Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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Pioneer Memorial Foundation announces
scholarship recipients
The Pioneer Memorial
Foundation has announced
the recipients of scholarship
awards for area students
who are working on their
education in the medical
field. The Foundation re-
ports that these scholar-
ships are renewable for the
students and in increasing
amounts for first-year stu-
dents. The awards were
established by contribu-
tions to the Foundation by
members of the community.
Recipients are as follows:
Eva McMasters, an em-
ployee of Pioneer Memorial
Hospital, was awarded the
Dr. Wallace Wolff schol-
arship in the amount of
$1,500. This
scholarship
was estab-
lished by
Dr. Wolff ’s
family in his
memory as
Eva
a long-time
McMasters
physician in
Heppner. McMasters is
studying in a diagnostic
imaging program and plans
to finish in the spring of
2018 and return to Pioneer
Memorial Hospital.
The following students
were awarded Earl & Ha-
zel Wilson
scholar -
ships. These
awards were
made pos-
sible by a
generous
Rebecca
grant to the
Jepsen
Foundation
by Earl Wilson.
Rebecca Jepsen was
awarded $1,250. She is
in her second year in the
Doctor of Physical Thera-
py program
at Eastern
Washington
University.
She received
her bache-
lor’s degree
Stacee
from Whit-
Halvorsen
worth Uni-
versity in Spokane, WA.
Stacee Halvorsen was
awarded $1,250. She is
in the radiologic science
program at Oregon Institute
of Technology in Klamath
Falls. Stacee will be doing
her extern-
ship progam
in Richland
with planned
completion
in the sum-
mer of2018.
Cidney Coster
Cidney
Coster is in the surgical
technology program at Mt.
Hood Community Col-
lege, and she was awarded
$1,250 to help her reach
her goal. Coster received
her prerequisites at Blue
Mountain Community Col-
lege.
Jessica
Kempken
is attending
Blue Moun-
tain Com -
munity Col-
Jessica
lege in the
Kempken
pre-nursing
program, with a plan on go-
ing on to OHSU to get her
bachelor’s degree in nurs-
the top ten in their events.
Derek Howard earned
a space on the podium by
taking third in the shot
put, while Hunter Nichols
placed fourth in the 3000
Meters and Alex Lindsay
placed fourth in the Triple
Jump.
In addition, personal
Free Spray Day in
Heppner May 25
By popular demand, Morrow Soil and Water Con-
servation District along with the Natural Resources
Conservation Service will again host “Free Spray Days”
in Morrow County. Heppner’s Free Spray Day will take
place Thursday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to noon at Heppner
City Park.
Harshmans plan
reunion May 28
The family of Harvey
and Annie Harshman is
planning a family reunion
and potluck at Hardman
Community Center on Sun-
day, May 28, at 12:30 p.m.
Harvey and Annie
homesteaded at Juniper
Creek on Rock Creek. They
moved to Hardman soon
after, then to Rood Canyon
and later to Heppner, where
they spent the remainder of
their lives.
The couple had five
children—Lloyd, Irene,
Everett, Buel and Delsie
Mae. Descendants are scat-
tered throughout the North-
west, and invite family
and friends to join them to
celebrate their family.
records (PR) were attained
by Trent Smith, Hunter
Nichols, Jake Wallace and
Alex Lindsay.
Full individual results
for Heppner athletes at state
are as follows:
Men’s Results
800 Meters 2A - Finals
10. Trent Smith, 2:08.33a
PR
1500 Meters 2A - Finals
8. Hunter Nichols,
4:19.74a
3000 Meters 2A - Finals
4. Hunter Nichols,
9:08.25a PR
10. Trent Smith, 9:46.87a
110m Hurdles - 39” 2A -
Prelims
9. Jake Wallace, 18.35a
PR (1.6)
300m Hurdles - 36” 2A -
Finals
7. Alex Lindsay, 45.19a
300m Hurdles - 36” 2A -
Prelims
8. Alex Lindsay, 45.15a
PR
Shot Put - 12lb 2A - Finals
3. Derek Howard, 47-
03.25
Long Jump 2A - Finals
8. Alex Lindsay, 18-10.25
Triple Jump 2A - Finals
4. Alex Lindsay, 12.52m
PR (1.5)
Women’s Results
100m Hurdles - 33” 2A -
Prelims
10. Makayla Silvia, 19.40a
(.2)
Because the Affordable Care Act has required all major medical health insurance
policies that went into effect 9/23/10 or after to cover certain preventive services
without out of pocket payment and no need to meet deductible first, there has been
continued confusion regarding Annual Preventative Care visits or Annual Wellness
visits (formerly known as the Annual Physical).
