TEN - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 20, 2015
HEALTH DISTRICT
-Continued from PAGE ONE
Care Services Director
Robin Warren, who was in
attendance at the meeting.
Ironically, Warren, 46,
who is from Yakima, WA,
has Heppner roots. Her fa-
ther, John Shaw, was from
Ione, and her mother, Annie
Epperson, was from Hep-
pner. Warren, who is single,
has four children, 26, 29, 32
and 36, three of whom are
from a blended marriage.
Warren, who now lives in
Hermiston, says she is very
happy about the prospect of
relocating to Heppner.
“I’m blown away by
being able to walk down
the street without worrying
about getting shot at,” she
commented.
Warren has an associ-
ate’s degree in nursing from
Yakima Valley Community
College. She previously
worked at a long-term care
facility in Wapato, WA, and
in pediatric home care in
Pasco, WA.
Also at the meeting
the board discussed staff
recognition, deciding to
focus on nominations from
co-workers, rather than by
management. Molly Rhea,
Director of Nursing Ser-
vices, said that all of her
staff “work their tails off,”
but may never get recog-
nized, perhaps especially
the graveyard shift.
In other business, the
board:
-learned from Grigg
that the district has installed
a mechanism in the Pioneer
Memorial Hospital “triage
room” that activates Life
Flight with the push of a
button.
“When activated Life
Flight will get the team and
helicopter in the air right
away,” said Grigg. “And
then call for details while en
route. Based on the sever-
ity of the condition, saving
even a few minutes can be
the difference between life
and death for our patients.”
“It’s exciting to have
than access,” he added.
“The quicker the better.”
Dr. Betsy Anderson
suggested that the hospi-
tal check the mechanism
with Life Flight once a
month to make sure that
it is still working and the
board agreed that it would
be appropriate.
-learned from Grigg
that Merritt Hawkins, the
physician search firm, re-
tained by the district for up
to $13,903.83, has been on
site to assess the commu-
nity and the “practice envi-
ronment for potential physi-
cian candidates.” Grigg said
that Merritt Hawkins was
in the process of creating
a mailer that they plan to
send to targeted candidates
with ties to the region. He
added that they anticipate
having candidates to pres-
ent by mid-June. Merritt
Hawkins reported sending
personal letters to 6,514
family medicine candidates
and emails to 1,267.
The district is seeking a
family medicine physician
to replace Dr. Anderson,
who is leaving the district in
August to accept a position
in La Grande.
Call has sometimes
been an issue for provid-
ers, since they must leave
scheduled clinic appoint-
ments at Pioneer Memorial
Clinic in Heppner to care
for patients in the Pioneer
Memorial Hospital emer-
gency room. Monday night,
the board tabled approval of
a contract to hire Dr. Ken
Wenberg to cover the emer-
gency room on Mondays,
Fridays and one day mid-
week, on a schedule agreed
upon by providers, with
some exceptions, pending
Dr. Wenberg’s signature on
the contract.
Not cancelling sched-
uled clinic patients for
emergency room calls has
already proved effective,
added Dr. Anderson.
-approved a contract
for Nurse Practitioner Ei-
leen McElligott to work at
the Ione Community Clinic
following the clinic’s open-
ing in mid-August.
-heard from Grigg that
the search committee is
currently reviewing 50 re-
sumes for the district’s
CEO position. The posi-
tion closed on May 15 and
the committee plans to
meet May 21 to narrow the
candidate pool to the top
candidates.
-learned that Star Roth,
director of primary care
services, has resigned, and
the district is beginning a
search for a new director.
Grigg said that in the inter-
im, Irrigon Medical Clinic
Physician’s Assistant, John
Adair, Liz Peterson, direc-
tor of medical records and
supervisor of the hospital
and clinic business offices,
and Patti Allstott, human re-
sources, will provide clinic
management.
-held a budget hear-
ing on the 2015-16 budget
and heard comments from
board member Joe Perry
concerning the projected
increase in budgeted in-
ESD announces 2015 DA’s
Crystal Apple winners Report
PENDLETON—The
InterMountain Education
Service District (IMESD)
has announced several local
winners of the 2015 Crystal
Apple “Excellence in Edu-
cation” Awards.
