n i l i n I li I n
III
Il,I,„II
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper li bran
University of Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
Education Center works to strengthen
county’s $7.6 million health industry
Health care responsible for 144 Morrow County jobs
By David Sykes
An organization
based in La Grande has
been working hard to keep
Morrow County’s health
care industry healthy itself,
the executive director told
the Heppner Chamber of
VOL. 129
NO. 43
10 Pages
Wednesday, October 27,2010
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
M.C. Fair & OTPR implementing
Ambassador Program
This year the Mor
row County Fair and Or
egon Trail Pro Rodeo are
implementing a new Am
bassador Program.
A pplicants m ust
be a resident o f Morrow
County, between the ages of
16-20 years of age. The Fair
is interested in those that are
able to commit to service
during the year starting
November 2010 through
November 2011.
Activities include
contact with local schools,
parades at county events.
county Music in the Park
concerts. Chamber of Com
merce events, community
holiday events and all Mor
row County Fair functions.
Candidates may be required
to participate in some Mor
row County Rodeo events if
needed, but will not be re
quired to ride in the rodeo.
Applications must
be received by 11 a.m. on
November 10 at the Fair
Office. Late applications
will not be considered. The
Ambassador Program will
be coordinated this year by
Alita Nelson, at (541) 377-
7300 and Wendy McPher
son, at (541)571-4309.
A contestant inter
view and parent informa
tion session will be held on
November 21 in Heppner at
the fairgrounds at 1 p.m.
For m ore in fo r
mation call fair manager
Ren’ee Yocom at 541-676-
9474. For applications con
tact your local school or
the fair office at mcfaire@
co.morrow.or.us.
Listening sessions to be held regarding
wind turbine health concerns
O re g o n P u b lic
Health officials will hold
community listening ses
sions regarding health con
cerns about wind turbines
in the community. The Of
fice of Environmental Pub
lic Health is conducting a
Health Impact Assessment
on the siting of wind farms
in Oregon.
Commerce last week.
Amy Dunkak o f
N ortheast O regon area
H ealth Education C en
ter (NEOAHEC) said the
county has six physicians
and 144 employees in the
health care industry for a
total of $7.6 million an
nual contribution to the
economy. That works out
to 23 jobs and $ 1.3 million,
per physician.
Dunkak said there
is a shortage of physicians
looming in the future for
rural areas and her orga
nization is working to try
and alleviate that short
age. “ We try and attract
health professionals to your
community,” she told the
Chamber o f Commerce.
And it is not just physicians
they deal with. “We work
with physical therapists,
physician’s assistants and
dental professionals too,”
she added.
According to the
2008 cen su s, M orrow
County has a total popula
tion o f 11,140. She said
24.8 percent are over 55
years of age and 61 percent
of those people need clini
cal health care. She said “a
lot of physicians are going
to retire,” and her group
is working to get young
people interested in the
medical field. Dunkak said
there were 945 students in
her region, which covers
10 counties in Oregon, who
have gotten “intense health
care training,” including
Med Quest and other pro
grams.
Dunkak said educa
tional efforts by her group
will help keep Morrow
County’s health industry
viable.
Two o f the most
popular programs are Med
Quest, a residential health
career explorations camp
for high school students,
and G irls in Science, a
one-day event for middle
school girls held on the
Eastern Oregon University
campus.
O ther program s
Pendleton, 2001 SW Nye,
from noon to 1 p.m. The
final session will be held at
the Arlington Grade School
cafeteria, 1400 Main Street,
from 6:30-8 p.m.
For m ore in fo r
mation visit http://www.
oregon.gov/DHS/ph/hia/ By April Sykes
windenergy.shtml or email
M orrow County
wind.hia@state.or.us.
Health District Emergency
Medical Services director
Rusty Estes told the board
at their regular meeting
The A rtifactory, Buschke at 541-676-5826 year including baskets, ce Monday night in Lexington
sponsored by the Heppner by filling out an application ramics, gourds, wood items, that the district now has
St. Patrick’s Senior Center, at the Senior Center office. jew elry, country crafts, 46 EMS personnel and 28
is scheduled for Saturday, The table rental is $20 and paintings, baby quilts, ted ambulance drivers.
