Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 5,2014
- FIVE
HEALTH DISTRICT
-Continuedfrom PAGE ONE
th e r e b y i n c r e a s in g the
d i s t r i c t ’s s e c u r i ty and
backup.
“Our backup system is
antiquated,” said Mahoney.
She said that Windwave
used to provide data backup
and security, but then, when
they got out of the business,
the district tried to manage
it in-house.
“ I t ’s re a lly not the
safest,” she added.
In t h e a p p r o v e d
a g re e m e n t w ith 3t, the
district would “ own the
hardware locally, but 3t
would install an on-site
appliance that would allow
them to remotely manage
d ata s to r a g e , m a in ta in
backups, provide virus/
spam filtering and email
e n c ryption and oversee
data security.” O f great
co n c ern is m a in ta in in g
patient confidentiality as
mandated in HIPAA(Health
Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act).
In m a n a g e m e n t ' s
assessment and proposal
p ro v id e d to the board,
the district will continue
to purchase, update and
maintain PC workstations.
D istric t m an ag em en t
a d v is e d a g a in s t g o in g
forw ard with a “ single
s ig n o n , ” b e c a u s e it
would be cost-prohibitive,
in the n e ig h b o rh o o d o f
$45,000 per set up, with an
additional cost o f $6,500
per month, which would
include badges at around
$ 5 0 0 - $ 6 0 0 per m o n th .
With the single-sign on,
employees at the district
would be provided badges
that they would be able
to wave in front o f the
computer to gain access.
“ Single sign-on is a
great functionality, but
given our size, it is more of
a nicety than a necessity,”
said the district executive
proposal summary.
In a related matter.
M a h o n e y sa id she has
had a “hard time fighting
Healthland” concerning an
im plem entation date for
electronic records in the
clinics.
“ T hey m is s e d th eir
deadline,” she said. She
said that Healthland has
had continuing issues in
scheduling and wants to
ask them for a discount and
also ask them to put their
deadlines in writing.
A lso at the m eeting
G r i g g a n n o u n c e d th at
long-tim e physician Dr.
Ed Berretta has announced
plans to retire from his
m e d i c a l p r a c t i c e in
H e p p n e r. He said that
while Dr. Berretta would
n o t c o n t i n u e to k e e p
office hours, he may still
be interested in providing
some other services to the
district. Grigg said that the
district will send a notice to
all o f Dr. Berretta’s patients
to g iv e th e m “ f o rm a l
n o tic e and en co u rag e
them to transition to Dr.
H a m b le to n ,” or one o f
their other health district
providers. Grigg said that
they are planning a public
reception for Dr. Berretta
for “ his m any years o f
dedication and devotion
to our community.” Grigg
said that he expects Dr.
H a m b le to n to arrive in
March and anticipates that
he would spend two clinic
days per week in Irrigon
and two in Heppner. Dr.
Hambleton’s proposed start
date is March 11.
The b o a rd a lso
discussed the upcom ing
May 20 election in which
the district plans to put
forth a levy to rep la ce
the current levy, which
expires. Morrow County
voters first passed a three-
year sup p le m e n ta l levy
for the district eight years
ago and, then, after a gap,
passed the current five-
year supplem ental levy.
Board Chair Larry Mills
stressed that the levy will
n o t i n c r e a s e , but w ill
remain at the .39 cents per
thousand assessed valuation
as in previous levies. He
reiterated that the levy will
ensure that the district can
continue to provide existing
services for e m ergency
services. Home Health and
Hospice.
As a r e s u l t o f the
last levy, th e d i s t r i c t
accomplished remodeling
o f th e I r r ig o n C l i n ic ,
purchased an ambulance
for Irrigon and continued
to s t a f f I r r ig o n and
Boardman with full-time
paramedics, in addition to
maintaining services. With
passa g e o f a new levy,
the district hopes to be
able replace ambulances
for the c o m m u n itie s o f
Boardman and Heppner.
Mills told Grigg that as an
employee o f the district
he can’t promote passage
of the levy and is required
to limit his comments to
the p r o v is io n o f facts.
