KayRene Qualls retires from
Bank of Eastern Oregon
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 138
NO. 19 8 Pages
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Local group participates in MS
Walk held in Pendleton
Pictured at the MS Walk are back row (L-R): Dan Bennett, Bill
McDowell and Danielle Burnside. Front row: Barb Orwick,
Merilee McDowell and her grandson Henry Burnside.
The “Together we are
Stronger” eastern Oregon
MS Walk was held May 4
at Roy Raley Park in Pend-
leton for the 22 nd year. The
day started out with blue
skies, warm weather and
people with one purpose
– to “End MS Forever.”
There were approximately
120 walkers who raised
$11,040.
Before the walk be-
gan, Louanne Wach, de-
velopment manager for
Walk MS National Society
announced that she had a
script but decided not to
use it. She asked the past
and current leaders of EO
Walk MS and a newly diag-
nosed person to share their
stories. “Needless to say, it
was very emotional,” said
Merilee McDowell, team
captain of the All Saints
Hope for a Cure Team. “It’s
hard to describe how you
feel when you stand in front
of families, friends and
leaders who are all there for
one reason, to stop MS in its
tracks. I’ve had MS for 42
years, which included many
ups and downs, just like
many others who have this
disease,” she added.
Walk MS is the largest
fundraiser of the National
MS Society. In 2018 the
Society invested $36M,
managing 340 projects with
multi-year commitments
of $80M. Driving future
breakthroughs, they hold
training workshops to build
a research workforce. The
Society is forging global
collaborations to speed
solutions and a cure. They
work closely with OHSU
to further a cure for MS.
“Donations to the NMSS
through Walk MS comes
back to our small commu-
nity and many communities
like us,” said a Walk MS
coordinator.
McDowell told the Ga-
zette that there is still time
to donate to this important
cause by contacting her at
meri0120@gmail.com or
Barb Orwick at eatbanan-
as73@hotmail.com.
By Bobbi Gordon
KayRene Qualls, 66,
of Heppner retired April
30 from the Bank of East-
ern Oregon, where she had
worked since 2003. She
started her banking career
at Klamath First Bank in
1997. That bank was then
sold to Wells Fargo and
eventually they intended
to sell to Sterling Bank. At
that time, employees were
unsure what was going to
happen when BEO took it
over. BEO brought all of the
employees over at that time.
Qualls was born in
Heppner and grew up in
Condon. She went to school
in Condon, then did one
term at Eastern Oregon
College before transferring
to Fort Steilacoom College,
near Tacoma, WA. She was
studying to be a vet tech
when she met her husband,
Roscoe Qualls.
She and Roscoe were
married in 1973 and moved
to their home on Upper
Rhea Creek in 1975. In the
early days, she worked on
the ranch before beginning
her banking career. The
Qualls have two children,
John (Doshea) Qualls, Hep-
pner, the senior vice-pres-
ident for BEO and Mindy
(Tracy) Journot of Pueblo,
CO. She has five grandchil-
dren; Sydney, Hayden and
KayRene Qualls is all smiles at her recent retirement party
at Bank of Eastern Oregon.
Sophie Qualls, Kailea Sam-
ple and Maci Davidson.
KayRene related a little
of the story about her being
switched at birth at the
hospital in Heppner. She
said she found out about it
ten years ago. Her brother
was the first to know about
it although there had been
rumors about it before they
knew for sure. “It’s a long,
long story,” KayRene said.
When asked how it
feels to leave her job and
what she will miss she said,
“BEO is a great company
to work for and I appreci-
ate everything they have
done for me. I won’t miss
the electronics. That is for
young people these days.”
She added, “I will miss the
people terribly. It is a very
good crew that works there.
I loved helping people, es-
pecially the elderly.”
KayRene and Roscoe
intend to do some traveling.
They are looking at travel
trailers so intend to do some
camping and hope to travel
to see their daughter more.
Umatilla County assumes
responsibilities for onsite septic
systems in Morrow County
Umatilla County Health
and Morrow County Plan-
ning have announced that as
of May 3, 2019 all program
responsibilities for onsite
septic systems in Morrow
County have transferred
from Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) to Umatilla County
Health. This means that
Umatilla County is now
responsible for conducting
site evaluations, issuing
construction permits, con-
ducting pre-cover inspec-
tions, storage of historical
records and issuing autho-
rization notices for most
septic systems located in
Morrow County. Addition-
ally, Umatilla County will
also be responsible for all
pumper truck inspections in
Morrow County, according
to a news release from the
county.
Umatilla County has
been providing these ser-
vices for Umatilla County
since Nov. 1, 2016 and
according to the county the
transition to local oversight
has proven to be benefi-
cial for county residents.
“Umatilla County Health
has a long-standing re-
lationship with Morrow
County and currently has
additional partnerships with
Morrow County Health
Department administering
the food, pool and lodging
-See SEPTIC SYSTEMS/
PAGE THREE
MCHD board approves Houser performance evaluation
The Morrow Coun-
ty Health District Board
overwhelmingly approved
the job CEO Bob Houser
is doing in his performance
evaluation at the district’s
regular meeting Monday
night in Lexington. Board
members scored Houser
as excellent in numerous
categories, commenting
that he “meets and exceeds
expectations as our CEO.”
