HeppnerGazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
HEALTH DISTRICT LEVY
•Continuedfrom PAGE ONE
business loan agreement
for $200,000 from the
Bank o f Eastern Oregon
for equipment. The loan
is to mature on Nov. 25,
2018, and has a 3.75 percent
interest rate.
-received the district’s
financial report for October
showing a $42,380 loss for
the month.
MCHD had $624,384
in gross patient revenue
for the month, less $27,153
for bad debts and $15,054
in contractual and other
adjustments, plus $ 106,839
in ta x r e v e n u e a n d
$32,912 in other operating
revenue for $721,928 in
total operating revenue;
$775,279 in total operating
expenses, plus $ 10,970 for
a non-operating gain for
the loss.
-discussed a revised
CEO e v a lu a tio n form
and, in executive session,
conducted a b rie f six-
month review o f Grigg’s
p e r f o r m a n c e . G r ig g
received very p o sitiv e
com m ents from board
m e m b e rs on h is jo b
performance.
-approved
an
agreem ent with Im pact
C om m unications for a
“community engagement
and team transformation
series.”
Impact
C o m m u n ic a tio n s w ill
provide consulting services
to basically improve the
district’s performance. The
process involves strategic
p la n n in g , le a d e r s h ip
retreats, workshops and
other planning sessions
at a cost of $35,250, plus
additional costs for extras
and travel. The process is
to begin with the initial
sessions on January 28-29
and March 11-13, with an
additional session in April
to be determined.
-learned
from
G rig g th a t all d is tric t
employees were presented
a 12-question voluntary
survey adm inistered by
Gallup to measure employee
engagement. Eighty percent
of employees completed the
survey, he said.
-learned from Grigg
that each district manager
has been asked to read the
book, “The 4 Disciplines
o f Execution-A chieving
your W ildly Im portant
G oals,” and then have a
dialogue with their staff
to set goals and “metrics
(measurements) that will
impact our goals.”
-learned that Dr. Betsy
A nderson has agreed to
be the clinician leader for
“Patient Centered Primary
Care Home” for the district.
Grigg said that the goal
is to apply for PCPCH
certification by March 1.
-learned that a position
for clinic manager has been
posted. Grigg said that the
executive director-primary
care position has already
received seven resumes,
all from applicants with
master’s degrees.
-set a tentative date of
Feb. 28 for an employee
a w a r d s b a n q u e t to
recognize employees who
reach milestones of service.
P rev io u sly the aw ards
have been presented at
a Christm as potluck for
south county employees
and handed out individually
for north county employees.
-received the following
report: Pioneer Memorial
Hospital had one admission
for the month, four swing
bed a d m issio n s, eig h t
admitted for observation,
473 to ta l o u tp a tie n ts ,
69 e m e r g e n c y ro o m
encounters, 1,629 lab tests,
100 x-ray procedures, 21
CT scans, 48 EKG tests, two
treadmill procedures, six
colonoscopy procedures,
two endoscopy procedures,
42 resp irato ry th erap y
p r o c e d u r e s ; P io n e e r
Memorial Clinic had 450
patient visits with 13 new
patients, 114 seen by a
nurse and four no-shows;
Irrigon Medical Clinic had
197 patient visits with 35
new patients, 85 seen by a
nurse and seven no-shows;
Home Health had 85 patient
visits; Hospice had two
ad m issio n s; P harm acy
had 1,183 drug d o ses
for $99,871 in revenue;
Heppner Ambulance had
23 total page-outs with
18 transports for $26,181
in rev en u e; B oardm an
Ambulance had 28 page
outs with 15 transports for
$21,221 in revenue; Irrigon
ambulance had 29 page
outs with 15 transports for
$19,258 in revenue; there
was one flight.
-agreed to cancel the
December board meeting
because of conflicts with
the holidays, since it would
fall between Christmas and
New Year’s.
-received the following
board meeting calendar for
2014: January 27-Irrigon
Medical Clinic, February
24-Ione Community
Church, March 31-Hospice
meeting room, Heppner,
April 28-Lexington Town
H all, May 19-H ospice
m e e t i n g r o o m; J u n e
30-Irrigon Medical Clinic,
July 28-Ione Community
Church, August 25-Hospice
meeting room, September
29-Sand Hollow Room,
Port of Morrow, Boardman,
O cto b er 2 7 -L ex in g to n
Town H all, N ovem ber
24-Hospice meeting room,
D e c e m b e r 2 9 -Irrig o n
Medical Clinic.