M ills a lso s u g g e s te d
that a P o litic a l A c tio n
Committee, representing
all communities in Morrow
County, be formed as soon
as possible.
In other business, the
board:
-d isc u sse d
th e
p r o p o s e d new M orrow
C o u n t y b u i l d i n g in
Heppner, including road
w ork and h o s p ita l and
clinic road access. Board
member Leann Rea, who
is also a Morrow County
C om m issioner, gave an
overview o f the county’s
plans for the new building,
w h ic h w ill be lo c a te d
near the Morrow County
Courthouse.
-received an inquiry
from Rea as to whether the
district would be interested
in purchasing the county’s
b u i l d i n g lo c a te d n e a r
Pioneer Memorial Clinic in
Heppner. “I could see some
value to have some more
space,” commented Grigg.
- l e a r n e d t h a t th e
district had ¿n increase
o f a lm o s t $ 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 in
gross patient revenue over
last month’s figures. The
district had $668,410 in
gross patient revenue in
December, com pared to
$573,193 in Novem ber.
The d istric t show ed
$27,044 in total revenue
d e d u c t i o n s , $ 6 4 1 ,3 6 5
in net p a tie n t rev en u e,
compared to$550,064 last
m onth and $791,932 in
total operating revenue,
compared to $671,357 last
month. On the expense side,
the district had $717,933 in
total operating expenses,
c o m p a r e d to $ 7 3 0 ,3 9 9
the previous month, for
with local industry partners
and add approximately 30
new degree and certificate
programs that would have
trained students for family-
wage jobs in the region.
The major expansion
th at w as p la n n e d for
Morrow County would have
been a food processing and
computer server training
center located at Boardman.
The college was looking for
land near the new SAGE
Center on which to locate.
The center would have
taught skills for the food
p r o c e s s in g a n d s e rv e r
farm b u s in e s s . S e r v e r
farms, which contain large
computers such as those
u s e d by A m a z o n .c o m
and other online retailers
and businesses, are now
lo c a tin g at the Port o f
Morrow because of cheap
p o w e r and am ple land.
B M C C ’s proposed levy
would have added courses
to train workers at these
facilities.
Port of Morrow board
m em b e r and Boardm an
resident Don Russell said
he had tried to sign up on
the college’s web site and
take online classes many
times, but there were never
enough students to actually
go ahead with the classes.
Neal told the BMCC
representatives that there
probably would have been
trouble staffing the classes
in B o a r d m a n b e c a u s e
he was told p ro fe s s o rs
in P e n d leto n m ake the
decision themselves if they
want to go to Boardman
to teach. BMCC president
Preus did not deny the staff
had this authority, but said
she would “check it out.”
Others at the meeting
said the college levy went
out in the mail close to
property tax statements,
which was a blow against
passage, and that there was
not enough a d v e rtis in g
about the details o f the
levy for voters to decide to
vote yes.
M a illo u x s a id th a t
“ Pendleton is dying and
our (B oardm an) area is
growing. Give us our bang
for our buck,” he said.
“ We a r e g o i n g to
c ontinue to create jo b s
(at the Port),” Neal said.
“And people are going to
continue to fill these jobs
from outside the area if
we don’t get the needed
training. I am looking to
see how BMCC can be a
partner in this success,”
he said.
Morrow County Judge
Terry Tallmann said BMCC
had missed the boat five or
six years ago when it failed
to start providing training
for the burgeoning wind
industry in the area.
“ BM CC could have
done something to work
a $ 7 3 , 9 9 8 g a in fro m
operations for December. In
November, the district had
a $59,042 loss. The gain
for December was $84,115,
compared to a $50,638 loss
in November.
-a p p ro v e d the 2013
audited financials.
-discussed the results
o f a G a llu p e m p lo y e e
“engagement survey.”
-ap p ro v e d Dr. Russ
N i c h o ls ’ c re d e n tia lin g .
which had already been
approved by medical staff.
