" BESSIE WETZELL
U Of ORE
NEWSPAPER LIB
EUGENE OR 97403
New doctors cause
.babies 9 patients at Pioneer
.More
Two new doctors and ad
verse publicity on the birth
control pill are two reasons
more babies are being born at
Pioneer Memorial Hospital
than ever, according to Eileen
Wyman, administrator of the
hospital.
By coincidence, the same
week as the first baby of the
year was born to Mr. and Mrs.
Lyndall Quails, Heppner, Pio
neer Memorial Hospital re
leased fiscal half year figures
VOL. 94, NO. 48
Hospital buys equipment
A spark in the dark.
The Morrow County March of Dimes
donated $1,500 to Pioneer Memorial Hospital
in Heppner for the purchase of needed
equipment Monday.
While an adjoining story reports a hospital
baby boom, the March of Dimes appropriate
ly gave the money for nursery and obstetrics
equipment.
Along with a Marco Delivery Room Infant .
Warmer .and - a phototherapy light,- the--hospital
also has purchased a cardiac infant
resuscitator. The costs of the three machines
still leaves more than $600 for further
expenditures.
The remaining $600 for purchases of ad
ditional equipment will be decided upon by
the staff, but a possible pacemaker purchase
may be in line, according to Sue Greenup,
director of nursing at the hospital.
The Marco Delivery Room Infant Warmer
cost the hospital, through the March of
Dimes' contribution, about $400. According to
the hospital, the unit is "ideal for providing
needed warmth at delivery" and yet, making
the infant readily accessible for emergency
procedures should the need arise.
The heater provides a suitably warm
microenvironment for a baby in an
air-conditioned delivery room, according to
its makers. With this heater, temperature
loss is minimal and at the same time, the
infant remains exposed for close observation
and therapy, a pamphlet on the heater reads.
The phototherapy light cost $389.50. The
light is beneficial to infants born with high '
bilirubin. This is an enzyme problem that
causes jaundice in newborns.
The light treats the condition by rays of
light. The treatment also makes it possible for
infants to go home at an earlier date.
It prevents the infant from having to
undergo a blood exchange transfusion due to
jaundice. The child, too, now can be treated
here in Heppner, rather than having to
transfer an infant to another hospital.
Greenup said several babies were inflicted by
high bilirubin.
The cardiac infant resuscitator is the most
expensive of the three objects, but equally
important. The specialized infant resusci
tator is in a bag form. It is capable, under the
right circumstances, to aid in the reviving of
an infant after seemed death.
Schools
feel
slight
increase
that show a definite increase
over last year. The big jump
has occurred since Drs. Dick
Carpenter and Joe Gifford
established practice in the
Heppner Medical Clinic in
April and June of 1975.
The nearing two-year prac
tice, coupled with "a lot who
aren't taking the pill like they
used to" are two of the main
reasons why if 1977 finishes
like it started, the hospital's
fiscal baby boom will jump by
HEPPNER, OR.
Morrow County schools are
feeling a slight increase in
students since the beginning
of the year, but it isn't schools
in the south; it's A.C. Hough
ton Elementary in Irrigon and
Boardman.
While Heppner schools
have stayed static since Sep
tember, populations in Irrigon
and Boardman schools have
jumped a little.
A.C. Houghton Elementary
in Irrigon is feeling the effects
of 13 new students since the
first of the year and 26 new
students since September's
start.
Riverside High School is
taking the four new students
there in stride. It was antici
pated, according to Matt Do
herty, Morrow County school
superintendent.
While lone and Heppner
thirty.
Wyman said that the two
doctors send much of their
X-ray and laboratory patients
to have that treatment at the
hospital, too.
Wyman said that many
women from the area used to
go to Hermiston to give birth
and to Pendleton for medical
treatment.
While baby figures increas
ed, so did the number of pa
tents administered treatment
TIR-THMik
II lXmJ
Thursday, January 13, 1977
1
L- , ,. - f
Sue Greenup accepts $1500 check from Patricia Gentry.
(GT Photo)
'March'
to
start
elementary schools report
two and four extra students,
respectively, since the 1977
start, both cities record slight
overall drops in the education
population.
The increase is due to the
holiday spirit, according to
Doherty.
People want to keep their
jobs and their kids in school
through the holiday season,
Doherty said. Parents keep
their children in school to give
them a chance to spend
holidays with friends.
Doherty called the Christ
mas holiday a "natural break"
for parents to "utilize the
chance to move."
Sometimes, Doherty said,
the movement can turn the
other way. Sometimes it
works the other way and
instead of people moving into
in the hospital. Both the
in-patient and out-patient fig
ures show substantial in
creases. If the 1977 fiscal year stays
on line with the first half, the
in-patient and out-patient
numbers will increase by at
least 150 patients over 1975-76.
