Health district board approves preliminary architectural
remodeling plans for long term nursing care
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University o f Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
VOL. 126
NO. 18
10 Pages
Wednesday, May 2,2007
The Morrow County
Health D istrict Board, at
th e ir re g u la r m eeting
Monday night, gave CEO
V ictor V ander D oes a
prelim inary go-ahead on
plans to remodel Pioneer
M em orial H o sp ital to
accom m odate lo n g -term
nursing care patients. While
technically not a “nursing
home,” the remodel would
allow for care of long-term
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
lone mayor resigns position
lone Mayor Mark Bruno verbally announced his
resignation to the lone City Council during a regularly
scheduled meeting on Tuesday, April 10. Bruno gave
no reason for stepping down.
The lone City Council will address the issue of
replacing Bruno at the next meeting on Tuesday, May
8-. T+te council will be actively searching for another
council member to replace him. During this time, the
president of the council, Wayne Hams, will step in as
mayor until a new mayor can be appointed.
now direct the architectural
firm to proceed with more
detailed plans and submit
those plans to the state
architect for approval.
The d istric t has
already admitted one long­
term nursing care patient and
expects an o th er shortly.
Another five patients are on
a waiting list.
The plan w ould
expand and remodel existing
room s u p stairs at the
hospital to provide rooms
for eight long-term patients-
three semi-private rooms,
which accom m odate two
p atien ts each , and two
p riv ate
room s
to
accommodate one person
each.
Plans also call for
bathrooms built according to
American Disabilities Act
standards, a nursing station
and a utility room.
A n d e r s o n
Dabrowski Architects, LLC,
estimated costs at around
$767,083 for the en tire
project, including $406,670
for building costs; $86,334
in a rc h ite c tu ra l fees;
$157,066 in other owner
co sts; $65,007 for a 10
percent contingency; and
$52,005 for eight percent for
market conditions/location.
“W'ho pays for this?”
queried Vander Does. He
said that M edicare w ill
ultimately pay around 75
percent of the remodeling
costs over a period of years,
and will pay for around 75
percent of staffing costs. He
added that M CHD has
$5 0 0,0 0 0 av ailab le to
borrow because they
recently paid back a half
million dollar loan. He also
said that an additional half
million dollar payment is
expected from the state of
Oregon around the end of
the summer because they
failed to reim b u rse the
district correctly for clinic
visits over the last six years.
R esidents o f the
facility will pay for costs
incurred for their care either
th ro u g h p riv ate pay or
Medicaid. Monday night the
bo ard , at V ander D o es’
recommendation, set private
nursing care rates at $250
per day for a private room
or $190 per day for a semi­
private room. Vander Does
said that he arrived at those
figures after completing a
market study of charges for
private pay rates for nursing
care at fa c ilitie s in
Hermiston. John Day and
Bums. “All were within $25”
of MCHD's proposed rates,
he said. He said that
Medicaid will reimburse the
district at around $175 per
day with additional Medicare
reimbursements to make up
the cost difference between
the Medicaid payments and
the facility's actual costs at
settlement time. “Six grand
(per month) is about the
going rate for a nursing
hom e these d a y s,” said
Vander Does.
In a related matter,
C h ie f F in an cial O fficer
Nicole Mahoney told the
board that they would have
to renam e the facility to
accommodate the changes.
Previously the hospital's
name was Pioneer Memorial
Hospital and Nursing Home.
However since the facility
has not included a nursing
home for some time and will
not technically become a
nursing home, the board
must change the name. The
name Pioneer M em orial
Hospital was not available as
there is another hospital in
Bend w ith that nam e.
Mahoney suggested Pioneer
M em orial H ospital and
Nursing Care Facility and the
board agreed.
-Continued on page two
Don’t forget Election Day
Don't forget that Tuesday, May 15, is Election Day in Morrow County. Voters
have the choice of mailing in the ballot or returning it to any designated drop site in the
state.
All ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count!
A list of drop sites are as follows:
-New Boardman City Hall. Monday - Friday April 27 to May 14, from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m.; May 15, Election Day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
-Irrigon Annex. April 27 to May 14, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; May 15, Election Day,
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
-Bank of Eastern Oregon in lone, April 27 to May 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; May
15, Election Day, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
-Morrow County Road Office in Lexington, April 27 to May 14, from 8 a.m. to
5p.m.; May 15, Election Day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
-Morrow County Courthouse, April 27 to May 14, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; May
15, Election Day, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information call 676-5604. 922-4103. or 481-2112.
Chamber After Hours a success
Pioneer Memorial Nursing Care proposed remodeled floor plan.
The Heppner Chamber of Commerce After Hours was held at the Bank of Eastern Oregon on
Thursday, April 2ft. Coffee, punch, and hors d' oeuvres were served. Quilts and artwork were put
on display for everyone to view. The next Chamber After Hours will be held at Wheatland Insurance
on Thursday, June 28. The Chamber is appreciative of the Bank of Eastern Oregon's efforts to
make this event a success.
ALL NEWS ANI) ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
i
i
Also at the meeting,
Mahoney told the board that
the district broke its record
in bringing in $602,093 in
gross patient revenue for the
month of March. The district
ended March with a $98,654
gain for the month and a
$147,004 gain for the year,
for a $ 1 6 ,3 3 4 av erag e
monthly year-to-date gain.
In other business, the
board:
-accepted the 2007-
OS fiscal year budget as
presented. The budget lists
$5 ,5 7 6
in re so u rce s,
ex cep tin g tax es, and an
additional $914 in property
taxes for $6,490,427 in total
reso u rces. Last y e a r's
adopted budget included
$4,895,447 in resources and
an additional $875,357 in
taxes for $5,770,804 in total
resources. A public hearing
has been set for May 21.
-heard from Vander
Does that he has a good
prospect for a physician from
the Salem area who has
ex p ressed in te re st in
relocating to the district.
-h eard that the
h o sp ital receiv ed good
review s and only m inor
infractions following Critical
Access Hospital and state
fire marshal inspections.
-learn ed that a
contract with TimeLine, a
p h y sician
re c ru itm e n t
company, did not include
advertising costs of $ 19,875
for a mailing campaign. The
contract had been signed and
the d istric t could not
withdraw from the contract.
"I had no idea it was going
to cost this m u c h ,”
exclaimed Vander Does.
-ap proved paying
tuition and other costs for a
basic EMT who lives in
south Morrow County to
attend school to become a
paramedic. In addition to
)