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The Heppner
Pioneer Memorial asks
VOL. 96 NO. 25
doctors soiiElit for clinic
The health care outlook for
Morrow County took a plunge
this week, when it was learned
that two of the county's three
physicians plan to leave the
area in August.
According to county offi
cials, Dr. Richard Carpenter
and Dr. Joseph Diehl have
announced their intentions to
vacate their county leased
offices at Heppner Medical
Clinic in August, and end their
association with Pioneer Me
morial Hospital.
Their departure would
make Dr. Wallace Wolff of
Heppner Morrow County's
' lone practicing physician.
A spokesman for the doctors
would neither confirm nor
deny that the move was
imminent, stating that the
doctors did not want to
influence the upcoming hospi
tal levy ballot measure by
saying whether or not they
' f' z
t
Mory Kincaid bes a if agansf nand Empire .
player on the Morrow County Babe Ruth Team.
ary plays Babe Ruth baseball with the
The rightfielder for Morrow
County's first-place Babe
Ruth League baseball team
stepped to the plate during a
game with a Hermiston club
last week in lone.
The Hermiston coach gau
ged the batter's size a bit
slight, but not unusually so
compared with other team
matesand eyed the batter's
longish sandy hair. Misjudg
ing the batter to be a weak
stick, he ordered his fielders
to move closer to the plate.
Crowding the plate, the
Morrow County batter waited
Az&Id 11 li icr
Morrow County's
HEPPNER, OREGON
would remain in Morrow
County. The doctors refused to
speak with reporters.
However, county court and
hospital board members con
firmed that they had been
informed of the doctor's
decision to leave. A meeting
was held Monday in Judge
D.O. Nelson's office, with
county court members, hospi
tal board members, and
representatives from local
industry and health care
services to discuss what to do
about the physicians' depar
ture. As a result of the meeting, a
committee consisting of com
munity leaders from all areas
of the county, industry repre
sentatives, and hospital board
members was appointed to
begin a search effort to locate
physicians to replace the
departing doctors.
Several of those attending
' i V :-
K .1 -
for the right pitch then
connected with the ball,
punching a two-base hit over
the heads of the drawn-in
fielders.
It was a moment of glory
perhaps laced with a trace of
vengeance for the batter,
Mary Kincaid, 14-year-old
first-stringer for the Morrow
County . club, and the only
female in the region to take
part in Babe Ruth action this
season.
Mary, daughter of Lindsay
and Diane Kincaid of lone,
drilled in two runs during that
MB9
Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
THURSDAY, JUNE
the meeting said they hoped to
attract a team of two to three
doctors, which would be able
to man the Heppner Medical
Clinic, serve on the hospital
staff, and hold office hours at
the now-vacant county-owned
clinic at Boardman.
There was also discussion
about what consequences the
county would face should it not
succeed in finding replace
ment doctors by the August
pullout date.
Needless to say, such a
situation "would have a tre
mendous effect on the income
of the hospital," said hospital
administrator Bob Byrnes.
"...It may mean a lot of
ambulance trips to other
towns."
If the vacancies are not
filled by August, the home
health services program
would be "disastrously" affec
ted, said program coordinator
Mary is the only girl
contest last week, which
ended in a Morrow County
victory. In addition, she made
a first-rate running catch of a
Hermiston fly ball. At midsea
son, she was holding down a
respectable .330 batting aver
age. "I wouldn't start her if she
didn't deserve it," commented
Morrow County manager Jim
Swanson, who admits, if
pressed, that he was a bit
skeptical when Mary first
showed up for tryouts. "She's
proved that she can play ball
with the best of them."
1
V A
f I,
TIME
22, 1978
12 PAGES
Bulling
Sheridan Tarnasky. The home
health service requires a .
medical advisor who is readily
available for consultations, a
role that Dr. Carpenter has
been filling.
Mrs. Tarnasky added that a
physical therapist's services
at the hospital would also be
jeopardized, since there would
be no point in having a
physical therapist if ther were
no physicians to make refer
rals. The thought of an unstaffed
Pioneer Hospital "gives me a
nervous stomach," said Dan
Sweeney, personnel manager
for Kinzua Corp. Since the
wood processing industry has
traditionally been a relatively
high-risk area for worker
injuries, "an hour trip to
Hermiston or Pendleton could
mean the difference between
life and death," he said.
