Health district considers $70,000 payment
to new Boardman migrant clinic
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University o f Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
HEPPNER
imes
VOL. 124
NO. 1
8 Pages
Wednesday, January 5, 2005
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
M orrow County
Health District Board
member Ed Glenn asked the
MCHD board to write a
$70,000 check from the
district to the newly-
established migrant health
clinic, C olum bia River
Community Health Services
in Boardman Glenn also
suggested
several
alternatives, such as a
$35,000 payment to C'RCHS
or
$12,000
monthly
payments.
Glenn, who is also
on the CRCHS boaid, told
MCHD that since Dr Robert
Boss is no longer working as
a private health care
provider, and has joined with
CRCHS, MCHD no longer
has a contract with Dr Boss
and should instead pay that
money to CRCHS MCHD
currently has a contract with
Dr Boss to provide medical
services in Boardman for
approximately $144,000 a
year (approximately $ 12,000
a month) Dr Boss had
earlier told MCHD that if he
joined with CRCHS, he
would terminate his contract
with MCHD.
The MCHD Board
acknowledged that they had
pledged $70,000 to CRCHS
and wish to fulfill their
pledge, but, with the
exception
o f Glenn,
indicated that they first
County officials sworn in Jan. 3
The newly elected Morrow
County officials were sworn
in on Monday, Jan. 3 at the
Morrow County Courthouse
in Heppner. (Back Row L-R):
Judson Coppock- surveyor,
John
Wenholz-
commissioner; Kenneth
Matlack- sheriff; Greg
Sweek- assessor; Terry
Pool Calcutta
to be held for
Tollman- county judge;
(Front Row L-R): Charlotte
Gray- Justice of the Peace :
Gayle Gutierrez-treasurer;
and Bobbi Childers- clerk.
¿ I C C id d lt
Winter snow and temperatures hit Heppner vjctjm
A Pool C alcutta
fundraiser will be held on
Jan 16 at Bucknum’s in
H eppner for Damien
Wilhelm
Wilhelm is
recovering from injuries
sustained in a car accident
There will be 16
team s,
with
single
elimination, at $5 per stick
A sign-up sheet is a
Bucknum’s A team auction
will be held at 1 p m , with
Calcutta action beginning
afterwards
For
more
information, contact Cindy
or Crysti at Bucknum's at
676-5274
Chad Dnherts, with the City of Heppner, works on shoveling snows that began in Heppner last
week. The temperature also dipped this week, down to around 20 degrees Tuesday afternoon.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
wanted a financial statement
from the migrant clinic and
proof that CRCHS is indeed
operating and has received a
federal grant to begin
op eratio n s. “ I ’m really
reluctant to write a check for
$35,000, especially for
something w e’re not sure
exists,” said Mills. “ I think
we have to get some
documentation,” Mills said
“ We can’t just arbitrarily
write them a check ” “These
are public funds,” added
MCHD CEO Victor Vander
Does
Glenn told MCHD
Board that the clinic opened
Jan 3 and is in dire straits,
since they have not yet been
able to access federal
monies. “I am quite certain
they (C R CH S) have a
trem endous cash flow
problem,” said Glenn, who
added that he was concerned
about the clinic being able to
make payroll in January.
A ccording to Glenn,
CRCHS received none of
Dr Boss’ receivables in the
transfer of clinic operations
from Dr Boss to CRCHS
He also said that Dr Boss is
renting his medical facility to
CRCHS
Glenn accused the
board of trying to get out of
its promise and obligations
to the north end and the
sentiment was somewhat
echoed by board member
John Prag, Boardman
Board Chair Larry Mills,
accused Glenn of having a
conflict o f interest in
representing both boards
The majority of the
board agreed that the health
district must determine the
status of its contract with Dr
Boss before agreeing to pay
monies to CRCHS and
suggested that the CRCHS
CEO come before the
MCHD Board at the next
meeting
Also at the Monday
night meeting Prag, who has
been on the board four years,
submitted his resignation,
effective Jan 10, as he is
moving out of the district to
the Tri-Cities area Glenn,
who was recently elected the
mayor of Boardman, also
indicated that he may not run
for re-election for the
MCHD board because of
other obligations, as did Ken
Matlack, Irrigon, who was
recently elected Morrow
County Sheriff The board
decided to advertise the
positions, with the intent of
tilling the spots with people
who reside in the resigning
board members' areas “I'd
like to see that every
com m unity
has
a
representative,” said Mills
The MCHD Board plans to
interview
interested
candidates at the next
meeting Candidates must
register their intent to run for
election by March, with the
election o f new board
members scheduled in May
In other business, the
board
-learned that the
district had a $43,000 deficit
for November for a loss of
over $116,000 for the year
and an average monthly loss
of over $23,000
-learned from Vander
Does that the hospital will
term in ate medical staff
privileges for Dr Kenneth
Wenberg at the end o f the
week unless he is able to
obtain malpractice insurance
for his private clinic. Willow
Creek Clinic in Heppner, by
that time Dr Wenberg will
still be employed as an
emergency room physician
at the hospital and is covered
under
the
h o s p ita l’s
malpractice insurance in that
aspect This action does not
affect Dr Wenberg’s medical
license, which is still in
effect Vander Does said that
if Dr Wenberg obtains the
insurance, he may reapply
for medical staff privileges
-learned that the
Oregon Board of Medical
Examiners’ granting o f a
license for a physician’s
assistant who plans to work
for the district is nearing
approval
-approved a contract
addendum with the Willow
Valley Assisted Living to
clarify issues concerning
funds during a profitable
year MCHD clarified the
contract to state that the
assisted living center would
be able to keep monies
received from grants and
bequests, rather than those
going to the health district
Town and
Country
Jan. 13
“All of Willow C reek
Valley and Morrow County
is invited to attend the annual
Town and Country/Chamber
Awards
Banquet
on
Thursday, Jan 13,” says a
Chamber spokesperson A
no-host social hour will be
at 6 p m , followed by a
prime rib dinner at 7 p m
The theme is “ Together
We’ll Thrive in 2005.”
CenturyTel
is
sponsoring en tertainer
Marty Campbell Campbell
is known for his songs about
your life, cowboy poetry
about people you know and
funny stories about your
neighbor His performance at
the Newport Chamber o f
Commerce Annual Awards
B anquet
was
highly
acclaimed
Ken Grieb will do
the honors as M aster o f
C erem onies The Man,
Woman, Educator. Business,
Youth o f the Year and
Lifetim e A chievem ent
awards will be announced
The Morrow County Fair
and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo
C ourt
will
also
be
recognized As tradition,
some lucky person will go
home with jewelry donated
by Randall and Marlene
Peterson o f P e te rso n ’s
Jewelers
M orrow County
Livestock G row ers and
Morrow County Soil and
Water Conservation District
are
holding
daytime
meetings, open to the public
All are welcome to attend
Banquet tickets are
available at Bank of Eastern
Oregon in H eppner and
lone. Murray's Drug and the
H eppner Cham ber o f
Commerce
10% OFF
KEY CLOTHING
M orrow County Grain G row ers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1 - 8 0 0 - 4 5 2 - 7 3 9 6
For farm equipment. *Wt our web «Ito at www.mcgg.net