The Library
University of Oregon
Eugene, Or 97403
The Heppner
TTTTYTTi
ME
Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
Vol. 97, No. 4
HEPPNER, OREGON
THURSDAY, JAN. 25, 1979
TWO SECTION-14 PAGES
20 cents
TttI
Study lists changes needed to keep Pioneer
Memorial abreast of changing times
Improved management, more doctors, and new wing are recommended
Changes in management,
new equipment, additional
doctors and a new hospital
wing will be required in order
n'or Pioneer Memorial
Hospital to "continue to effect
ively serve the health care
needs of Morrow County."
These conclusions and
others were outlined last
Thursday by M.J. Blair,
president of the Northwest
Medical Foundation, in a
report to the Morrow County
Court, the Hospital's board of
trustees and interested citi
zens. Northwest was commission
ed to survey the county's
health care program and
make recommendations
towards improving it by the
Morrow County Court last fall.
A public meeting to go over
findings in the 103-page report
is tentatively scheduled for
Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the
Morrow County Courthouse.
According to the report,
"the present situation that
exists at Pioneer Memorial
Hospital is not one that is
unique to Heppner and Mor
row County. This problem of
antiquated facilities and
organization is one that exists
in many communities
throughout the United
States." Over the years,
Pioneer Memorial's "facili
ties were not kept in a state of
modern condition, equipment
became obsolete and the
management of the hospital
did not keep up with the level
of expertise needed within
today's health care industry."
Continued tax
support needed
"So, today," the report
continues, "there exists a
hospital, as well as an
organization, that is obsolete
to the times that will require
a considerable outlay of
money as well as substantial
organizational change to bring
it to the point where it can
continue to effectively serve
the health . care needs of
Morrow County."
The report also concludes
that "the community should
not expect Pioneer Memorial
Hospital to be financially
self-sustaining. . .Northwest
Medical Foundation does not
see any alternative in the
future for discontinuing the
hospital's requirement for
financial support. However, it
is felt that by seeking addition
al physicians in the commun
ity, improving the current
services, the fine tuning of
current operations and a
subsequent increased usage of
the hospital. ..the hospital's
dependence on tax support
will most likely stabilize or at
least increase at a diminishing
rate."
In management recom
mendations, the Northwest
report states that "it is
imperative that the hospital
obtain the services of an
executive highly knowledge
able in the health care
industry." Such an individual,
the report states, should serve
either as chairman of the
hospital's board of directors
or be a counseling member of
the board. Another alternative
would be to contract with a
hospital management corpor
ation, the report stated. At
Thursday's meeting, Blair
stated that another alterna
tive was to place such an
individual in the administra
tor's position.
In the report's summary of
recommendations, it is stated
that "hospital management in
the future must be under the
direction of well-qualified
health care professionals,
whether the guidance is
through board relationships,
consultative arrangements or
management contract. The
As a result, the uneven
physician staffing has worked
against the hospital, the
report continued, since it "has
caused certain citizens to seek
regular medical care outside
of the community.. .This loss
of potential patients to other
hospitals has negatively im
paired the overall operations
citizens and their health needs
will result in an ever greater
division between the north and
south parts of Morrow County,
with the probable eventuality
of split votes eliminating a
primary source of financing
the health care program..."
When questioned whether it
would be possible for North-
Plants
1 lnr
PIONEER
PT"7
Pioneer
Oregon
5
MEMORIAL
IV
A
g HOSPITAL
, The report did include a
wide-range survey of com
munity attitudes regarding
the hospital, which showed,
among other things, that the
public has a high regard for
the hospital, and "speaks in a
commendatory way with
respect to the quality of
hospital personnel and the
level of care provided by
them." The report also indi-,
cated that the public expres
sed "a generalized feeling that
the services of the hospital are
very limited in scope. "Part
icularly mentioned," the re
port stated, "were the X-ray
facilities as being inadequate
and criticism of the conver
sion of the surgical suite into
an emergency department."
A condensed summary of
the report's findings is expect
ed to be available for public
distribution prior to the Feb.
13 public meeting. The hospi
tal's board of trustees and the
county court are expected to
meet within the near future to
discuss the ramifications of
the report.
Heppner Elementary,
Jr. High discipline
policy meet tonight
Discussion of a new Hep
pner Elementary and Junior
High School disciplinary
policy will be the subject of a
meeting scheduled for tonight
(Thursday) in that school's
multi-purpose room.
