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Health district situation improves
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VOL. 117_______NO 50
8 Pages
Wednesday, December 16,1998
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Heppner’s Christmas tree got a bit of an unexpected jolt Tuesday afternoon, when it was hit by a car
that jumped the sidewalk. Apparently the car’s accelerator stuck, which cause the car to jump the curb,
run ui/er an electrical box and smash into the Christmas tree. The tree was tilted over a little bit, but
otherwise was not damaged. The driver of the car was not hurt either, however, her car did sustain heavy
damage.
Sample named undersheriff Umatilla
considered for
Miller receives promotion
Morrow County Sheriff Verlin
Denton has announced the
promotion of two deputies in his
department. Both promotions
take effect January 1.
Larry S. Sample, 54, was
promoted
from
detective
sergeant to undershenff.
Sample, a resident of
Boardman, has been with the
Morrow
County
Sheriffs
Department for over 11 years
serving as a patrol deputy,
detective and detective sergeant.
Sample has been assigned to the
Blue Mountain Drug Task Force
as a supervisor for the past seven
years.
Sample started his law
enforcement career as a
patrolman for the Madras Police
Department. In 1979 he was
hired as a patrolman for the
Prineville Police department.
While with Prineville he was
promoted
to
investigator,
corporal and sergeant. He brings
over
24 years of law
enforcement experience to the
position of undershenff.
Sample is married with two
daughters and two grand
children.
Mark L. Miller, 49, was
promoted from patrol deputy to
detective sergeant.
Miller, a resident of Lexington,
has been with the department
six years, serving as a patrol
deputy and code enforcement
deputy.
Miller started his law
enforcement career with the
Gresham Police Department,
spending
17
years
with
Gresham. His assignments with
the city of Gresham included
working in a drug task force and
burglary task force as a
detective. He also served as
assistant team leader for a
special weapons team, a motor
officer (motorcycle), and a
department training instructor.
Miller brings a total of 23 plus
years of law enforcement
experience to the position. He is
married with a son and one
grandson.
s-
2A by OSAA
According to a news release
from the Oregon School
Activities Association, Umatilla
High School will be considered
for placement in the 2A
classification for the 2000-2001
school year if the school's
attendance figures remain
below the 3A classification cut
off point in the June 30, 1999,
annual report of the Oregon
Department of Education.
OSAA voted to move Portland
Christian High School, Dayton
High School, Gervais High
School and Portland Adventist
Academy from 2A to 3A for the
2000-2001 school year if
figures remain above the cut-off
point for the currently assigned
classification.
Mark L. Miller
Larry S. Sample
N E ^ S DEADLINE
5 p.m. Monday
Drama Club to
present mystery
The lone High School Drama
Club will present "Bone Chiller"
by Monk Ferris on Thursday,
Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
"Bone Chiller" is a comical
murder mystery about friends,
relatives and strangers vying for
inheritance from Josiah Travers'
will. The will is a picture-puzzle
which causes some difficulties
for those decoding it.
The main characters include
Adler
Sheridan
(Colin
McElligott),
Dan
Denton
(Jeremy Rietmann) and Jerry
Delvin (Cory Bennetto).
Admission is $2 for adults and
$1 for students and senior
citizens. Children under five are
free.
Financial consultant Michael
Bell of Michael R. Bell &
Company, Spokane, WA, told
an audience of around 100
people gathered at Heppner
High School Monday night that
the Morrow County Health
District's financial situation is
improving.
Bell said that changes
implemented by the district on
¡»■•vice of the consulting firm
cut the district's monthly losses
in half, from around $40,000 to
around $20,000.
But, cautioned Bell, "You
didn't get into this situation over
night and you won’t get out of it
overnight."
Bell detailed operational
changes to improve the bottom
line including: changing rates,
resulting in a $20,800 increase
in net revenue; eliminating the
human resources director,
$3,700; changing provider
contracts, $7,500 (the change
would give the district an
additional $ 15-$20 per visit in
Medicare benefits); changing
staff management, $5,800;
combining
departments,
$10,300; changing employee
benefits, $4,200; purchasing
new laboratory equipment
(purchasing a new machine
would not cost the district any
additional
monies
for
equipment and would save
$2,000 a month in the cost of
chemicals); obtaining Rural
Health certification, $4,500;
enhancing the nursing home,
$6,500.
Bell modified his previous
recommendation of raising the
nursing home rates to $125 a
day and instead suggested
charges of $100 a day,
increased from $90.63 per day.