-learned from Grigg
that the search for a primary
care executive director to
manage the district's clinics
is continuing. He said that
the district has received
almost 50 applications and
h,as narrowed the choices
d o w n to the top th re e
candidates. “All three are
very good,” said Grigg,
“ but I ’m not sure they
would come if asked.” He
said the next steps were
to do Skype interview s
and then schedule on-site
interviews.
-learned of an employee
rec o g n itio n banquet
planned for Friday, Feb. 28,
at the Heppner Elks Lodge.
All employees, providers
and board m em bers are
invited to attend.
-heard the results of a
patient survey that indicated
th at 75 p e rc e n t w ould
recommend the hospital,
emergency or providers to
their family and friends.
The district’s goal is 84
percent.
-received the following
report: Pioneer Memorial
Hospital had five admissions
in December, three swing
bed admissions. 11 admitted
for observation, one swing
nursing facility admission.
4 3 0 to ta l o u t p a t i e n t s ,
63 e m e r g e n c y r o o m
encounters, 1,334 lab tests,
31 x-ray procedures. 19 CT
scans, 18 EKG tests, one
treadmill procedure, five
colonoscopy procedures,
three endoscopy procedures,
th re e c o lo n /e n d o s c o p y
procedures, 27 respiratory
therapy procedures; Home
Health had 108 patient
visits; Hospice had one
a d m issio n ; P h arm acy
had 1,815 drug doses for
$121,911 in drug revenue;
Pioneer Memorial Clinic
had 349 patient visits with
15 new patients, 32 seen by
a nurse and nine no-shows;
Irrigon Medical Clinic had
191 patient visits with 25
new patients, 39 seen by
a nurse and 11 no-shows;
H ep p n er A m b u lan c e
had 18 page-outs and 18
tra n s p o rts for $ 2 7 ,4 7 8
in re v e n u e ; B o a r d m a n
Ambulance had 43 page
outs with 21 transports for
$28,690 in revenue; Irrigon
Ambulance had 31 page
outs with 13 transports
$16,497 in revenue; there
were five flights.
- r e c e iv e d th e y e a r
end a m b u l a n c e r e p o r t
as follows: Heppner had
260 page outs with 224
transports for an 86 percent
transport rate; Boardman
had 386 page-outs with 221
transports for 57 percent;
and Irrigon had 288 page
outs with 174 transports
for 60 percent; there were
934 total page-outs, 619
transports and 36 flights for
the year.
BMCC LISTENS
-Continuedfrom PA GE ONE
C e n te r in B o ardm an to
give their opinion on why
the levy fa ile d , c itin g
everything from a cluttered
ballot, to misinformation
and displeasure with college
class offerings.
“ W hy a re y o u not
o f f e r in g m o re in y o u r
nursing program instead of
drones and agriculture?”
asked Ron M ailloux o f
Boardman. Mailloux said
it is hard to get into nursing
programs yet the college
doesn't seem to add more of
those. He also criticized the
college for not figuring in
rising property valuations.
“I ’m not anti-college
or anti-education, but the
way this was presented was
totally wrong,” Mailloux
said.
If approved the new
levy w ould have raised
approximately $28.1 million
to su p p o rt co n stru c tio n
fo r new w o rk fo rc e
t r a i n i n g p r o g r a m s in
B o a r d m a n , H e r m i s to n
and Pendleton, as well as
capital im provem ents at
college facilities throughout
M o rr o w an d U m a ti ll a
counties.
The listening session
was attended by the Blue
Mountain College President
Camille Preus; however, the
meeting was handled by
Casey White-Zollman o f
InterMountain ESD.
P o rt o f M o rro w
G e n e ral M a n ag e r Gary
Neal said providing for
local training is essential
for the changes going on in
Morrow County.
“ When we deal with
industries there is a strong
need for skilled and semi
skilled workers,” he said.
The Port o f Morrow has
se en a m a jo r in c re a s e
in food p ro ce ssin g and
data center construction,
and Neal said “training
programs for these workers
through the college could
have a long-term benefit for
both BMCC and our local
communities.”
L isa M itte ls d o rf ,
D i r e c t o r o f E c o n o m ic
Development at the Port,
said she felt people wanted
to know more about where
the $28 million was going
to be spent, and did not get
that information prior to the
election.
