Vander Does prepares to turn over health
district’s reins to new administrator
Il,I,.1,,.1.1..Ill.... II.I...II
Bessie W e t/e ll N ew spaper I ih rar\
Univ ersity o f Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
By April Sykes
Outgoing Morrow
County H ealth D istrict
CEO Victor Vander Does
introduced new adminis
trator Michael Blauer at
the board meeting Monday
night in Irrigon.
Vander Does said
he expects to be on the
HEPPNER
job for around six to seven
more days to assist Blauer
with the transition.
Vander Does, who
has been MCHD admin
istrator for
the past 10
y ears, has
been cred
ite d w ith
bringing the
district back
fro m th e
p r e c i p ic e v ,ct',r ..
ot financial
collapse
imes
VOL. 128
NO. 26
8 Pages
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Farmer’s Market open for business
Ginger Keithley shows Sheryll Bates and Chris Bailey items for sale at her table at the Farmer’s
Market. The market will be open every Friday through September 25 from 3-7 p.m. Photo
bv Sandy Matthews
Articles wanted for annual fair edition
The annual Morrow' County Fair is fast approaching. Once again this year the
Heppner Gazette-Times w ill be putting together a special fair edition. Anyone interested
in writing any fair related articles are asked to turn in those articles by Friday, July
15. Articles can be dropped of at the Heppner Gazette-Times or emailed to editor@
rapidserve.net.
Community meeting to be held for Strategic Plan
With the assistance
o f Willow Creek Valley
Economic Developm ent
Group (W CVEDG) and
G reater Eastern Oregon
Development Corporation
(GEODC), the City of Hep
pner will be updating its
Strategic Plan in 2009. A
community meeting will
be held on Tuesday, July
7, at 7 p.m. at City Hall. A
committee will be formed
to complete the planning
process. Future committee
meetings will be Tuesday,
July 28, and Wednesday,
August 12, both at 6 p.m.
at City Hall.
The Strategic Plan
provides the framework for
community and economic
growth for years to come.
Public input into the process
is needed in order to reflect
the needs of the community.
and closure. The board
expressed their apprecia
tion to Vander Does and his
wife Nancy for the work
they have done to get the
district back to solvency
and respect. “Things were
tough and they jumped in,”
said board member Linda
LaRue.
Nancy Vander Does
assisted the district in a va
riety of ways and Vander
Does had even remodeled
the district-owned adminis
trator's home. Board Chair
Larry Mills said at the meet
ing that he had only three
short words to say to Vander
Does, ‘Job well done.”
“Nancy and 1 are
both proud of everything
we’ve done,” said Vander
Does. It's been a lot o f
fun, a lot of friends, almost
family.”
The board also ap
proved an amended contract
with Dr. Betsy Anderson
which includes an increase
in paid vacation time from
16 to 20 days in exchange
for reduced paid sick leave
time from 12 to six days.
The board also approved
an automotive three-year
renewal in Dr. Anderson’s
contract.
T he b o a rd a p
proved an increase from
20 to 25 days of paid vaca
tion for mid-level provider
Sheridan Tarnasky, PA,
based on longevity with
the district. Tarnasky has
served the district in a va
riety of capacities, includ
ing as a nurse, director of
nursing and physician’s
assistant. The board also
increased her continuing
education allow ance to
$2,000, increased her on-
call pay to $35 per hour
and approved an automatic
three-year contract renewal.
They also authorized pay
ment of time and a half to
Tarnasky to travel to the
Irrigon Clinic.
The update of the Strategic
Plans for Heppner. lone and
Lexington is funded, in part
with funds received from
Morrow County.
For additional in
formation, please contact
The City of Hep-
Karen Kendall/GEODC, pner’s 2008 Water Quality
project facilitator at 541 - Report has been mailed to
276-6745 or Sheryll Bates/ residents.
WCVEDG project coordi
The re p o rt de-
nator at 541-676-5536.
In other business
Vander Does told the board
that he has encountered
difficulty in recruiting a
mid-level provider for the
Irrigon Clinic, since both
mid-level providers there
had resigned to accept po
sitions elsewhere. "1 think
we’ll have to start looking
at other recruiting firms,” he
said. Vander
D oes said
th e y had
to c l o s e
the clin ic
a “ co u p le
d a y s,” but
co v e ra g e
will contin- Michael
ued to be Blauer
provided by
a combination of doctors
and the PA.
Also at the meet
ing:
-the board learned
that the Bend clinic has
informed the district that
they will not be sending
a cardiologist to MCHD
any longer. Dr. Hanlon had
previously provided that
service, but, according to
reports, is no longer affili
ated with the Bend clinic.
LaRue expressed her regret
at the district’s loss of Dr.
Hanlon.
-approved a resolu
tion to change check writ
ing signatures from Vander
Does to Blauer. Authorized
signers besides Blauer will
include chief financial of
ficer Nicole Mahoney, di
rector of nursing Molly
Rhea and board Chair Larry
Mills.
-approved surplus-
ing a riding lawn mower
that is currently not operat
ing.
-adopted the 2009-
2010 budget for the total of
$8,163,752 with $5,007,157
for p erso n al se rv ic e s,
$1,924,106 in m aterials
and supplies; $933,055 for
revenue deductions and bad
debt; $75,000 for capital/
building reserve; $62,800
for capital purchases; and
$161,634 for capital lease
and loan reduction.