Bell said that he had not been
aware that the nursing home
patients were billed for
additional services.
Bell's report recommended
that the district increase clinic
staff to provide more efficient
service and cut down on
overtime expenses at a cost of
$3,500 a month; and increase
business office staff to make
billing more efficient and
reduce accounts receivable.
Bell also recommended that
the district purchase a used
CAT scan, which, according to
interim administrator Sheila
Dahlman, "would pay for itself
within a year" and allow
patients to remain in the district
for testing, rather than being
sent to facilities elsewhere.
Other recommendations
include: adding telemedicine
capabilities, which would aid in
diagnosis and also retain
patients;
suggesting
the
possibility o f adding an
Alzheimer's/Dementia
unit;
adding a treadmill; providing
visiting
specialists;
and
establishing a procedure room.
Bell discussed a contract with
Accent, a collections firm,
which would give the firm 10.5
percent of all cash receipts.
According to Bell, the
contract was signed by Susan
Brock, former administrator and
employee of Western Health
Resources, the Adventist firm
hired for hospital management
services, but not approved by
the board. The district did not
have a copy of the contract.
According to district minutes,
Accent was to concentrate on
old accounts and follow up only
and would not bill for current
accounts,
but
the
firm
maintained it could bill
between seven and 14 percent
of all cash collections, which
they then modified to 10.5
percent on all cash receipts,
which could amount to $25,000
to $30,000 a month or in excess
of $750,000 over the two-year
contract period.
The district is suing to be
released from the contract.
Dahlman and Bell discussed
the eventual necessity of
purchasing a new computer
Interim MCHD administrator Sheila Dahlman (left) speaks
with Jack Allstott.
system for the district, since the
district with Western Health
Resources for management and
computer services has been
terminated. The district hopes to
extend the contract with WHR.
A computer system is estimated
at $245,000 to $290,000.
Bell's company also issued a
report critical of the district's
budget for the year ending June
30, 1999, and budgeting
process. "Based on our review,"
said the report, "minimal effort
was made to prepare this
budget.
Revenues
and
contractual admustment swere
not properly evaluated based on
changes
in
third
party
paymnent rates and other
factors." The report said
expenses were adequately
estimated, "however, little
effort was made to identify
ways in which the district could
modify its operations to achieve
financial stability."
The report also detailed the
results of a survey Bell's survey
conducted.
As expected, hospital
services rated high among
residents of south Morrow
County, but lower among
residents of the Boardman and
Irrigon area, who have easier
access
to
medical
care
elsewhere.
Christmas Santa project
underway for kids, teens
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Kim Pointer
Kim Pointer, a junior at
Heppner High School, is
spearheading a project to help
make the season a little brighter
for some children and teens in
Morrow County who otherw ise
might not have a merry
Christmas.
The Morrow County office of
Children's
Services
at
Boardman made a list for 10
children, noting the children's
ages, sex and their Christmas
wishes, and Pointer posted the
list by the Christmas tree in the
front foyer at HHS.
Anyone wishing to participate
in the project may stop by the
high school, purchase one or
more of the Christmas gifts and
then
return
the
gifts,
unwrapped, to the high school
by Monday. Dec. 21. Since the
items are to be gifts, it is
requested that they be new and
not used items.
Colt basketball sign-ups
Colt basketball sign-ups and
parents meeting is scheduled for
Sunday, Dec. 20 from 2-4 p.m. at
the Heppner High School gym.
Those attending should bring
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gym shoes.
Anyone interested in coaching
should either attend the meeting
Sunday or call George at 676-
9252. or Chuck. 676-5250.
Holiday events planned
Wednesday, Dec. 16: 7 p.m.-
Heppner Elementary School
holiday concert.
Thursday, Dec. 17: 7 p.m.-
Heppner High School holiday
concert.
Sunday, Dec. 20: Heppner
business and residential lighting
contest judged.
Tuesday, Dec. 22: 7 p.m. lone
Schools winter concert
Mail letters to Santa at museum
Letters to Santa Claus may be
mailed at the Morrow County
Museum again this year.
Helpful elves will see that all
letters put in the mailbox in the
Museum (1-5 p.m. Tuesday
through Saturday) or the library
back drop (all other times) by
December 18 are individually
answered.
Those sending letters are asked
to make sure that full names and
addresses are included.
Last Minute Gift Ideas
HERE!
MCGG will be closed at noon on Dec. 24, and closed Dec. 25 & 26
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M orrow C ounty G rain G rowers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
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For farm iquipnwnt, vmt our wd> site at www mcgg not
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