Several of those attending
the meeting, who had been
involved with the effort to
bring doctors Carpenter and
Diehl to Morrow County
several years ago, expressed
bitterness over their planned
departure.
"We feel like we played
godfather, but got kicked in
the chops," said hospital
board member Larry Mills.
A number of those attending
School Board selects new
attendance policy
The Morrow County School
Board Monday night passed
by a unanimous vote a revised
student transfer policy, after
scrapping a transfer policy
drafted in April that would
have prohibited transferring
students from participating in
school athletics for up to one
year.
Under the new policy, no
reference is made to curtail
ing athletic eligibility of
county transfer students. The
new policy does state, how
ever, that transfers will not be
allowed solely for participa
tion in extracurricular activi
ties. According to the wording of
the new policy, students "may
be assigned to a school other
Mary has competed in team
sports for five years. She was
shortstop this season on the
lone Junior High team, after
the coaches "asked me to
play, because they thought I
was good enough."
It's not hard to understand
why. At age 12, she made the
Little League All-Star team,
then began her first season of
Babe Ruth play last summer.
Prior to that, she played two
years of girls' Softball. She
said she plans to continue her
20c
out
o
9
Monday's meeting stated that
in order to attract doctors to
the area, a need exists for
establishing a clear plan for
the county court and hospital
board's intentions for heafth
care in Morrow County. Ques
tions need to be answered
regarding whether Pioneer
Memorial will eventually be
rebuilt or replaced, whether it
will continue to retain both its
surgical and emergency room
capabilities, and whether both
county clinics will be staffed.
The questions remain unre
solved. "You're at a real decision
point for health care in Mor
row County," said Byrnes.
Despite the doctor's wishes
to keep their decision to leave
a secret until after the June 27
hospital bond election, Judge
Nelson said he thought it best
to "bring the situation out in
ihe open," especially in light
...if the fact that the medical
exodus has been making the
Heppner rumor circuit for the
past week.'
Talk on the local rumor mill
had expanded to include
unfounded gossip that the
hospital would be closed, he
said, noting that "no thought
by anyone has even been
made towards attempting to
close down the hospital."
than the one where their
parents or guardians reside
upon written application for a
variance in attendance assign
ment." The same wording was
included in the April transfer
policy draft.
It will be up to the school
superintendent to deicde whe
ther or not variances will be
granted to allow transfers
from one county school to
another.
In order for the superinten
dent to approve a transfer,
parents must prove to the
superintendent that their stu
dent has "a legitimate need
for an educational program
which is not available in their
Cont. on page 3
Babe Ruth career next season.
She's been playing on male
dominated teams long enough
that she receives a minimum
of static from macho team
mates, but does confeses to a
certain amount of razzing
from competing ballplayers.
"Some of the other teams will
give me a bad time," she said,
"but it doesn't bother me. I'm
used to it."
One aspect of male-oriented
sports that she appreciates is
that the boys, like herself,
tend to "take the games
seriously." On certain girls'
190,082 for operations
In light of the departure of
two of Morrow County's three
practicing physicians, "it is
more important than ever"
that Pioneer Memorial Hospi
tal's operating levy be passed
on June 27, Judge D.O. Nelson
said.
"We've got to have the
budget funded if we want to
attract doctors to the area,"
he said.
The $190,082 operating levy
is being sought to keep the
hospital running at its current
level of services for one year,
giving the hospital board time
to form a health care district,
which could allow for a
funding base independent of
the county court. The pro
posed health care district
would also provide for elected
hospital board members,
rather than the current prac
tice of appointing persons to
the board.
Hospital administration offi
cials have stated that the
County budget needs
more than 6
In order for county govern
ment to carry on business and
services comparable to recent
years. Morrow County voters
must approve the special levy
request next Tuesday accord
ing to Judge D.O. Nelson.
Noting that Morrow County
has not asked voters for tax
money beyond the six per cent
limitation in more than a
decade, Nelson said, "The
county needs the additional
money to cover inflation."
A bare bones budget, there
BMCC levy request up for
third time
A tax levy for the operating
budget of Blue Mountain
Community- College that re
flects an increase over the
preceding year of 2.6 per cent
will be resubmitted to the
voters on Tuesday, June 27.
Following two earlier bud
get defeats the operating levy
was reduced by a total of
$86,879.