The new construction
projects that would have
been funded with the bond
were the STEAM (science,
technology, engineering,
arts and math) Center, to
be located near the SAGE
C e n t e r in B o a r d m a n ;
the P re c is io n Irrig a ted
A g r i c u l t u r e C e n t e r in
Hermiston; and the Applied
Animal Science Education
Center in Pendleton. These
new facilities would have
enabled BMCC to work
South Morrow
County Scholarship
elects officers
At the annual meeting
o f South Morrow County
S c h o l a r s h ip In c ., Bill
R ie tm a n n o f lo n e w as
elected president; Ginger
Bowman, vice president;
Del LaRue, treasurer; and
Sharon Harrison, secretary.
Board members serving are
Martha M unkers, Missy
Cutsforth and Carri Grieb.
The S o u th M o rro w
County Scholarship Trust
was established several
years ago to provide funds
to grant scholarships to
graduating seniors from
H e ppner and lone high
schools and to take the
p la c e o f the T ro e d so n
Scholarship fund, which
will be discontinued in the
year 2023.
A p plication for this
y e a r ’s scholarships will
be available in the form of
computer disk at Heppner
High School and lone High
School starting in March.
w ith th e w ind e n e rg y
business, but that (training
opportunity) has passed us
by,” he said.
“ We have an enterprise
zo n e h ere a ttr a c tin g
business,” Heppner resident
Louis Carlson said. “They
are begging for trained
p e o p le and the Port o f
Morrow is doing a great
job.”
When Neal asked how
the college came up with
where and how the college
was going to spend the
money from the bond, he
w as told a blue ribbon
panel advised the college
and made the decisions.
Neal said he had not heard
anything about the panel or
the decision process.
The listening tour is
being conducted to help
BMCC decide whether or
not to put the bond up for
a vote again. Officials said
no decision had been made.
They also said a survey
had been conducted but
said they would not release
results of that survey at this
time.
“No decision has been
made on if to go out for an
election again,” said White-
Zollman.
Thompson benefit a
success
More than 150 people attended a benefit for local resident
Kimberly Thompson last week. Participants reported that it
was a fun night, with an auction that included multiple items,
most notably the chance to shave the head of local physician
Dr. Russ Nichols. Pictured is Thompson taking a razor to
Nichols’ head during the festivities last Thursday. Photo hy
Sandv Matthews
HHS plans academic ABRAMS AT
support Fridays
CHAMBER
Heppner Jr./Sr. High
S c h o o l has s c h e d u l e d
several Friday mornings
for academic support. Staff
members will be present
to provide assistance to
students.
“ T his is s o m e th in g
we h a v e a lw a y s d o n e
informally, but we want to
remind parents and students
ahead o f time,” said head
teacher Greg Grant.
“With the rigor o f our
classes, students now, more
than ever, need to spend
significant time out of class
to do their best.”
Students are encouraged
to attend between 8 a.m.
and 11:30 a.m. on the listed
dates.
Parents are encouraged
to contact teachers or the
school with any questions.
Dates for a cadem ic
support are: Feb. 7 and 28;
March 7, 14 and 21; April
18; and May 2 and 9.
-Continuedfrom PAGE ONE
when accepting the job.
“ I believe deeply in
the mission o f the agency
to e n s u re a leg a c y for
Oregonians and their public
s c h o o ls th ro u g h sound
stewardship o f Oregon's
lands, wetlands, unclaimed
property, estates and the
Common School Fund.”
A c c o r d i n g t o its
website, the Dept, o f State
L a n d s m a n a g e s n e a rly
640,000 acres o f grazing
an d a g r i c u l t u r a l land;
131,000 acres of forestland,
including the Elliott State
Forest in Coos and Douglas
counties; and 800,000 acres
of off-shore land, estuarine
tidelands, and submerged
and s u b m e r s ib le lan d s
o f the sta te 's navigable
waterway system.
The land is managed
to derive income; earnings
from fund investments are
distributed semi-annually to
Oregon’s 198 K-12 public
school districts.
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