Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (July 28, 2017)
July 28, 2017 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 3A Pacific Power Foundation awards grant to county library program Possible shark sightings prompt warning signs along the coast Don’t panic, calmly exit the water By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette BRENNA VISSER/EO MEDIA GROUP Signs in Seaside warn beachgoers of the potential danger. There have been multiple shark dorsal fin sightings in Cannon Beach, according to observations made by Cannon Beach lifeguards. Cannon Beach Police De- partment tweeted Oregon State Parks will be posting warning signs soon along the coast. General Manager of Sea- side Aquarium Keith Chan- dler said without a photo he couldn’t confirm one way or the other that these sightings were shark fins or not, and that often people common- ly mistake porpoise fins for shark fins. “If they see shark fins, it’s usually two. If it’s just one fin, probably a porpoise,” he said. “Sharks would not be unusual in this area. They follow the food, and if their prey gets close to the shore they will, too.” Chandler advises that if someone does encounter a shark to not panic and to calmly exit the water. Pacific Power Foundation has awarded a $1,000 grant to the Libraries Reading Outreach in Clatsop County program. This program pro- vides outreach services to all youth in Clatsop County that are not served by a public li- brary through collaborative work done by the three pub- lic libraries and five school districts in Clatsop County. The Libraries ROCC program is a nonprofit that is currently supported by grants or in-kind support from Pacific Power Foun- dation, Georgia-Pacific Foundation, Clatsop Coun- ty, Clatsop Cultural Coali- tion, the Oregon Communi- ty Foundation, the Seaside Public Library Foundation, the Astoria Oregon Library Foundation, Fibre Federal Credit Union, private dona- tions from community mem- bers, and the cities of Asto- ria, Seaside, and Warrenton. The program supports the work of our schools and teachers through three main goals: a library card in the hands of every child. A countywide annual summer reading program, and couri- er services to help children return library materials. Any child residing in Clatsop County may sign up for a free library card at their closest public library. Amid changing environment, Providence Seaside weathers gale Higher costs, lower subsidies stress system By R.J. Marx Cannon Beach Gazette Providence Seaside Hospi- tal, the city’s largest employer with 375 employees, is bracing for changes amid a changing health care landscape. Members of the hospital’s corporate office responded to comments after an Oregonian report of “aggressive cost-cut- ting and layoffs” by Provi- dence Health & Services this week. For caregivers in the Prov- idence St. Joseph Health sys- tem — including Providence Seaside Hospital— there are no planned layoffs, wrote Providence Health & Services Regional Chief Executive Of- ficer Dave Underriner in a let- ter to employees this week. “That doesn’t mean we will not continue our regular stewardship of business, mak- ing decisions that can change employment for some care- givers, but we are not hav- ing Oregon regionwide layoffs,” Un- Dave derriner said. Underriner “Financially in Oregon, we are doing OK and meeting our budget.” In 2016, Providence Sea- side Hospital saw more than 1,000 inpatient admissions, with 146,000 outpatient visits, including more than 10,000 in the emergency department. “In 2017, we are running ahead of those figures, and definitely expect to exceed those 2016 totals,” Providence Health & Services Communi- cations Director Gary Walker said Tuesday. Higher costs, lower reimbursements Lower government health care reimbursements are driv- ing higher costs throughout the system, Underriner said. Since the start of health care reform in 2011, Providence cut $340 million in costs in Ore- gon, he said. But new state tax- es on hospitals and health in- surance, along with uncertainty at the federal level “means we need to continue to focus on meeting the needs of the com- munity in light of the revenue we receive,” Underriner said. “We are busier than ever, serv- ing thousands more patients, but there continues to be a fun- damental shift in reimburse- ments to cover the costs. It’s unlikely that reimbursements will improve anytime soon.” Providence’s 50 hospitals handled more than 1 million Medicaid patient visits in 2016. The Renton, Washing- ton-based company was forced to subsidize the unfunded por- tion of Medicaid at a cost ex- ceeding $1 billion, said Prov- idence spokeswoman Colleen Wadden. The current year is bringing more of the same, she said. This is all a dramatic con- trast to 2014 and 2015, when many large hospitals enjoyed windfall profits, in large part because Medicaid eligibility was loosened and millions of Americans joined the program. Oregon