But the big jump is from
1974-75 to 1975-76.
That out-patient figure in
1974-75 doubled to 2,790 in'
fiscal year, 1975-76.
HEPPMEIi
JUL HJ.'iJ,JLW
10 Pages
- v..
4
I.
The Morrow County March
of Dimes will begin their walk
this month in Heppner. The
March of Dimes, which re
cently donated $1,500 to Pio
neer Memorial Hospital for
equipment, will start their
door-to-door campaign in Jan
uary. The Mothers' March of
Dimes will be the last week in
the month of January.
the area, they move out,
Doherty said.
Why are students coming to
Boardman and Irrigon? Why
is everyone coming to the
fastest growing region in
America right now?
Optimism of the future.
Boardman's optimistic ideals
and goals, with the agri-business
ventures, is appealing to
the parent looking for a job.
"An optimistic ear to the
ground," Doherty said. "It's
an optimistic outlook."
Doherty said Christmas and
New Year's marks the "larg
est movement at that time
than any other time."
He said increases are also
reported in spring, when
more jobs seem to start
rolling around.
(Continued on Page 3)
If it can be called a leveling
off stage, then that could be
deduced; but the increase in
patients and babies are still
substantial jumps in many
hospitals.
With the increases, a few
figures have to fall. The fig
ures represent paper work in
this case.
Wyman said that the extra
patient and baby load, coupled
with added paper work by
state and federal agencies,
15 c
-
.
; : ASH
t
Patricia Gentry has been
saddled with the task of
chairing both the County
March of Dimes and the
Mothers' March of Dimes
direction. Former officers left
the posts and Gentry, treas
urer, took over the cause.
Mrs. Gentry said she would
appreciate any help from
volunteers with the programs.
To contact her, call 676-9296
evenings.
First baby
John Vincent Quails was
born at Pioneer Memorial
Hospital on Jan. 7, marking
the first birth of the year in
Morrow County.
Quails, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Lyndale Quails, was born at
10:58 p.m., Jan. 7. He weighed
nine pounds, four ounces.
He'll live with his parents in
Heppner.
Grandparents are Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Reed, Condon, and
Cecil Kirk, Trimbel, Tenn.
John Vincent earned plenty
of prizes from local businesses
that sponsored the first baby
of the year awards.
has forced some nurses to
believe "quality of care had
dropped because of extra
paper work on patients" in
some hospitals. She did not
say that was the case at
Pioneer Memorial Hospital.
Wyman said after paper
work there "was little time."
She said complete notes had to
be taken on each individual
patient. "It's terrible," she
said.
Wyman said state and
federal inspectors "go
through the charts" and
"check them from A to Z."
What happens if a hospital
doesn't abide with the proper
paper work?
"Medicare funds are with-
WEATHER
by Don Gilliam
High Low
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12
Comments Wed. morning
was the first morning that
was above freezing this year.
Boardman
fire bond
passes
Boardman Rural Fire Dis
trict voters approved Tues
day a $70,000 bond issue for
the construction of a new fire
station to house rural fire
fighting equipment
Voters gave the measure a
ringing 78-3 endorsement.
Heated to 40 degrees, the
new facility will house the
new pumper truck and water
tankers. Due to freezing tem
peratures, the trucks, which
have been parked outside
because of lack of room in the
city hall fire station, have
been drained to avoid damag
ing the tanks.
With a few modifications,
the new structure will be the
same design as the fire sta
tion in Echo. The bond will be
retired in 10 years and will
increase resident taxes 20 to
30 pet cent per thousand dol
lars of assessed value.
D. O. Nelson
happy theme
named for
county fair
D.O. Nelson was elect
ed chairman of the
Morrow County Fair
Meeting held last Wed
nesday at the West of
Willow. Mike Connally,
Boardman, was elected
vice-chairman with Del
pha Jones elected secre
tary. Gladys Van Winkle's
theme, "Happiness
Is...," was chosen as the
official theme for the
1977 Fair. Gladys was
the theme winner for the
1976 fair with "We've
Cornea Long Way." She
will receive two tickets
to the Family Fun Night
and a cash award from
the Morrow County
Chamber of Commerce.
Mrs. Irvin Rauch was
named new member to
the fair board.
The budget for 1977
was discussed and it
was announced that the
1977 Fair Premium
books will be ready for
printing in February.
held," Wyman said. "And you
can't operate without those."
Another twist in the problem
is created by the waiver of
liability law. The law dictates
how long a patient can stay in
the hospital, according to the
acute care needed.
The law usually makes the
stay shorter.