Concerned Parents a citi
zens' group formed recently to
assist area schools and edu
cators and youth set the
meeting for 7:30 p.m. On hand
to discuss the new policy will
be Principal Don Cole and
district staff members who
were instrumental in forma
tion of the policy. They will
examine the steps in develop
ment of the policy as well as
clarify the student conduct
code and the discipline options
available to school personnel.
The disciplinary policy is an
outgrowth of a teacher in
service work day held last
year, according to Cole.
"Since that time, teachers in
the elementary and junior
high school have spent count
less hours working on the
policy," said Cole, "and we
feel it provides consistency
throughout the two buildings
and clearly defines discipline
problems."
Infractions are broken down
into three categories: major,
such as public vulgarity,
profanity, purposeful vandal
ism, use or possession of drugs
and alcohol and skipping
school ; minor infractions
which include disruptive con
duct, minor vandalism, theft
and cheating; and petty viola
tions such as accidental vul
garity, wearing of hats, etc.
The code outlines suspen
sion and expulsion penalties,
or conference needs with
parents, as the student in
fraction warrants.
The presentation by district
school personnel will be fol
lowed by a question-answer
period.
Fatality, drug arrest, stolen car among
week's police and sheriffs news
needs that suggest this plan
are most recognizable today
and will become more acute
with each passing year. This
factor, above all others, will
do more for the betterment of
the hospital. ..than any other
element under discussion in
this report."
It should be noted that
Northwest Medical Founda
tion provides management
contracting service, and is
interested in performing that
task for Pioneer Memorial.
More doctors crucial
In terms of doctors needed
to serve the hospital, the
report stated that the best
combination would be one
family physician, a second
family physician who is also
qualified to perform surgery,
and an internist. The recruit
ment of these physicians,
according to the report,
"should be pursued aggres
sively." Heppner's current physi
cians, in interviews with
Northwest personnel, stated
that they felt no additional
doctors were needed in Hep
pner, Blair said. But, the
Northwest report concluded,
obtaining the appropriate mix
of physicians in Heppner
should not be left "to chance
or to the caprices of private
health care professions."
According to the repor,
"the single most overriding
factor relating to medical care
in Morrow County is the
qualifications and availability
of physician personnel. Over
the years there have been
varying numbers of phys
icians serving Morrow
County. At times the availabil
ity of medical care has varied
due to the number and
specialties of physicians and
their respective qualifications
and interests. This has had a
marked impact on the
hospital, both in patient activi
ty and financial viability."
and finances of Pioneer Mem
orial Hospital."
In North Morrow County,
Northwest recommended re
cruiting one family physician
and a nurse practicioner or
physician's assistant. The re
port suggested recruiting an
additional physician and a
part time nurse practioner for
Condon. Fossil should be
served by a full-time nurse
practicioner resident, with
Condon's doctor available for
part-time service, the report
suggested.
Gilliam and Wheeler County
medical needs were taken into
account in the report, accord
ing to Northwest's recom
mendations, since the Condon
and Fossil areas have tradi
tionally been a part of the
hospital's service area. The
Condon and Fossil areas, the
report concluded, "must be
included in the overall plan for
their medical well-being, as
well as for the economic
benefit of Pioneer Memorial
Hospital and the overall
health care plan. of Morrow
County. A close relationship
between Wheeler and Gilliam
counties will be an advantage
and benefit to them both and
will greatly benefit Morrow
County as well."
As far as North Morrow is
concerned, the report stated
that Irrigon and Boardman
area residents "should not be
expected to utilize Pioneer
Memorial... on a regular
basis," since hospitals in
Umatilla, Hermiston and the
Tri Cities are more accessible.
"It's just a matter of
geography," Blair told those
attending Thursday's meet
ing. However, the report noted
that it was important for the
county to recruit a physician
to staff the Boardman clinic.
"The Boardman-Irrigon com
munities," it stated, "must be
served in a special way by the
health facilities and personnel
directed by Morrow County.
...Ignoring or giving less than
careful attention to these
west to recruit the recom
mended mix of physicians and
nurse practicioners, Blair
responded that it was "ex
tremely likely."
Pioneer Memorial "should
continue as an acute-care
hospital serving the general,
medical, surgical and obstet
rical needs of the south part of
Morrow County and also the
citizens of Gilliam and Wheel
er County..." the report con
cluded. In order to do so, and to
meet state codes, Blair said
that a new wing would be a
necessary addition to the
hospital's west side. Remodel
ing the current structure
would also be necessary. "We
believe the hospital (the
building itself) cannot
continue as it is," Blair said.
