Plans underway to correct
hospital revenue shortfall
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9 7
35C
azette
imes
VOL. 111
NO. 27
6 Pages Wednesday, July 8, 1992
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
Large crowd enjoys lone’s Fourth
of July celebration
The popular frog-jumping con
test drew 103 contestants. Travis
Maisteu coaxed an 82” series of
jumps to win that contest follow
ed closely by Johnny Collins with
80” . The frogs made it through
the contest with no injuries and
were later returned to a local farm
pond.
The first annual Ken Snider
Memorial Tennis Tournament
drew a good turnout, raising $85
for the scholarship in Ken
Snider’s name. Brent Sheirbon
Don Bristow shows his 4th of July spirit
The lone Fourth of July
celebration proved to truly be
“ the Biggest Celebration in the
Littlest Town Around” for a
large crowd of people. Despite
threats of rain and blustery winds,
large crowds enjoyed the day full
of events starting with the parade
and ending with the 234th Oregon
National Guard Army Band, the
fireworks show and the dance.
Both sides of Main Street were
lined with people to see the
parade, presided over by grand
marshals Del and Linda LaRue.
Highlights included a dance roun-
tine by the lone cheerleaders and
a group of junior dancers, several
antique cars and pieces of farm
machinery, the Morrow County
DARE car and a familiar sight in
this election year, several politi
cians running for office. The
Willows Grange “ Galloping
Grange Gals” in their ‘65 Mer
cury were easily the crowd’s
favorite.
After the parade, activity in the
city park moved into full swing.
On tap were treats from the food
booths, kids games and several
sporting events.
PM H alarm m alfunctions
An alarm system at Pioneer
Memorial Hospital malfunction
ed and caused the city fire alarm
to sound Sunday. July 5, accor
ding to Heppner Fire Chief For-
rie Burkenbine.
The alarm went off around
9:39 a.m.
Burkenbine said that the fire
department has had a respite from
the lightning-caused fires that
plagued the area last week.
G rass and wheat fires,
however, were reported in the
Arlington area on July 1 and the
Arlington. Condon and Board-
man areas July 6.
Weather Report
by City of H«ppnor
June 30 - July 6, 1992
High Low Prec Rain
Tues.
74 50
T
Weds. 76 51
.0
Thurs. 79 51
T
84 57 .07
Fri.
Sat.
76 58
T
Sun.
74 49 .0
Mon.
73 50 .05
topped all singles’ players and
then teamed with Eric Pointer to
win the men’s doubles. Cathy
McCabe and Gail Gutierrez won
the women’s doubles’ competi
tion.
In the three-on-three basketball
tournament held Friday evening,
Dorian Forrar, Dan Abrahamson
and Scott Abrahamson teamed up
for the win. David Wagenblast,
Mike Garrett and Brandi Ball
combined to win the three-on-
three volleyball tournament held
Saturday in the park.
The defending bed race cham
pions from the Port of Morrow
were unable to repeat when the
team consisting o f Dustin
Padberg, Darren Padberg, Brent
Martin, Gary Rea and Dick
McElligott raced to the win.
Marie Rudisill was a repeat win
ner as the women’s cow chip
throwing champ with a strong
throw of 114’ 6 ” . A Pendleton
man won the men’s division with
a record throw of 189’ 7” . Com
plete results will be available next
week.
As usual the evening events
drew large crowds. Around 450
people enjoyed the Cardinal
Club's barbecued chicken dinner
and then headed to the football
field with blankets and lawn
chairs to enjoy a spectacular per
formance by the 40 piece Oregon
National Guard band. As dusk
fell, the lone Legion lit up the
skies with a grand fireworks
display and the evening was top
ped with a spirited dance at the
Legion Hall.
Swim lessons
schedule change
Because of small class sizes,
the Heppner swimming classes
for beginners at the lone pool will
begin 15 minutes earlier than the
original schedule. The new
schedule will be as follows:
Advanced beginners, same
time; beginner 1-10:30-11 a.m.;
beginner 11-11:15-11:45 a.m.;
beginner III-12 noon to 12:30
p.m.
For more information contact
Shane Palmer 422-7115.
Revenue at Pioneer Memorial
Hospital in Heppner has dropped
by about $350,000 below budget
expectations for the fiscal year
ending July 1, 1992. That loss in
income is attributed to a mild
winter during the season when the
patient load is normally higher
than other times of the year, said
Kevin
Erich,
hospital
administrator.
“ We will turn this thing
around. I have high expectations
for the coming year," Erich said.
But for the long haul, this hospital
depends on community support
and patronage by local people.
Erich came on board as ad
ministrator in March of this year.
He is an employee of Western
Health Resources, a management
firm that holds a $62,000 contract
with the Morrow County Medical
Board.
Hospital employee salaries
average about $130,000 per
month plus benefits. There will
be no cutting back on employees,
Erich said, but there will be some
staffing adjustments. The hospital
employs around 89 people. A
union contract with non-
professionals that allows for a
four percent wage increase effec
tive July 1 will be honored, Erich
added.