alone added more than 400,000 to the Medicaid rolls, and many flocked to hospitals for long-delayed treatment. “This trend is continuing into 2017,” Underriner said. “We are a safety net for many patients, especially those with Medicaid, and we are deeply committed to continuing to serve this vulnerable popula- tion.” Safety net The state Legislature passed the $550 million Ore- gon Health Authority budget and a hospital and provider tax package that allows the state to continue covering health care for low-income families. In Clatsop and Tillamook counties, 30 percent of the population receives health care coverage through Medicaid or insurance on the Oregon Mar- ketplace, according to state Rep. Deborah Boone. In Ore- gon, more than 50 percent of births occurred on Medicaid. Across the country nearly half of all children get health care Alaina Giguiere Marty Giguiere Owner/Principal Broker c: 503.440.3202 f: 877.812.1126 e: alainagiguiere@mac.com Owner/Broker c: 503.440.7676 o: 503.436.1777 e: mr007@pacifier.com Coastal Advantage 503.436.1777 • CoastalAdvantage.com through the program. Fifty-five percent of Prov- idence Seaside Hospital pa- tients are covered under Medi- care, Walker said. Twenty-five percent have Medicaid and an- other 20 percent are commer- cially insured, self-pay or have other forms of coverage. Underriner said he is “pro- foundly disappointed” by the U.S. Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act. “Its pro- posed Medicaid cuts are deep- er and more devastating than the House’s American Health Care Act,” he said. “It will increase the burden on low-in- come Americans, dramatically roll back Medicaid, reduce the number of insured, and end coverage for some critical ser- vices like mental health. This is not acceptable.” Politics in play Providence Health & Ser- vices in Oregon is in a “good position,” wrote Underriner, but he said he expects to con- sider operational improve- ments and changes in the way people access health care. Services like Elder at Egrane Brown Susan Tone Broker c: 503.440.1648 e: egranebrown@gmail.com Broker c: 503.354.4072 e: suanetone@nehalemtel.net Maryann Sinkler Andrea Mace Geri Lane Broker c. 503.440.9280 e: maryanns@remax.net Broker c. 503-440-4024 e: Andrea.k.mace@remax.net Broker c: 503.480.9846 e: gerilane@remax.net Hilary Herman Shelley Parker Broker c: 503-791-4718 e: HilaryHerman@hotmail.com Broker c: 503-739-1977 e: Shelley.Parker@mail.com NOW WITH 2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU! 219 N. Hemlock in Downtown Cannon Beach 503.436.1777 430 Laneda in Downtown Manzanita 503.368.1777 /REMAXCoastalAdvantage Member of 2 MLS Systems Each office is independently owned & operated 167 AMBER 159 W NEBESNA Home — which provides care for frail elderly in their homes — and lower-cost express care services are bringing down costs. Telehealth services con- nect rural and smaller hospitals to access specialist consulta- tions within the community. “We are focusing first on process and cost efficiencies, and will do everything we can to avoid affecting jobs,” Un- derriner said. Employees were advised to await a planned financial update in the next month. At that time, Providence Health & Services will look at the re- gion’s finances for the first six months of the year. “Here’s the bottom line,” Underriner said. “Health care funding will continue to evolve at both the federal and state level. As a leader in providing services, Providence has the responsibility to create the best organizational model that al- lows us to serve our communi- ty’s changing needs in the most cost-effective way possible.” Jeff Manning of The Oregonian contributed to this report. All brokers listed are licensed in the State of Oregon 82927 HWY 53 8820 PELICAN ARCH CAPE OCEAN FRONT + S 31 RE C A SALE PENDING NEW PRICE Cannon Beach • $895,000 Cannon Beach • $895,000 Seaside • $878,000 Manzanita • $849,000 Arch Cape • $799,000 724 N PROM 124 W ORFORD 151 NELCHINA 1832 HAYSTACK LANE 123 S HEMLOCK #201 Cannon Beach • $759,000 196 E SUSITNA 4631 LOGAN LANE LI NE ST W IN G Seaside • $799,000 Cannon Beach • $729,900 NEW PRICE NEW PRICE Cannon Beach • $699,000 Cannon Beach • $684,000 BREAKERS POINT CONDOS #203 187 E JEFFERSON SCAN HERE to go to our website SOLD Cannon Beach • $539,000 1631 S. SPRUCE BREAKERS POINT #512 123 S HEMLOCK #204 SALE PENDING Cannon Beach • $509,000 Cannon Beach • $489,000 850 7TH 655 BREAKERS POINT CONDO LI NE ST W IN G Cannon Beach • $625,000 NEW PRICE LO 2 TS SALE PENDING NEW PRICE Cannon Beach • $459,000 Cannon Beach • $419,000 Seaside • $379,000 Cannon Beach • $358,000 1345 BAILEY LN 2217 COLUMBIA 91240 N HWY 101 685 HARRISON TRADEWINDS CONDO #208 Warrenton • $219,000 Astoria • $199,000 Seaside • $124,000 LI NE ST W IN G LI NE ST W IN G Cannon Beach • $474,900 NEW PRICE Gearhart • $324,500 Seaside • $275,000 “Real Estate standards for those with ‘Higher’ Expectations. above the crowd!”
