SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 27, 2016
A View from the Hill
By Doris Brosnan
If anyone at the Wil-
low Creek Terrace was the
target of a trickster on April
Fools’ Day, he or she isn’t
admitting it, so one must as-
sume that this month began
with no one pulling jokes
on others.
April is another month
that offers several inter-
esting topics for morning
discussions. To name a
few: pillow ights, hockey,
dandelions, laughter, Daffy
Duck, Bugs Bunny.
When National Sib-
lings Day popped up on
the calendar on the 10 th ,
participants enjoyed shar-
ing stories about their sib-
lings, experiences they had
as siblings, and the pros
and cons of being an only
child. Reminiscing about
their pets held mixed emo-
tions on National Pet Day
(11 th ). McDonald’s Day on
the 15 th led to discussing
the fast-food chain that
started with two McDonald
brothers’ single California
establishment in 1937. (If
only a McDonald’s was
close enough so residents
could hop on the bus and go
for a burger!) The Boston
Marathon on the 18 th was
an interesting topic, partly
because the weather and
traffic man on Portland’s
KGW TV participated this
year. That discussion was
shared with tidbits about
Animal Crackers because
they have their own special
day on the calendar, also.
(For over a century a USA
product—since their import
from English origins in the
19 th century, they have fea-
tured 54 different animals.)
Yesterday, the 26 th , was
designated National Bird
Day, which holds interest
for some residents, but dis-
cussion of the area’s birds
did not cause a cheek to
blush as did another topic
yesterday: also designated
Your-First-Kiss Day. Those
two topics shared the day
with Write-an-Old-Friend
Day, so some residents may
have decided to do just that.
National Arbor Day is
assigned April 29, an op-
portunity to take stock of
the increasing number of
trees at the Terrace. Adding
to that number are the tree
starts that sisters Arlynda
Gates and Arletta Arnspiger
have given the Community
on the Hill. Adding to the
green of the deciduous
trees is the faint color in
the beds of plants recently
started from seed and the
colors in the flower pots
about the Terrace. Soon,
residents and staff will be
able to be “sidewalk-su-
perintendents,” of another
“green” project, when the
landscaping of their adjoin-
ing lot begins to take shape.
Residents and staff ap-
preciated Library Week,
the 10 th through the 16 th ,
but the morning discussion
included sadness because
they will be someday be
saying “goodbye” to Ed
Struthers, when he moves
from Heppner. Ed continues
to periodically bring a rotat-
ing supply of books from
the local library, something
he has done for years, cater-
ing to the variety of reading
interests he knows so well.
The loss of this consider-
ate gentleman will open
an opportunity for another
volunteer. Ed has created a
system that works well, and
he would surely be willing
to share his plan with some-
one willing to carry on this
valuable service.
Another service will
be highlighted when April
ends on another specially
designated day, Hairstylist
Appreciation Day. On two
days weekly, stylists come
to the Terrace to serve their
clients in the one-chair
shop, offering their full
line of products and stylist
services. The 30 th will be
another opportunity to let
these hair stylists know how
much they are appreciated.
Residents and staff on
the Hill appreciate moving-
in days, when a new neigh-
bor joins the Community, so
they are hoping to not wait
long before seeing a new
face in the now-available
apartment. Anyone inter-
ested in information about
Willow Creek Terrace as a
possible new home should
call 541-676-0004. Anyone
interested is also welcome
to come for a view.
HEALTH DISTRICT
-Continued from PAGE ONE $12,450,068. Proposed re- nounced that the district care on those days, losing placement for the adminis- provider) administrator to
munity service fees it re-
ceives to establish a capital
improvement fund.
Mahoney also noted
that most of the improve-
ments made have previ-
ously been on board priority
lists and then knocked off
the lists when more press-
ing expenditures came on
board.
The discussion and
subsequent vote came in the
absence of board chair John
Murray, who had earlier
notiied the board that he
would be out of the country
visiting family during this
meeting.
Mahoney pointed out
that the inancial informa-
tion Palmquist was seeking
was already available in the
multiple inancial reports
the district generates and
said she would be happy to
include the additional infor-
mation in future reports to
the board.
She noted that she acted
at the direction of the board
with regard to district poli-
cies and presentation of
inancial reports.
She added that the
monies for the proposed
capital purchases will still
be in the same bank account
as the other district funds,
but will just be a line item
on the budget.
Mahoney told the board
that in preparing the budget
she had budgeted the re-
sources conservatively but
added, “I try not to be as
conservative on the expense
side.”