From Ione School Dis-
trict, John Bristow and
Brandi Orem will be rec-
ognized at a May 20 cer-
emony in Pendleton. Mor-
row County School District
educators to be honored that
day include Claude Birt,
Rhonda Boor, Becky Evans
and Nancy McElhany.
This month the IMESD
will honor 53 education
staff members from 18
school districts and the
IMESD in two ceremonies.
Each year, the IMESD,
along with local school dis-
tricts, recognizes teachers
and other education staff for
their dedication and com-
mitment to students, as well
as for their willingness to
go above and beyond their
regular duties in schools.
Nominations are submitted
over a two-month period by
administrators, coworkers,
parents, students and com-
munity members. Winners
are selected from these
nominations by school dis-
trict administration.
The 2015 events mark
the 16 th annual Crystal Ap-
ple “Excellence in Educa-
tion” Awards for Umatilla
and Morrow counties and
the fourth annual for Union
County.
Morrow County Dis-
trict Attorney Justin Nelson
has released the following
report:
-David Leroy Brown,
45, was convicted of Pos-
session of Methamphet-
amine, a Class C Felony,
and was sentenced to six
months driver’s license
suspension and 18 months
supervised probation sub-
ject to 90 sanction units
with 30 jail units.
Conditions of probation
include substance abuse
evaluation, mental health
evaluation, and 80 hours of
community service.
Fines, fees and assess-
ments totaled $550.
Mustangs ‘mop up’ Heppner
Heppner High School students work on some landscaping on Heppner’s Main Street during
Mustang Mop-Up last Wednesday. Approximately 155 students and 20 staff members from
the school tackled more than 30 community projects that day, which ranged from yard work
to some heavy lifting for the senior center. –Photo by David Sykes
come. He voiced concern
that the district was giv-
ing the new CEO a salary
“bump” and new doctors a
“bump.” CFO Nicole Ma-
honey assured Perry that the
projected income increase
was within reason. Dr. An-
derson commented that the
swing bed program was
doing quite well and said
that anticipated increases in
that program were justified.
Mahoney said that
plans are to schedule a
shorter amount of time
for certain clinic patients,
which will allow doctors to
see more patients during the
course of a day.
-reappointed Dr. Betsy
Anderson and Dr. Lawrence
Adams to the staff.
-heard the second
presentation from Andrea
Fletcher on the Community
Health Assessment.
-briefly discussed Mor-
row County Special Trans-
portation. Board member
Aaron Palmquist stressed
that special transportation
is not just for medical ap-
pointments, but also other
reasons, including shopping
trips.
-touched on the 2015
strategic work plan.
-postponed discuss-
ing an article on “Using
a Scorecard for Strategic
results” until next month.
-postponed approving
the April financials until
next month because the
May meeting was held ear-
ly, prior to those financials
being completed.
-received the following
report for April: Pioneer
Memorial Hospital had two
admissions, five swing bed
admissions, seven admit-
ted for observation, 459
total outpatients, 60 emer-
gency room encounters,
1,598 lab tests, 103 x-ray
procedures, 23 CT scans,
17 EKG tests, six colo-
noscopy procedures, 16
respiratory therapy proce-
dures; Heppner Ambulance
had 15 page-outs with 11
transports for $17,041 in
revenue; Boardman Ambu-
lance had 25 page-outs with
14 transports for $19,975
in revenue; Irrigon Ambu-
lance had 29 page-outs with
16 transports for $21,138 in
revenue; Pioneer Memorial
Clinic had 468 patient visits
with 33 seen by a nurse and
18 no-shows; Irrigon Medi-
cal Clinic had 323 patient
visits with 28 new patients
(with 223 of the visits seen
by John Adair, physician’s
assistant, and with the addi-
tion of a new nurse practi-
tioner, Vicki Kent) 48 seen
by a nurse and 15 no-shows;
Home Health had 130 pa-
tient visits; Hospice had one
admission and 141 patient
days; pharmacy had 1,617
drug doses for $88,461 in
drug revenue.