Some of those employees, on
their own, have cut back on
hours, he said, but state re
quirements mandate the level of
staffing. The local facilities are
some of the finest anywhere with
a highly qualified and very sup
portive staff, Erich said. Erich
formerly managed a large nurs
ing home in Illinois.
Nursing home rates for that
portion of Pioneer Memorial
Hospital were increased as of July
1 from $73 to $78 per day. The
average occupancy is about 29
residents with a current capacity
for 34. About 50 percent of those
residents are private care patients.
Conversion to a swing-bed
system, pending state approval,
would allow some of the hospital
beds to be used for nursing home
patients requiring skilled care. It
would also maintain 10 hospital
beds as required for hospital cer
tification. Adding a skilled care
level would allow patients to re
main at the hospital instead of be
ing transferred to other facilities,
Erich said, which in turn would
increase hospital revenue.
Capital im provements to
upgrade the hospital as mandated
by state standards was a large ex
penditure during the past year,
Erich said. Ultrasound has been
added that is used in diagnostic
procedures as well as therapy.
And the hospital now has a licens
ed therapist. Sharia Erich.
A new computer system has
been added through the WHR
contract. This allows a more ef
ficient billing system that helps to
obtain faster payment returns
from insurance companies.
A new payment collection ac
count is to be handled by the
Heppner branch of the Bank of
Eastern Oregon. The bank would
pay the hospital and clients with
overdue accounts would make
paym ents to this account,
therefore taking the hospital out
of the banking system, Erich said.
A new wing on the nearby
Heppner medical clinic is plann
ed which is to be completed this
fall. More patient examining
rooms are planned for Drs. Ed
and Jeanne Berretta and the newly
acquired physician’s assistant,
Marc Goodboy.
The building plans tentatively
call for space for the home health
and public health offices. It may
also provide space for physical
therapist, Sharia Erich and
psychologist Bob Clark.
The addition of the clinic is ex
pected to generate enough
revenue to pay for itself and pro
vide health services at one loca
tion, according to the medical
board.
Good health service is the key
to, retaining a stable work force
in the area plus keeping senior
citizens at home in familiar sur
roundings, Erich said. He said
they have applied for a $50,000
grant that is available to help
senior citizens in remote areas.
Hospital room rates are cur
rently $375 per day per patient
which is comparable with other
hospitals in Eastern Oregon,
Erich said. Keeping the hospital
facilities available to people
means that residents have to use
the facilities instead of going
elsewhere, he said.
Heppner Intergenerational
Theatre group (HIT) will present
the “ Chapeau Show” recogniz
ing this year’s fair theme, “ Hats
Off to Morrow County” on
August 19, opening night of the
Morrow County Fair. The show
will begin at 7 p.m. on the out
door stage in the fair park area.
Focusing on the hat theme
(chapeau is the French word for
hat), the show will feature
talented players from all areas of
the county doing skits, music,
dancing, a short one-act play,
“ Fishing Hat” and a children’s
story, “ The 500 Hats of Bar-
tholemew Cubbins.” The show
is intended to have something for
everyone.
HIT is sponsored by the Mor-
row County Children and Youth
Services Commision for the pur
pose of encouraging all ages to
work together in theatre arts.
Donations for earlier perfor
mances, “ No, No a Million
Times No” last October, and
“ Erin Came to County Morrow”
on St. Pat’s Weekend, have been
used to assist pre-school pro
grams in Morrow County.
Anyone wishing to participate
in the Morrow County Fair show
should meet at the St. Patrick's
Senior Center at 7 p.m. Wednes
day, July 15, or contact director
Jane Rawlins. Children wanting
to try out for the children’s play,
“ The 500 Hats of Bartholemew
Cubbins” , should also attend.
classes of 1966, 67 and 68, have
planned their reunion on Satur
day, July 25.
Golfing will begin at 8 a.m. at
the Willow Creek Country Club.
A social hour has been planned
for noon at the city park. Those
attending should bring their own
snacks. Family friends and
former teachers are welcome to
attend.
A no-host buffet will be held at
6 p.m. at the Heppner Elks club
Dancing will follow at 9 p.m.
Music will be provided by “ The
Henchman” .
For more information call
Roger Leonnig, 666-7996,
Sheridan Tamasky 676-5059 or
Susan Johnston 676-5562.
HHS classes ‘66
plan reunion
HIT Theater group to meet -68
The Heppner High School
Wheat harvest down, prices up
Keith Rea was harvesting his land near lone Tuesday. Rea said the yield was "not too bad” ,
off some double summer fallow he was cutting. Pictured above is Keith’s son Gary driving
the combine.
As expected, local wheat
harvests do not look promising.
“ It’s sure not going to be a big
cro p ,” commented Morrow
County Grain Growers manager
Larry Mills. He said that the
crops were hurt by the long dry
spell in May and early June.
The price for wheat, however,
is looking up. “ The price pro
spects are more encouraging than
in the past,” added Mills.
Mills said that a few people on
the north side of the county
started their harvests the last part
of June. He said that harvests are
beginning around the north Lex
ington and north lone areas, with
those in the Heppner area ex
pected to begin next week.
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