The descriptions below may be helpful in determining what is and isn’t
considered to be Preventive Care.
Preventive care focuses on evaluating your
current health status when you are symptom free. Preventive care allows you to
obtain early diagnosis and treatment to help avoid more serious health problems.
Through a preventive exam and routine health screenings, your medical provider
can determine your current health status and detect early warning signs of more
serious problems. Your preventive care services may include immunizations,
physical exams, lab work and x-rays. During your preventive visit your doctor will
determine what tests or health screenings are right for you based on many factors
such as your age, gender, overall health status, personal heath history and your
current health condition.
This isn’t Preventive Care:
and the long-term goal of
going in to nursing.
Brandy Quezada-Her-
mosillo will
graduate
from Irrigon
High School
and plans to
attend Blue
Mountain
Community
Brandy
College to
Quezada-
get her pre-
Hermosillo
requisites to
go on to become a dental
hygienist.
Keven Murray will
graduate from Heppner
High School at the top of
his class and
is enrolled at
Oregon State
University
with the plan
of attending
the School
Keven
of Pharmacy
Murray
and becom-
ing the latest member of the
Murray family in the field
of pharmacy.
-From PAGE ONE and also important to the others. The pharmacy also
Understanding Your Annual
Preventative Care Appointment
This is Preventive Care:
Lacey Mashos will
graduate from Riverside
High School as head of her
class. Her plan is to attend
Brigham Young University
and work to-
ward the goal
of becoming
an athletic
trainer.
Ta y l o r
Hamby will
graduate
Taylor
from Hep-
Hamby
pner High
School at the top of her
class. Her plan is to attend
Oregon State University
to study biology, with the
ultimate goal of obtaining
a degree in dentistry.
Ashley
Medina will
graduate
from Ione
Community
School and
will attend
Ashley
Portland
Medina
Community
College to become at EMT
HEALTH DISTRICT
Mustang state results
The Mustang track and
field team competed at the
OSAA 2A State Champi-
onships last Thursday and
Friday at Hayward Field,
Eugene.
The Heppner men’s
team placed 13 th out of the
30 participating teams, and
several athletes placed in
ing. She was also awarded
$1,250.
Ian Murray is planning
on becoming
a registered
nurse after
completing
his study
program at
the Univer-
sity
of Port-
Ian Murray
land. Murray
has one semester left in his
program and was awarded
$750 to assist him in com-
pleting his final term.
The foundation award-
ed first-year scholarships
to the following students,
who will graduate from
high school this year. These
awards are
for $500
each and are
renewable in
increasing
amounts as
the students
Lacey Mashos
progress
through their individual
programs.
Medical treatment for specific health
conditions, on-going care, lab or other tests necessary to manage or treat a
medical issue or health condition are considered diagnostic care or treatment, not
preventive care.
For more information, contact your insurance company or go to:
https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/preventive-care-benefits/
By April Sykes
Morrow County Health
District board, providers
and the district’s executive
team toured Pioneer Memo-
rial Hospital Monday night
to view the current facilities
to consider remodeling of
the hospital to provide for
expansion of services and
continuation of services
offered at the hospital.
CEO Bob Houser said
that the first step began with
approving the purchase of
a new ultrasound machine
and “dexa scanner” (dexa
scans measure bone health),
so the services would be
available “pretty much ev-
ery day.” The board had
already moved forward
with the remodel of a pa-
tient room to turn it into
a “endoscopic suite,” so
that endoscopes (including
colonoscopies) could again
be offered. The procedures
have not been offered since
the state deemed the room
insufficient and ceased al-
lowing scopes to be per-
formed at the hospital.
Houser reported that he
has signed and approved
plans for the endoscope
room from the building of-
ficial for Morrow County.
However, Houser said he
was still waiting approval
from Oregon Health Au-
thority, which had indicated
earlier that MCHD was
third on the list, before
anything can progress fur-
ther. Houser said that OHA
was “starting to look at a
waiver” to allow use of the
remodeled room for endos-
copy procedures.
During the tour Houser
outlined five areas which
illustrate what is needed
to meet current and future
needs of the health district.
Area 1: outpatient ser-
vices—lab, ultrasound and
dexa scan, cardiac stress
testing, mammography, RT/
PFT testing, at home sleep
studies, wound and Cou-
madin clinics, outpatient
infusion services, MRI. Of
these, he said that lab, ul-
trasound and dexa scan are
all in need of space and the
lab cannot accommodate
any more lab equipment in
the spaces it now occupies.