"In fact, I think the state
wouldn't allow you to, after a
while." Blair said his firm had
not included a cost estimate
for the proposed wing in its
report.
A 17-year-old Hermiston girl
was killed Friday when she
was struck by a pickup truck
while hitchhiking along 1-80
near the Boardman inter
change, state police said.
The victim was identified as
Leona Rose Sturtevent of
Hermiston.
Police said Miss Sturtevent
was hitchhiking with a female
companion when she appar
ently walked into the path of a
westbound pickup driven by
David Jones Jr. of Portland.
No charges were filed. The
accident was investigated by
the Arlington detachment of
the Oregon State Police,
assisted by Boardman city
officers.
Noel G. Harshman Jr., 22, of
Heppner, was lodged in Uma
tilla County Jail Thursday on
a charge of manufacturing a
controlled substance
marijuana. Cont. on page 3
Morrow County wilderness is topic of
Jan. 31 slide presentation and discussion
"The Last of Morrow
County's Wild Land," a nar
rated slide show presented by
Heppner's Beryl Stillman, will
be shown Wednesday, Jan. 31,
from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the
Heppner Elementary Multi
purpose room.
Stillman, a spokesman for
conservation interests and the
state project manager for the
Elk Foundation, said his slide
presentation can help the
public visualize areas that will
be affected in the Forest
Service's upcoming land use
plan for the Heppner District
of the Umatilla National
Forest.
Slides will include the wild
life, plants and landscapes
found in the Heppner District.
Stillman will give his interpre
tation of how the Forest
Service's land use plan will
affect these resources.
By viewing his presentation,
citizens should be better
equipped "to make up their
own minds" on proposed
Forest Service land use plan
ning, Stillman said. Stillman
stated that current land man
agement proposals "may soon
greatly diminish any oppor
tunity for you and especially
your children to ever see
wildlife like this in their
natural enviroment again in
Morrow County."
In addition to covering
alternatives to the proposed
land use plan, Stillman will
give a presentation on the
RARE II roadless areas.
The slide show is free and
open to everyone.
Ullman seeks bill forcing Navy payment
for use of Boardman Bombing Range
Oregon Congressman Al
Ullman introduced legislation
Monday that would require
the federal government to
make payments in lieu of
taxes for Navy use of the
Boardman bombing range in
northeastern Oregon.
Ullman introduced the
measure on the opening day of
the 96th Congress.
The legislation would in
clude the 47,500-acre bombing
range in the existing program
of payments in lieu of taxes for
federal lands. It would result
in annual payments of about
$5,000 to Morrow County.
"This tax-exempt land pro
vides no benefits to the state
or Morrow County, but re
quires expenditure of county
funds for highway mainten
ance, police protection and
related services," Ullman
said.
Ullman said he plans to
continue his efforts to have the
bombing range closed so the
site can be returned to
productive agricultural use.
"Until this is accomplished,
however, I believe that bomb
ing range lands merit full
payments under the in-lieu
federal
provisions of
Ullman said.
law,"
County gets $69,567 in
state road use funds
The State Highway Depart
ment has distributed $18.7
million in highway user fees to
the 36 counties in Oregon
during the period of July 1 to
Dec. 31, State Highway Engi
neer H. Scott Coulter an
nounced this week.
Morrow County, with 8,456
registered vehicles on file
during the period, received an
apportionment totaling
$69,567.
Allocations are based on the
statutory 20 per cent, with the
appropriation being made to
the counties on a monthly
basis. Funds come from
vehicle registration and oper
ator's license fees, gasoline
tax monies, motor carrier fees
and fines and penalties col
lected by Highway Division
weighmasters.
Inside:
Heppner's flood plain
A look at Heppner's flood plain with and without
the proposed Willow Creek Dam appears on the front
of the Gazette-Time's second section this week.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials were in
town last week to deliver the new flood plain
designations which will be used by the Flood Insurance
Administration. Corps officials also spoke on the
proposed Willow Creek Dam project.
Our reps in Salem
The Oregon Legislature, meeting in its 60th
session, made committee assignments this past week
and area legislators are sitting on some important
committees. Page 12 and 13 offer an overview of the
legislature's opening days.
The week in sports
The Heppner High .School Fillies continue to push
Pilot Rock in the Columbia Basin Conference Girls
Eastern Division standings after last weekend. Coach
Sheri Brock's Fillies are 5-1 in league play; Pilot Rock
is 5-0.
Results of area high school games and other sports
news appears on pages five and six of the first section.
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