The college has no tax base
and voters will therefore be
asked to approve the total levy
for operating purposes which
is proposed at $1,906,673, an
increase of $48,306 over the
1977 levy.
The combined tax levy for
the operating budget and
bonded indebtedness, as pro
posed, is $37,772 less than the
combined levies for 1977 and
teams, she said, players
"laugh when they make mis
takes. I don't like to see them
(girls teammates) go out and
act. dingy. ..It gives girls'
sports a bad name."
But being the lone represen
tative of her gender on an
all-male team can have its
drawbacks. For instance,
"when I have my uniform on
and go into a ladies' restroom,
I get funny looks."
During one such uniformed
trip to the powder room in
Hood River, "one lady
screamed and ran but to get
health care district, through
its elected board members,
would provide a fairer method
for residents of both ends of
the county to see that their
health care needs are met.
The health district would
require voter approval before
it is formed.
The proposed $190,082 bud
get includes $52,391 worth of
new equipment, nearly half of
which will go for a new
ambulance. Property owners
could expect to pay about 54
cents per thousand dollars of
taxable property to fund the
operating levy, according to
hospital administrator Bob
Byrnes.
The hospital expects to
collect just over $900,000 in
fees during the coming fiscal
year, but needs just over $1.09
million to cover its 1978-79
budget. The $109,082 levy
would make up the difference.
In order to reduce the
amount taxpayers are being
are no new programs or major
construction projects inclu
ded. Nelson said a decline in
federal revenue sharing funds
received by the county has
made a substantial difference
as did a state tax court ruling
that counties must refund a
portion of tax money collected
on pivot irrigation systems.
For Morrow County, that
means a payment of $125,000
to farmers in the county.
If the $246,655 levy is
approved, the total tax rate
the rate per $1,000 of true cash
value for the combined levy
would be $1.84 compared to
$1.88 in 1977. This rate is based
on 1977 property valuations.
Any increase in property
valuations would result in a
reduction of the $1.84 figure.
College President Ron Dan
iels voiced a strong concern
regarding the outcome of the
election on June 27. "A
positive vote on June 27, is
critical to the future of the
college," Daniels said. "While
we would have the opportunity
to vote again on August 8, the
uncertainty of the college
operating next year would
result in many students enrol
ling at other colleges where
they could be assured a full
year of education."
best of
the manager." Mary was told
in no uncertain terms that'
"this is the ladies' room."
"I hope so," she responded.
Mary's athletic interests are
not confined to baseball. She
qualified for the state junior
Olympics, where she compe-
Weather
by Don Gilliam
asked to pay to finance the
coming year's budget, the
hospital instituted rate in
creases of 10 per cent for acute
care and 8 per cent for
ancilliary care.
Byrnes said that the aver
age daily room fee will rise
from $95 to $105 compatible
with, or perhaps a bit less than
other eastern Oregon hospital
room rates.
The hospital has been exper
iencing an average 38 per cent
-occupancy rate, with about 48
per cent occupancy needed to
reach the break-even mark.
Hospital officials note that
cutting back on beds will not
result in a reduction in costs,
since the same basic staff and
equipment would be needed to
treat those using the hospital.
Inflation and government
regulations have been blamed
by hospital officials as the
main reasons for increased
costs.
for 1978-79 would reflect an
approximate 68-cent per $1,000
increase over last year's $1.55
per $1,000 assessed valuation.
Including the road serial levy
already approved by voters,
the new tax rate would be
about $2.23 per $1,000.
"The budget committee and
County Court have worked
hard to bring before the people
a budget and levy request that
is fair without jeopardizing
county services," said Nelson.
Daniels said that substantial
budget cuts would result in a
loss of classes or total
programs which would jeopar
dize special accreditation for
programs such as Nursing and
Engineering.
A loss of students due to
program changes or late
budget approval also results
in a loss of tuition funds and
state reimbursement, Daniels
said.
Daniels pointed out that a
$100,000 reduction in the
college levy is necessary to
reduce the tax rate by 10c per
$1,000 of true cash value. Thus
a levy reduction of $100,000
results in an annual savings of
$5.00 to the owner of a $50,000
home.
them
ted in the 440, and placed
eighth out of 45 in the high
jump.
But basketball is her favor
ite sport, and she has compe
ted on the boards for the lone
Junior High team.
Bill Walton, look out.
Hi Low Pre.
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Tues., June 20
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