-imposed the tax
rate of $.6050 per $1,000
assessed valuation for op
erations; and $.3900 per
thousand of assessed valu
ation for the local option tax
for operations.
-approved creden-
tialing for Dr. Ken Wen-
berg, Dr. Russell Nichols,
Sheridan Tarnasky, P.A.,
and Dr. Ed Berretta. Dr.
Betsy Anderson’s was com
pleted earlier.
-received the fol
lowing financial report for
May: 605,732 in gross pa
tient revenue and $65,970
in total revenue deductions
for $539,762 in net patient
revenue, plus $56,802 in
tax revenue and $2,993 in
other operating revenue for
$599,557 in total operating
revenue. The district had
$565,573 in total operat
ing expenses, a $33,983
gain from operations and
a $9,590 non-operating
gain for a $43,574 gain
for the month and an av
erage $16,690 monthly
year-to-date loss. In April,
the district had a gain of
$14,168.
CFO Nicole Ma
honey told the board not to
anticipate as high a gross
patient revenue in June. But
she said that the new fiscal
year w ill begin in July and
the district will see local
option tax bond revenues
come in.
-approved autho
rization for investment of
money held by the country
treasurer.
-received the fol
low ing report: Pioneer
Memorial Clinic had 416
patient visits with 31 new
patients, 43 seen by a nurse
and 12 no shows; Irrigon
Clinic had 195 patient vis
its, 24 new patients, 55
seen by a nurse and 21 no
shows; Pioneer Memorial
Hospital had six admissions
in May; five swing bed
admissions; eight admitted
for observation; two swing
nursing facility admissions;
497 total outpatients; 70
total emergency room en
counters; 1839 lab tests;
120 x-ray procedures; 41
CT scans; 33 F.KG tests;
seven colonoscopies; three
endoscopy procedures; 69
respiratory therapy proce
dures; Boardman Ambu
lance had 29 page-outs and
2 1 transports for $24,288 in
revenue; Heppner Ambu
lance had 26 page-outs and
21 transports for $22,712
in revenue; Irrigon Ambu
lance had 16 page-outs and
10 transports for $ 10,426 in
revenue; Home Health had
138 patient visits; Hospice
had six admissions; phar
macy had 2301 drug doses
for $79,024 in revenue.
City of Heppner mails water report
scribes the quality of the
city’s drinking water and
explains health informa-
tion, monitoring data, and
the sources of water.
Anyone who did
not receive a copy of the
report in the mail can pick
one up at City Hall or call
676-9618 to receive one.
Holiday closures announced
Rietmann named 4th of July grand marshal
The 4 ,h o f July
com m ittee selected Bill
Rietmann to lead the lone
celebration this In
dependence Day as
grand marshal.
B i l l ’ s
grandparents came
to Morrow County
from Illinois in the
late 1800s. They
first worked in Walla
Walla and then came
to Morrow County
to homestead just outside
o f lone. Vera Engleman
and Victor Rietmann were
parents to Bill, Bob. and
Ruby Ann(Rhode). Bill was
bom October 8, 1928, grew
up attended school in lone
and graduating in 1947. He
worked on the family farm
until he was dratted in the
Army in 1953, his training
was done at Fort Lewis in
Washington and also Camp
Roberts in California. After
finishing his Army duty he
returned home to work on
the family farm.
On September 18,
1955 he married
M a rily n H u rst
o f Arlington and
honeym ooned at
Disneyland. They
had three children
Mark, Brian, and
G regg. M ark is
married to Tami
(A nderson) and
have two daugh
ters Shelley and Shanna.
Brian is married to Sharon
(Crowell) and they have
four boys and one daughter.
Gregg is married to Shel
ley (Turner) and they have
two boys and one daughter.
Bill worked on the family
farm for 48 years. He and
Marilyn were very active in
the lone Community, sup
porting school and church
activities. Bill continues to
be involved after Marilyn
passed away.
Pioneer Memorial Clinic in Heppner and Irrigon Medical Clinic w ill both be
closed on Friday, July 3, for the July Fourth holiday. Pioneer Memorial Hospital’s Labo
Bill served on the ratory and Radiology Departments will also be closed for non-emergent services.
lone City Council for 32
years, when he retired from
that job he was on the board
o f the lone Fire Depart
ment for 20 years. He is a
life member of the Oregon
Wheat League. Heppner
Elks 358, lone Commu
. ..ir—
nity Church and the South
Morrow Scholarship Trust
Board. He and Marilyn
traveled to Germany. Wash
ington D.C., Disneyland
several times, and to St.
Louis.
Every community
should be so fortunate to
have a Bill Rietmann and
family in their community.
Bill is supportive to grand Cam Day puts out his rival durine a recent game between the two Heppner Babe Ruth teams.
children, lone Schools. lone Photo by Sandy Matthews
Community Church, and
any project that needs to be
done in a caring and loving
community. The parade w ill
begin at 1 p.m. on July 4,h
A ll M C G G store s and facilities
on Main Street.
Babe Ruth season winding down
We will be closed July 3 & 4
HAVE A JAFE & HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington
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