Here's the problem. A
person has social security,
Medicare benefits for 60 days.
Many persons think they can
come to the hospital and stay
for any amount of time,
Wyman says.
But the liability law dictates
how long, for what medical
problem, a person should stay
in the hospital under Medicare
benefits.
f
1930 Virginian
dies at
To many people living in Morrow County, or Oregon for
that matter, the name Sterling Combs doesn't mean much.
But to a handful of persons, this paper included, the man left
behind a bit of history.
Combs died in Richmond, Va., early Sunday morning at the
age of 70. He was born in Carol County, Va., in May of 1906.
His stint in Morrow County in the early 1930s as a
sheepherder, warmed more than one heart. And this paper
had the opportunity to warm Mr. Combs' foot.
Combs was one of the four or five "Virginians" who worked
for John Kilkenny on his ranch, nine miles east of Heppner
and in the mountain, summer grange lands near Granite and
Sumpter and Lena.
Eileen Wyman, Heppner, a Kilkenny before she married,
remembered Sterling Combs the second this writer asked.
According to Mrs. Wyman, Sterling worked at least five
years for the Kilkennys. She remembered him well, she said,
because of his personality and easygoing ways.
"He was a nice fellow," she said, noting that Combs was a
"tall man, with pretty dark eyes" and "soft spoken."
Mrs. Wyman said Combs was one of about five Virginians,
though she says he was originally from Mt. Airy, No.
Carolina.
Mt. Airy is located almost on top of the Virginia, No.
Carolina border. As Mrs. Wyman remembers, Combs saved
his money, and bought a place of his own back in Virginia.
Combs has obviously filled the hearts of many before his
death. A southern accent greeted this writer at 4 a.m.
Monday morning over the telephone, then again at 2:30 p.m.
Monday afternoon, reporting the death and asking if there
was any information needed.
Mrs. Wyman remembered another event. About five years
ago, a woman came to Pioneer Memorial Hospital, where
Mrs. Wyman is administrator, to have a baby. The woman
was from Mt Airy, No. Carolina.
Mrs. Wyman asked the woman if she knew a Sterling
Combs. "Why, that's my uncle," Mrs. Wyman said the lady
told her.
Combs was a bachelor who preferred the outdoors and
nature for work and living to the busy streets of the city. One
story that he told even to his last day concerned a little
community newspaper in Heppner, Ore.
It seems Combs operated a pack mule train and would, not
too often, come to town for supplies during the summer
grazing periods.
On one occasion. Combs came to Heppner and received
medical attention from Dr. McMurdo, a physician in this
town in the 30s. He also got some work done on a pair of
shoes.
Shale in the mountains didn't do much good for the shoes
and Combs had brought them to Heppner to get hobs put on
them for added wear.
When he left town, he tied the shoes to his pack of mules
and was on his way. The 75 cents he paid to get the shoes fixed
went in vain when he reached his destination and found that
one of the shoes had slipped from its spot on the pack and
fallen somewhere between the mountains and Heppner.
The shoe was found and reported to the Gazette-Times.
Sometime later, while taking food and staples to Combs, a
carrier also handed him a G-T to read.
He read the paper and found an item concerning a found
shoe. He corresponded with the paper and determined that
the shoe was his.
The G-T sent the shoe along with another food carrier.
Combs' friends and relatives who called this week said he
told Lhe story even to his dying day. They said there was "no
charge and he got the shoe back." They were impressed
because of the 100 miles travelled and the cooperation in this
little city.
Combs talked of Doc McMurdo. They related, it seems,
because McMurdo too was a southerner. And, McMurdo, who
died in a hunting accident, was an avid hunter like Combs.
Combs killed a six point and an eight point buck this year.
But it was the old timer's last hunt.
It was a sad, but pleasant, situation that brought Sterling
Combs back into the hearts and minds of Hippner, Ore.,
residents.
Mrs. Wyman remembers him as one of the Virginians who
came to herd sheep with Posey Hawks and his seven kids.
Sterling, she remembers, was the man who used to sing
"Carolina Sunshine Girl."
And Combs remembered the Heppner Gazette-Times,
after 45 years, for their cooperation.
That's why we'll remember
Some persons are under the
impression they can stay in
the hospital, using Medicare
funds, for a long period for an
illness, when in fact, Medicare
might stop paying for your
care in a couple of days,
depending on how the law
reads.
The hospital will tell a
patient this. However, if the
patient wishes to stay, he'll be
paying through his own pock
et. With the increased shorter
periods in the hospitals and
the persons who do need to
stay longer, the added state
and federal agencies needing
charts and the increase in
patients and babies, Wyman
just says, "more paper work."
age 70
him today...this way.
V