Sheriff’s Report
October 13: -A woman
in Heppner advised Mor-
row County Sheriff’s Office
that a male subject had bor-
rowed her vehicle and was
supposed to return it first
thing Sunday morning but
hadn’t yet.
-MCSO arrested Dave
Brown Jr., 45, on a Hep-
pner Justice Court warrant
for Failure to Appear on
Theft II.
-A subject called to
advise MCSO that a male
subject had been missing
up in Washington for a few
weeks. An officer advised
that the subject had been
in Irrigon and was stay-
ing with a female there
and had advised his fam-
ily that the reason he had
a large amount of money
was that he was doing se-
curity for her because she
was in trouble with some
bad people. He left Oregon
in August some time and
went to Washington and had
been missing since the last
week of August. The officer
requested contact from a
deputy to do an interview
with the female or see if the
male subject had come back
to Oregon.
October 14: -In Lex-
ington a male requested
to have another male tres-
passed from his property.
He stated he had to es-
cort the individual from
his property several times
and would like to have the
sheriff’s office officially
trespass him for good.
-A female in Heppner
reported that a male sub-
ject had fallen. It was un-
known where he was but
she believed she heard him
fall. Heppner ambulance
responded and transported
the subject.
October 15: -A parole
and probation office re-
ceived report of an injured
deer that needed to be put
down in Irrigon.
A Word of Caution
A Christian teacher once said, "the devil will hold
you back and keep you passive as long as he can, but
if he is unsuccessful and you become zealous for the
Lord, he will get behind you and push and hope you
fall" In Revelation chapter 3 the Laodiceans thought
they had arrived at spiritual perfection. They felt
they were better that others. They boasted, "we
are rich and increased with goods and have need of
nothing." But as God saw them they were, "wretch-
ed, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
Genuine closeness to God brings a sense of humility
and an awareness of dependence on him. The person
realizes how far short of God's perfection he is and
how little of his anointing he really has. He is moti-
vated to strive to go further in the Lord, realizing we
never arrive until we leave this life. There is always
more for us. Even the Apostle Paul said, "I count not
myself to have apprehended but . . . . I press toward
the mark for the prize of the calling of God in Christ
Jesus." (Phil. 3:13-14) Sometimes an awareness of
God's presence and a certainty of his will gives the
Christian great confidence and boldness. But it is
based on humble faith and the power of the Holy
Spirit, never on arrogance or a spirit of superiority.
-Oregon State Police
advised Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office of a driv-
ing complaint on I-84 near
Boardman. A Ford Explorer
was driving 85 mph with a
baby carrier in the front seat
and children in the back seat
and a beer can at the rear
of the vehicle. MCSO was
unable to locate.
-A caller advised
MCSO that onion trucks
were speeding down Pole
Line Rd in Boardman at
upwards of 70 mph.
-MCSO cited Tylrel
Walker, 19, for illegal park-
ing on the sidewalk.
-The principal at the
Heppner High School re-
ported that he was informed
of a situation in which the
parent of a male student
went into the female locker
room and confronted and
verbally assaulted a female
student. A deputy made
contact.
-MCSO arrested Rob-
ert Lynn Sargent, 47, on a
warrant.
Chamber
Chatter
Saturday, June 6 – Free
- 10 th Annual Youth Fishing
Derby – Cutsforth Park for
children 14 years old and
younger: Sponsored by
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife and Morrow
County Parks, the event
will take place from 8:30-11
a.m., includes a free lunch.
Hold the dates for “Mu-
sic in the Park” at Heppner
City Park from 5-7pm: Sun-
day, June 14: Steel Drum
Band; Sunday, July 19:
Tailgate Trio; Sunday, Au-
gust 16: Frazer-Wambeke
Saturday, June 27 –
8:30 a.m. sign-ups - 10 th
Annual OHV EMS High
Card Poker Run at the
Morrow/Grant OHV Park:
Participation fee is $20
for individuals; $50 per
family (must be immedi-
ate family with children 21
and under). For more info,
contact Greg Close at 541-
571-4583 or Kirsti Cason at
541-429-1300.