November 13, from 9 a.m. will go to the Senior Center dy bears, doll beds, and
Estes, who is also
to 4 p.m. at the Senior to help keep their doors home decor.
the Heppner Fire Chief,
The Senior Cen said that Heppner now has
Center.
open and available for com
ter will have cinnamon 20 EMS personnel. Board-
Tables are avail munity events.
able for vendors who wish
There will be a va rolls, hot dogs, polish dogs, man has 10, Irrigon, 11,
to participate and can be riety of items for sale this soups, and drinks for sale. lone, three, and Lexington,
reserved by contacting Judy
two. He said that five of
those are paramedics, 14
are intermediates and 27
have basic certificates. He
The 66th annual meeting of Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative, Inc. will be reported that the district
held at the Gilliam County Fairgrounds in Condon on Thursday, November 4.
now has 28 ambulance driv
Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m., dinner will be held at 5:15 p.m., and a ers: 15 in Heppner, six in
business meeting will begin at 6 p.m.
Boardman, four in Irrigon
This meeting is for the purpose of electing four directors and for the transac and three in lone. Two of
tion of any other business to properly come before this meeting.
the Boardman personnel
are full-tim e employees
paid by the district and one
in Irrigon is also a full time
The Heppner Gazette-Times wants to see
paid employee.
pictures o f your trophy animals from this
Estes said that a
new EMT class has been
hunting season. Stop by to have your
scheduled in Boardman
picture taken, drop off photos, or email
with 10 people signed up.
Last year the class was held
them to editor@rapidserve.net.
in Heppner with 11 enroll-
The first session
will be held on Novem
ber 3 at Eastern Oregon
University in La Grande,
One University Boulevard,
on the third floor o f the
Hoke Union Building in
room 309 from 6:30-8 p.m.
The next session will be
held on November 4 at the
Umatilla-Morrow ESD in
offered are health
career day funds that
give $1,000 grants
to communities that
wish to coordinate
a health career day
for elementary stu
dents. Another grant
program also gives
$1,000 grants to high Amy Dunkak, executive direc
school students that tor of Northeast Oregon Area
wish to coordinate a
Health Education Center, ad
breast health aware
dressed the Heppner Chamber
ness or fundraising
event. Dunkak said of Commerce last week about
another popular pro the organization's efforts to
gram is In-A-Box strengthen Morrow County’s
materials that offer health care industry. Photo by
supplem ental sc i David Sykes
ence materials avail
able to check-out for
the health care field. “Small
fourth through eight grade towns are vying for health
teachers focusing on the care professionals w ith oth
body and environmental er communities. It is hard to
sciences.
get radiology techs and lab
Patti Allstott, ad techs,” she said, “not just
ministrative coordinator at physicians and physician’s
the Morrow County Health assistants.” “Anything we
District, who is on the board can do to get young people
of directors for NEOAHEC, involved (in the health care
said it is important to en field) will help us locally,”
courage our youth to enter she said.
Halloween arrives at
Willow Creek Terrace
George Nairns carved this large pumpkin as part of the Hal
loween decorations at Willow Creek Terrace. The pumpkin was
donated hy Duane and Kohanai Disque. Pictured with Nairns
are Narin Stone and Teagan Ramsey. Photo by Megan Futter
Emergency medical services
personnel recruitment up
Annual Artifactory planned for November
Columbia Basin to hold annual meeting
ing for the class and 10 pass
ing the requirements. Four
of the prospective EMTs
are bilingual, he added. He
told the board that MCHD
EMS personnel are “some
of the finest rescue people”
in the state.
The board told Es
tes that he has been doing
a “great job" of recruiting
EMS personnel.
Estes also said that
it was time for an ambu
lance rotation, with the Irri
gon community next in line
for a new ambulance. He
estimated it take at least a
year to complete the search,
purchase a new vehicle and
receive delivery. He said
that after a new vehicle is
purchased for Irrigon, Ir
rigon’s old ambulance will
go to Heppner, Heppner’s
backup will go to lone and
lone’s current vehicle will
go to surplus.
The last communi
ty to receive a new vehicle
was Boardman in 2007;
Boardman’s second vehicle
was purchased in 1997;
Heppner's main ambulance
was purchased in 2005 and
its backup in 1997; lrrigon’s
last ambulance was pur
chased in 2000; and lone’s
in 1987. Estes estimated
that a new vehicle would
cost in the neighborhood of
$140,000.
MCHD Board
member LeAnn Rea, who
is also a Morrow County
Com m issioner, told the
board that the county is in
the process of negotiating
with the Navy over usage
of Bombing Range lands
within Morrow County and
possible purchase of a new
ambulance. “They haven't
paid the county any money
for 72 years,” said Rea. She
said that the county also
wants to own Bombing
Range Road, which is "the
primary north-south cor
ridor" in Morrow County.
She noted that currently
the road is in the Navy's
jurisdiction and the Navy
could choose to close the
road at any time. She also
mentioned that fire district
personnel are often called
out to assist w ith fires on the
Navy Bombing Range and
suggested that negotiations
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