All meetings start at
7 p.m.
Heppner merchants offer
chance to ‘shop ‘til you drop’
On T hursday, Dec.
5, local m erchants will
have special cu sto m er
appreciation activities and
will offer extended hours
to kick off the Christmas
holiday season.
The m erch an ts are
planning activities to thank
custom ers for shopping
local. Some of the specials
being planned are:
A & M ’s K i t c h e n
will have sugar cookies
for the children to frost
and decorate, starting at
4 p.m., children must be
accompanied by an adult.
Bank of Eastern Oregon
will be having a drawing
for a sm all d eco ra ted
Christmas tree and serving
refreshments from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m.
Community Bank will
also put out some great
refreshments.
Heppner Family Foods
will offer free Home Town
coffee for their customers
all day and will have Santa
set up in the store from 6-7
p.m., so bring a camera and
take pictures.
Murray’s Drug will be
having hourly door prizes,
the wish-list treasure hunt
will start (with the winner
being announced during
the 12/19 Christmas event)
and from 5-7 p.m. there will
be a mini wine tasting, as
well as cookies and punch
available throughout the
day.
Make sure you stop by
and check out Sew On Et
Cetera and check out her
new location in the previous
Heritage Land Co. space at
178 N. Main Street, and see
what Christmas items she
will have available for sale.
Sw eet P ro d u ctio n s
will hold a Gingerbread
House Workshop from 4-7
p.m., all ages welcome,
reservations required (adult
kit is $15 and kids kit is
$5), and stop by and check
out the annual gingerbread
structure on display.
Check out all o f the
Nativities on loan by people
in the community that will
be put on display in the
window s o f the form er
Quilter’s Round-Up. They
will be on display Dec.
4-10.
M ake sure to be at
the tree outside the post
office at 5:30 p.m. so you
can watch the H eppner
Day Care and H eppner
Elementary School children
hang th e ir hom em ade
Christmas ornaments on
the tree.
P l a n on s t a y i n g
downtown to eat; shop at
all of our local merchants
and enjoy the sounds and
sig h ts o f C h ris tm a s ...
and remember to ask for
a rewards card with every
purchase.
Wednesday, November27,2013
-S E V E N
A View from the Hill
By Doris Brosnan
witness the patriotism of made ornam ents on the
Willow Creek Terrace’s the younger generation and C h ristm a s tree in the
celebration o f Halloween to hear their appreciation commons area. The 4-to-
w ith the H eppner Pre- o f the freedoms afforded 6 p.m. event will include
School children had to be A m erican citizens was caroling and end with a
postponed because several rew arding. On Veterans soup supper for residents
students were suffering Day, the Terrace showed and volunteers.
fro m flu bugs . Tha t its red, w hite and blue
On Dec. 9, volunteers
disappointment was offset colors and residents offered will have an opportunity
on Tuesday this week by special thanks to their to assist residents with
a visit from the little ones neighbors who served in the the addressing o f their
who sang for and visited military. One remnant of the Christmas cards. On Dec.
with the residents, resulting aftermath of a hard-fought 12, the plan might include
in a p re-T h an k sg iv in g war remained until 1989, the making of at least two
celebration. That event was and on Nov. 9, residents gingerbread houses, so
to be followed with another remembered the opening up interested housebuilders
pre-Thanksgiving gift, for of the Berlin Wall.
will want to call the Terrace
interested residents to be
On Nov. 13, som e before the 12lh, 541-676-
treated to free manicures.
residents and staff could be 0004. V isitors w ill be
“Celebration” remains heard and seen carrying out welcomed on Dec. 16 and
a key word in life on the their day’s assignment, for 20 to the piano recitals by
Hill, so the com munity the morning conversation students of Alaina Lemmon,
has celebrated several of centered on World Kindness occasions always looked
N o v em b er’s nationally Day, and everyone was forward to by residents and
recognized days in small, challenged to carry out a staff. And interested fans of
medium, and large ways. random act o f kindness. It’s a Wonderful Life might
Since November contains There were several.
want to check to find out
so many special days, only
Participants enjoyed when the Terrace residents
highlights of some will fit t hat as mu c h as they will be viewing the movie
into this column:
enjoyed their conversation that celebrates on Dec. 19
A quiet conversation in on the 18th, which was the its 67th birthday.. .and bring
the commons area on Nov. birthday of the push-button the popcorn.