He said that dexa scan and
ultrasound are currently
performed in an (unoccu-
pied) patient room, “which
is crowded at best and ob-
viously takes one patient
room out of commission.”
Dr. Russ Nichols was
emphatic in that he would
like to be able to perform
stress testing once again.
Dr. Nichols also had per-
formed scope procedures
prior to the shut-down of
the scoping room. Both
procedures are considered
important to patient health
district’s financial bottom
line.
Other services, includ-
ing cardiac stress testing,
cannot be added until more
space is available; however,
MRI and mammography
can continue to be provided
through a mobile service.
He noted that mammog-
raphy and MRI could be
brought in house, if space
were available.
Area 2: emergency
room/triage (assessment
of the degree of urgency of
wounds or illnesses to de-
termine order of treatment)
area, procedure room, cen-
tral nurse’s station, am-
bulance entrance, front
entrance/waiting room. The
current ER room does not
have a triage area, cannot
be accessed by nursing
staff unless they leave their
patients on their floor and
does not have a decon-
taminating shower located
in the facility (it is located
outside). He also reported
that maintenance had been
working in the basement
of the annex building, pre-
paring to move their office
there so the IT (information
technology) department can
have more space. He said
that the bathroom at the
former Windwave building
in downtown Heppner will
also be remodeled to meet
handicapped requirements
prior to moving the Home
Health and Hospice offices
there. Houser said the dis-
trict has set a goal to be in
that building by June 10.
Area 3: patient rooms/
bathrooms, dietary kitchen/
dining room. There are no
bathrooms in the exist-
ing patient rooms used for
acute and skilled swing
bed patients. Two patient
rooms, the isolation room
and adjoining room, have
bathrooms, but neither are
ADA compliant. For all
other rooms in the main
hospital corridor patients
use bed pans/commodes or
walk across the hall. The
existing patient rooms are
outdated and need to be able
to accommodate a bath-
room in the rooms. The cur-
rent cafeteria is too small
to even meet the needs
of the employees during
lunch. Its current location
is where the proposed new
emergency department/tri-
age area and central nurse’s
station will be located.
Area 4: all other of-
fice spaces, janitor closets,
public use areas/bathrooms.
There is not enough floor
space to accommodate the
various offices needed for
the new employees hired,
current staff or those to be
hired. There is also no space
for doctors to dictate in an
area that is not shared with
needs a mixing hood to mix
IV solutions. It is currently
done at the nurse’s station.
Area 5: Pioneer Me-
morial Clinic needs ad-
ditional space to improve
the workflow of physicians
and medical assistants and
make room to accommo-
date specialists.
In other business, the
board:
-received good news
that the district is in the
black with a $113,719 gain
for the month of April.
The profit/loss statement
for April is as follows:
$852,254 in gross patient
revenue; less $8,766 in
provision for bad debts, a
$62,287 gain for contrac-
tual and other adjustments,
$168,350 in tax revenue and
$44,992 in other operating
revenue for $1,012,075 in
total operating revenue; less
$910,501 in total operating
expenses, and a $12,145
non-operating gain for the
$113,719 gain.
-learned from Houser
that he has spoken with an
internal medicine/pediatric
physician concerning set-
ting up an interview with
the district. The physician’s
wife is an RN, said Houser.
-heard from Houser
that an IT technician, Caleb
Berry, has been hired and
was to start May 19. Other
employees needed include
an EMT or EMT/Paramedic
for the Irrigon Clinic.
-approved purchase of
a software module to work
with a voice recognition
dictation system, $11,840.
-approved $5,000 for
the purchase of first aid
equipment for the Board-
man Pool and Recreation
Center. The Boardman
Park and Recreation dis-
trict is raising funds for
the center by “selling”
items--$500,000 for the
building, $150,000 for the
gym (already “sold” to a do-
nor), $150,000 for the pool/
natatorium, $50,000 for a
fitness/weight room (sold),
$50,000 for a party/meeting
room (sold), and $5,000
each for signage (sold)
and other miscellaneous
furnishings. According to
Houser, the Boardman Park
and Rec District indicated
they would like MCHD to
“buy” the aerobics room
for $50,000. Board mem-
ber Jill Parker said that she
believed that it would not
be prudent for the district
to expend that amount of
money, but the board agreed
to donate the $5,000.
-approved privileges
for Telestroke physicians
through Providence.
-held a lengthy execu-
tive session concerning
“matters involving trade or
commerce.”