of the lower risk
counties show smaller numbers
of COVID-19 cases and lower
percentages of positive cases.
But six of the counties are
on the lower risk level because
of Brown’s waiver for coun-
ties that have put vaccine in just
under two out of three adults.
Deschutes,
Multnomah,
Washington, Lincoln, Hood
River and Benton counties have
passed the mark and will move
to the lower level restrictions as
of Thursday.
The “one shot” rule was put
in place because most Oregon
residents have been inoculated
with either the Pfi zer or Mod-
erna vaccine, which requires
two shots given about a month
apart.
A smaller number of resi-
dents have received the one-shot
Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Normally, the risk level
changes go into eff ect the
Friday after the levels are
announced. But the levels
announced Tuesday will go
into eff ect Thursday.
The early start is to allow
the Moda Center in Multnomah
County to implement another
new Brown plan tied to host-
ing the NBA playoff game on
Thursday night between the
Portland Trailblazers and Den-
ver Nuggets.
Fans who have been fully
vaccinated — two Moderna or
Pfi zer shots, or one Johnson &
Johnson shot — can buy tick-
ets for the game to sit in “vac-
cination sections.” Fans in
those seats will not have to
wear masks or keep physically
distanced.
Proof of vaccination is
required. To sit in the seats, fans
must show their state CDC-ap-
proved vaccination card, or
a digital or photocopy of the
document.
The card must show that the
last shot was given more than
two weeks prior to the game —
the amount of time health offi -
cials say it takes for the vaccine
to have full eff ect against the
virus.
Fans with tickets but who do
not show a vaccine card will be
directed to seats where masks,
physical distancing and other
restrictions will be in place.
What's new at BMHD?
Strawberry Wildnerness Community Clinic
recognized as Tier 4 Patient Centered Primary
Care Home
SWCC has been recognized by the Oregon Health Authority as a
Tier 4 Patient Centered Primary Care Home. What does this mean
for you? Your primary care provider will work with you to improve
care coordination that results in higher quality care to you and your
family.
If you have a special health concern or condition, you will be
connected with other health professionals to help you get the care
you need. For example, your primary care provider can connect
you with a pharmacist, mental health specialist, or a nutritionist,
etc. — whatever your health needs call for.
Same Day Appointments
The clinic maintains open schedule slots during business hours to
attend to your urgent needs without an advance appointment. We
know life can throw the unexpected at you, and we're available to
help you immediately for those medical emergencies not requiring
emergency room treatment.
Covid-19
Vaccine Clinic
Friday June 18th 9am-3pm
Call for an appointment
541-575-0404
Dermatology
Full spectrum Dermatology now
available for both adult and
pediatric patients. Contact your
primary care provider for a referral
or call 541-575-2060 for an
appointment.
Surgery
Blue Mountain Surgery Clinic
provides high-quality professional
surgery services locally to spare
you travel and time away from
home. Dr. John Nguyen
specializes in advanced
laparoscopic surgery, utilizing
minimally-invasive procedures
that speed your recovery to an
active lifestyle.
Dr. John Nguyen
General Surgeon
www.bluemountainhospital.org
S246252-1
The 14th Annual Blue Mountain Healthcare Foundation Fundraiser
Golf Scramble is July 17th, 2021. Entries are open and can be found
on the BMH website, at the John Day Golf Club, and the downstairs
screening desk at BMH. All proceeds from this year's fundraiser will
go toward the purchase of a 3D mammography machine for the
Radiology Department at BMH.
Teams of 4 - $300 per team
Cash prizes
Questions? Contact: Jena Knowles
jknowles@bluemountainhospital.org