The proposed 2016-17
MCHD budget estimates to-
tal resources of $12,600,031
and total expenditures of
sources are listed as fol-
lows: Hospital-$6,691,723;
Home Health and Hos-
pice-$588,691; Boardman
Ambulance-$340,109; Ir-
rigon Ambulance $285,746;
Ione Ambulance-$16,812;
Heppner Clinic-$1,222,445;
Irrigon Clinic-$758,380;
Ione Clinic $99,728; Other
Revenue-$254,160; Dona-
tions and Grants-$95,000;
Interest income-$16,650;
Community Service
Fees-$60,000; Electronic
Health Record Reimburse-
ments-$188,641; Capi-
tal leases-$0; Operating,
Capital, Long & Short
Term Loans-$197,394;
Total Resources Except
Taxes-$10,815,479; Prop-
erty Taxes (including Lo-
cal Option Levy if appli-
cable)-$1,784,552; Total
Resources-$12,600,031.
Expenditures are
listed as follows: Hos-
pital-$7,042,655;
Home Health and Hos-
pice-$770,053; Boardman
Ambulance-$334,964; Irri-
gon Ambulance-$197,575;
Ione Ambulance & Lex-
ington EMS-$17,652; Hep-
pner Clinic-$1,346,447;
Irrigon Clinic-$668,391;
Ione Community Clin-
ic-$115,301; Community
Benefit Grants-$50,000;
Revenue Deductions & Bad
Debt-$1,092,369; Capi-
tal Purchases-$491,494;
Capital Lease Principal
Reduction-$0; Long &
Short Term Debt Principal
Reduction-$323,167; Total
Expenditures-$12,450,068;
Net Increase in Cash-
$149,963.
Also at the meeting
CEO Bob Houser has an-
has hired a nurse practi-
tioner, Betty Hamill, FNP-
D, effective June 1. The
district has been seeking
a physician or mid-level
practitioner, such as a nurse
practitioner or physician’s
assistant, since the depar-
ture of Dr. Betsy Anderson
and physician’s assistant
Sheridan Tarnasky’s an-
nouncement of her upcom-
ing retirement.
Tarnasky is a long-time
employee of the district and
her mother was at one time
the hospital administrator.
Houser said that a phy-
sician’s assistant plans to
job-shadow at the clinic at
the end of the month, and
two additional mid-level
providers are planning on-
site interviews.
In other business, the
board:
-approved an increase
from $30 an hour to $50
an hour for on-call wages
for Dr. Kenneth Wenberg.
Dr. Wenberg has been em-
ployed for on-call emergen-
cy services at Pioneer Me-
morial Hospital on Mon-
days and Fridays, which are
busy clinic days at Pioneer
Memorial Clinic.
Dr. Russ Nichols told
the board that Dr. Wen-
berg’s assistance on those
days is invaluable, com-
menting that if Dr. Wenberg
was not available, he would
have to provide emergency
clinic patients, who would
have to be rescheduled.
Concerning the raise in
on-call rates, Dr. Nichols
remarked that Dr. Wenberg
could get higher wages
elsewhere and would be
likely do so if he did not
receive an increase from
MCHD. Dr. Wenberg’s
wage while he is at the hos-
pital to provide emergency
care remains the same at
$100 per hour.
-awarded low bid of
$16,000 to Wilson Con-
struction Services, LLC,
for installing siding and
windows at Pioneer Memo-
rial Clinic in Heppner.
-awarded a bid of
$36,556.92 to A Sharp
Painter for painting the
hospital building exterior
and upper care facility,
including a paint upgrade
option.
-learned from Houser
that a Subaru Forester has
been purchased for Home
Health and Hospice and is
already in use.
-awarded a bid to
Healthland for software
and services $16,317.40
with an annual maintenance
fee of $1,790.36, pending a
satisfactory review of their
references. Board member
Jill Parker noted that elec-
tronic health records are
mandated by the federal
government.
-heard that sewer re-
trator’s house was expected
to get underway April 25,
to be coordinated with the
heating/air conditioning
work.
-learned that loaner
ambulances for Boardman
and Heppner were expected
to arrive the week of April
25. Those that delivered the
loaners will drive the old
ambulances back to Iowa,
then the new ambulances
will be driven to Morrow
County and the loaners
driven back. Houser said
that the new ambulances
will be completed 120 days
from the receipt of the old
ambulances.