1 ’s Authors Day focused phone. The history of the
Christmas Eve will be
on individuals’ favorite telephone during these past a peaceful, more private
a u th o rs, new a u th o rs, 80 and 90 years brought time for the Community on
and genres o f literature. back many memories: the the Hill. After their evening
Westerns and m ysteries crank-style phones, the filled with holiday music,
seem to be most popular operators who connected residents must scurry off
with this generation o f the caller to the callee (new to beds early enough to
readers, though their tastes word?), the party lines and allow Santa to complete
do tend to be eclectic. those neighbors who would his rounds as he places
Volunteer Ed S truthers “rubberneck” (listen to his small gifts in each and
works weekly to bring to another person’s calls) or every stocking hung with
the Terrace books from the interrupt another person’s care down the halls and
local library that will appeal call, and the advancement tucks another gift under
to the resident readers. Ed from that to the rotary dial the tree for every resident.
also makes sure that the and then to the push-button- The staff makes sure that
variety he selects contains style phone.
Santa doesn’t miss anyone,
some large-print books,
A nother opportunity whether naughty or nice.
especially appreciated by to reminisce was on Nov.
Christmas morning will
several residents.
21, the Great American begin around the tree, with
Two days later, the Smokeout. Some residents oohs and aahs and many
T errace S ta ff b ecam e shared their stories about words o f thanks, and the
especially busy because their smoking days, some day’s festive breakfast and
that was when Daylight com ical experiences as lunch will make fora perfect
Savings Time ended. It smokers, even the fact that holiday with neighbors.
was the day to make sure some were “closet smokers”
Wh e t h e r re s id e n ts
that everyone’s clock was who didn’t think anyone becom e rowdy and see
reset to the new time and— knew they smoked, and the the Old Year out and the
because this is an easy way more serious reasons they New Year in is yet to be
to remember—to change all quit smoking.
seen, but they will surely
the batteries in everyone’s
Thanksgiving on the not be any happier then
battery-operated devices.
Hill has been eagerly than they will have been
On Nov. 4, residents anticipated. Several guests while celebrating a couple
were alerted to the 134th were expected to swell o f Decem ber birthdays.
anniversary o f the First the num ber at lunch to On Dec. 3. Royce Fulleton
Mechanical Cash Register. over thirty. Some residents will be 96 years old but still
This was an opportunity w ere also planning to younger than Bud Batty,
for a walk down Memory attend family gatherings who will celebrate his 97th
Lane, as they recalled their elsewhere.
birthday on Dec. 9 ...two
experiences as employees
De c e mb e r wi l l be celebrations the residents
or business owners who had an o th er a c tiv ity -fille d and staff view as important
to work with cash registers. month, and a month of enough to be included in
The re sid e n ts who opportunities for visitors the month’s Days of Special
attended the Nov. 7 Heppner and volunteers, beginning Events.
High School program in w ith Dec. 1, when the
Two apartm ents are
honor o f U.S. M ilitary Terrace residents and staff available at Willow Creek
Veterans again appreciated invite visitors to help deck Terrace, so anyone curious
the sincerity of the school the halls. A great time will for more information about
students and staff and were be had by all who help put this place o f camaraderie
particularly impressed by out the holiday decorations and celebrations should call
the student speakers. To and put the many resident- 541-676-0004.
Boardman adopts truancy ordinance
A t t h e i r Nov. 18
m eeting, the Boardm an
Ci t y Counci l ad o p ted
an ordinance creating a
truancy curfew for anyone
between the ages of seven
and 18 who is required to
attend school. Councilors
u n a n i mo u s l y voted to
adopt the ordinance after
concerns about school-
aged children around the
community during school
hours were brought to the
attention o f B oardm an
Police Chief Rick Stokoe.
The city consulted with the
school district about the
truancy ordinance prior to
its adoption.
The ordinance gives
law enforcem ent a tool
to support the school in
truancy policies.
The next meeting of
the council will be Tuesday,
Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.
Have a safe
w
& happy
U Thanksgiving
ffo v H S
r From all of us
at Heppner
Les Schwab
124 N. M A IN ST R E E T HEPPNER OR 97836
I