Bo a r d member A ar o n
Palmquist, who is also the
administrator for the city of
Irrigon, told the board that
he looked upon Houser not
only as a peer in the admin-
istrative field, but also as a
peer and friend. “He’s done
an excellent job of not only
representing us but repre-
senting our district.”
As per his contract,
Houser will receive a cost
of living adjustment that
amounts to half of the cost
of living increases for the
district’s employees. If the
employees received a four
percent cost of living in-
crease, for example, Houser
will receive two percent,
with two percent being the
minimum increase.
Houser’s contract runs
through December 2020.
At the meeting, the
board also approved a pro-
posed $17 million budget
for fiscal year 2019-20, up
from $16,164,031 for 2018-
19. According to Chief
Financial Officer Nicole
Mahoney, “The significant
increases in this budget
cycle mostly hinge on the
expansion of the Irrigon
Medical Clinic and addi-
tional staff in the Irrigon,
Heppner and Ione Clinics
and the full-time compli-
ance director in adminis-
tration.”
Mahoney said the bud-
get was built on conserva-
tive estimates in terms of
revenue.
Mahoney said that
new positions and staff-
ing changes for fiscal year
2019-20 include a mid-lev-
el provider, medical assis-
tant and increased hours
for a coder at the Irrigon
Clinic; a social worker and
community health worker
split between the Irrigon
and Heppner clinics; a phy-
sician at the Heppner clinic
and emergency room and
medical assistant at the
Heppner clinic as of Sep-
tember 2019; mid-level
provider increased hours,
medical assistant hours and
clerical hours increased
at the Ione Clinic; a com-
pliance director; and in-
creased hours in dietary
and housekeeping. She
said that the Ione Commu-
nity Clinic will be open for
family practice services an
additional one-and-a-half
days per week, which will
increase access and patient
visits.
Concerning provider
employment, Houser told
the board that physician’s
assistant, Danielle Mate-
leska, who had been shad-
owing Dr. Russ Nichols at
Pioneer Memorial Clin-
ic, is now credentialed by
four carriers and may see
those patients without Dr.
Nichols’ direct supervision.
Houser said that she is also
working to become certified
to do physicals and provide
women’s health services.
Houser also said the
district has received some
paperwork from a potential
provider, Dr. Hejmanows-
ki, but is still waiting for
Oregon licensure and other
paperwork. Board mem-
bers expressed concern
that Dr. Hejmanowski may
not actually intend to hire
on with the district. In that
event, the recruiter hired by
the district will not receive
payment from MCHD.
Houser said that Terri
Brandt-Correa, chief nurs-
ing officer with MCHD,
will be leaving the district
May 10 to take a new po-
sition in Colorado. Jamie
Houck, RN, has accepted
the interim CNO position
and is currently shadowing
Brandt-Correa.
The district still needs a
Home Health/Hospice RN,
a behavioral health counsel-
or for the district, a commu-
nity health care worker and
a part-time dietician.
In other business, the
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
MCHD CEO Bob Houser
board:
-agreed to participate
in a summer food program
for children sponsored by
the Morrow County School
District with a $5,000 do-
nation. Board member Ma-
rie Shimer told the board,
however, that the program
would not be able to go into
the Ione area because it is
located in the Ione School
District and not the Morrow
County School District.
However, she said however,
that any children in Morrow
County could participate
in the program at the food
program sites. Discussion
was held concerning possi-
ble ways to enable the Ione
students to participate.
-learned the Willow
Creek Valley Assisted Liv-
ing Board met April 11 and
approved the WCVAL audit
presented by auditor Wipfli
unanimously. Census at the
assisted living facility was
reported at 14 residents,
with the last two rooms
“tentatively” spoken for.
WCVAL held an election
of officers with Robin Bred-
field elected chair, Nancy
Snider elected vice-chair
and Shirley George, secre-
tary-treasurer.
-received the profit
and loss statement through
March, which showed
a $120,172 loss for the
month. At the February
board meeting, Dr. Russ
Nichols noted the clinic
schedules for March and
April were “very sparse,”
due to the departure of phy-
sician’s assistant Amanda
Fabian, and no new pro-
viders yet credentialled. He
added at that time he was
scheduled for appointments
six weeks out.
Through March, the
district had $975,957 in
gross patient revenue, less
$54,062 in bad debts and
contractual and other ad-
justments for $921,895 in
net patient revenue, plus
$160,914 in tax revenue
and $2,997 in other operat-
ing revenue for $1,085,806
in total operating revenue.
Operating expenses totaled
$1,235,804, plus a non-op-
erating gain of $29,826
for a $120,172 loss for
the month and an $11,035
average monthly year-to-
date loss.
-See MCHD/PAGE FOUR
Join Us At Grant Morrow OHV Park
"Ride the Blues" and Poker Run
Saturday, May 11th
MORROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS
350 MAIN STREET, LEXINGTON OR 97839
CONTACT: JUSTIN BAILEY, 541-989-8221 EXT 204
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