-heard a report from
Houser as follows: he at-
tended the Boardman and
Irrigon Chamber of Com-
merce meetings this month;
he plans to meet with the
director of the Board-
man Parks and Recreation
about the possibility of
adding some services for
Boardman’s new therapy
pool with Rocky Moun-
tain Physical Therapy; he
plans to meet with Morrow
County School District Su-
perintendent Dirk Dirksen
concerning the “Wellness
Hub” that some counties
are beginning to use in their
school systems; and plans
to set up a meeting with the
Columbia River Medical
Clinic (Boardman health
Heppner FBLA makes strong
showing at state competition
Wedding Tables
Derek Gunderson &
Meghan McCabe
May, 21, 2016
Emma Osmin &
Jordan Wright
May 7, 2016
Rick Worden &
Kelsie Fox
May 28, 2016
Lane Bailey &
Jessica Hughes
June 25, 2016
The Heppner High School FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) club went to the state
FBLA competition April 7-9 in Portland. Fourteen students went and competed, and some
brought home hardware. In Agribusiness, Kevin Murray placed 10 th , Ryan Smith placed sixth,
and Patrick Collins placed fourth. Keegan Gibbs also came in fourth in Parliamentary Proce-
dure, and Jaiden Mahoney inished seventh in Finance. Back (L-R): Riane Dompier, Jessica
Kempken, Kevin Murray, CJ Kindle, Patrick Collins. Middle (L-R): Mrs. Jeannie Collins,
Cara Arbogast, Madison Combe, Jaiden Mahoney, Sophie Grant, Claire Grieb, Sydney Maben.
Kneeling (L-R): Ryan Smith, Logan Grieb, Weston Putman. -Contributed photo
Tessa Gould &
Kyle Ludwick
June 26, 2016
• E XPERIENCED • B ALANCED
• F AMILY & C OMMUNITY
217 North Main St., Heppner • Phone 676-9158 • Floral 676-9426
Serving Morrow, Wheeler & Gilliam counties Since 1959
LIKE US
Paid For By The Committee To Elect Jon Lieuallen Judge
discuss how to work to-
gether to beneit the people
of Morrow County.
-learned that the respi-
ratory therapist who had
planned to come in April
had a conlict and is plan-
ning to come in May. The
position has been posted in
house, on job posting sites
and in the newspaper.
-learned that interviews
for receptionist positions at
Pioneer Memorial Hospi-
tal and Pioneer Memorial
Clinic are scheduled to be-
gin this month.
-received the following
proit and loss statement for
March: the district received
$77,846 in gross patient
revenue, less $7,200 for
bad debts, and $61,347 for
contractual and other ad-
justments, plus $160,269 in
tax revenue and $27,558 in
other operating revenue for
$897,125 in total operating
revenue; $876,390 in total
operating expenses and
$13,402 for a non-operating
gain for a $34,137 gain
for the month, an average
$24,314 average monthly
year-to-date gain.
-received the following
report: Pioneer Memorial
Hospital had five admis-
sions for March, four swing
bed admissions, nine admit-
ted for observation, one ad-
mitted for hospital respite,
499 total outpatients, 70
emergency room encoun-
ters, 1,718 lab tests, 120
x-ray procedures, 29 CT
scans, 31 EKG tests, ive
lower endoscopy proce-
dures, one upper endoscopy
procedure, 18 respiratory
therapy procedures; Hep-
pner Ambulance had 39
total page-outs with 32
transports for $64,232 in
revenue; Boardman Ambu-
lance had 39 page-outs with
21 transports for $31,983
in revenue; Irrigon Ambu-
lance had 17 page-outs with
12 transports for $17,036 in
revenue; Ione Ambulance
had one page-out with no
transports; Home Health
had 45 nursing visits; Hos-
pice had two admissions;
Pharmacy had 929 drug
doses for $85,587 in drug
revenue; Pioneer Memorial
Clinic had 367 patient visits
with three new patients,
29 seen by a nurse and 18
no-shows; Irrigon Medi-
cal Clinic had 330 patient
visits with 32 new patients,
80 seen by a nurse and 30
no-shows; Ione Community
Clinic had 49 patient visits,
with 14 new patients, 13
seen by a nurse and zero
no-shows.
-viewed the following
board meeting calendar
with remaining dates listed:
No meeting in May due
to Memorial Day holiday;
June 13, 7 p.m., Irrigon
Medical Clinic; July 25,
7 p.m., Ione Community
Church; August 29, 6 p.m.,
Hospice meeting room,
Heppner; September 26, 7
p.m., Sand Hollow Room,
Boardman, October 31, 7
p.m., Lexington Town Hall,
November 28, 6 p.m., Hos-
pice meeting room.