NINE- Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Health
District
adopts
$17
million
budget
Michael Duane Kindle
Obituaries
Michael “Mick” Kin-
dle, died of complications
from COPD on Friday, June
14 at Providence Medical
Center in Portland, OR at
the age of 71. Mick was
born on May 1, 1948 in
Colfax, WA to Kenneth and
Betty Kindle.
Michael Kindle joined
the United States Army in
1967, serving as a truck and
auto mechanic, where he
earned a National Defense
Service medal and was hon-
orably discharged in 1973.
Kindle worked at
Kinzua Pine Mill for most
of his life where he was a
kiln operator until the mill
closed. He then worked at
the Walmart DC as a truck
mechanic for nine years
when he semi-retired. He
then went to work for the
county on the weekends at
the Morrow County Trans-
fer station until last No-
vember.
Michael married LaR-
ae McAninch on June 26,
1971 in Newberg, OR. Mi-
chael has three sons: Jon,
Jim and Joseph.
He loved fishing, hunt-
ing, bowling, drag racing,
working on hot rods, play-
ing cards, watching his
grandkids play sports and
Heppner sporting events.
He always loved spending
time with his family and
friends.
Survivors include his
wife, LaRae Kindle at their
Heppner residence; his
three sons, Jon Kindle of
Portland, Jim Kindle and
wife Becky of Heppner
and Joseph Kindle of Hep-
pner and his two grandkids
Kayla and CJ Kindle. He is
also survived by his brother,
Bob Kindle and wife Tracy
of El Paso; his sister in-law,
Jean Kindle of Pendleton;
his half-sisters, Betsy Heath
of Hermiston and Sheryl
Romaine of Missouri as
well as numerous nieces
and nephews.
He was preceded in
death by his mom, Betty
Heath; his stepfather, Elmer
Heath; grandparents and his
brother Dean Kindle.
A celebration of life
will be held on June 28 at 3
p.m. at the Morrow County
Fairgrounds with a buri-
al at a later date. Friends
and family are invited to
attend with a small meal
being served following the
service.
Memorial Contribu-
tions can be made to Hep-
pner Booster Club, PO Box
97, Heppner OR 97836.
The online condolence
book is available at www.
sweeneymortuary.com.
Audrey Lee Stanley
Audrey Lee Stan-
ley, 86, of Lexington, Or-
egon passed away peace-
fully at Pioneer Memorial
Hospital on Thursday, June
19, 2019. She was born in
Rainville, West Virginia on
June 26, 1932 to John and
Wahneta Yoakum Stanley.
Audrey loved gar-
dening, traveling, taking
drives in the country and
her cats. She enlightened
everyone with her smile,
and was a loving mother,
sister and grandmother.
In addition to her
parents she was preceded in
death by the love of her life
Robert Campbell, ex-hus-
band Billy Davis Ayers,
an infant son, Larry Ayers,
three brothers, John Dale
Stanley, Rowen Stanley
and Vernon Stanley, three
sisters, Donnis Stanley,
Louetta Rakes and Louenna
Pendleton, and two grand-
children, John Bradshaw IV,
and Jonathon Gowan.
Survivors include
Audrey’s five children,
Frank Ayers, James Ayers,
Tom Ayers, Denise Brad-
shaw and Janette Gowan,
14 grandchildren, and 18
great-grandchildren.
A funeral service
was held on Monday, June
24, 2019 at 11 a.m. at the
Community Bible Church
of Lexington. Concluding
service and burial followed
at the Lexington Cemetery.
Memorial contri-
butions may be made to
Pioneer Memorial Hospice,
P.O. Box 9, Heppner, Ore-
gon 97836.
Those who wish
may sign the online condo-
lence book at www.swee-
neymortuary.com.
Janet K. Taylor
Long time Heppner
resident Janet K. Taylor, 68,
died Friday June 7, 2019 at
Richland, Washington. She
was born January 12, 1954
at Salem, Oregon. A cele-
bration of life will be held
Saturday, June 29, 2019
at 11 a.m. at the Heppner
City Park. You may sign
the online condolence book
at http://www.sweeneymor-
tuary.com.
The Morrow County Health
District, at their regular
monthly meeting in Irrigon
Monday night, adopted a
revised $17 million budget
for the 2019-20 fiscal year,
up $147,044 from the pre-
viously proposed 2019-20
budget.
The budget includes
$9,548,335 in expendi-
tures for operation of the
hospital; $797,329 for
Home Health & Hospice;
$415,254 for the Boardman
Ambulance; $344,000 for
the Irrigon Ambulance;
$20,626 for the Ione Ambu-
lance and Lexington EMS;
$2,003,813 for the Heppner
Clinic; $1,801,657 for the
Irrigon Clinic; $225,455 for
the Ione Community Clinic;
$50,000 for community
benefit grants; $577,918
for revenue deductions and
bad debt; $900,779 for
capital purchases; $47,229
for capital lease principal
reduction; $341,061 for
long and short term debt
principal reduction; totaling
$17,073,455.
The 2019-20 budget is
up over $1 million from
the 2018-19 budget of
$15,950,553.
The board also imposed
taxes of $.6050 per $1,000
of assessed value for op-
erations and $.3900 per
$1,000 of assessed value
for the local option tax for
operations.
The district, having recently
completed the Irrigon clinic
and awaiting construction
closeout on that project, is
gearing up for construction
of a new clinic in Heppner.
CEO Bob Houser told the
board that he has spoken to
the architect and indicated
that he would like to break
ground before the end of the
year, to which the architect
replied, “That’s aggres-
sive.”
The board had earlier
learned of the shortcom-
ings and lack of space in the
current Pioneer Memorial
Clinic, which needs upgrad-
ing, additional offices for
doctors and specialists that
are called in, more exam
rooms and more space to
be able to provide services
such as CT scans, MRIs and
other needed procedures.
“What we’ve done over the
years is create a multi-fac-
eted facility,” said Houser.
“We’re going to see growth
in the clinics. I think we’re
going down the right path.”
In other business at the
meeting the board:
-received the profit and
loss statement through
May from Chief Financial
Officer Nicole Mahoney
which showed $920,028
in gross patient revenue, a
$9,670 provision for bad
debts, $165,185 in contrac-
tual and other adjustments,
$160,914 in tax revenue
and $31,431 in other oper-
ating revenue for $956,859
in total operating revenue;
$1,102,443 in total operat-
ing expenses, and a $28,116
non-operating gain for a
$117,468 loss for the month
and a $308,880 year to date
loss.
Mahoney said that she
anticipated that the con-
tractuals (payments from
Medicare and Medicaid) to
turn around “significantly”
to improve the district’s
bottom line.
-learned from Houser that
the utility elevator at Pi-
oneer Memorial Hospital
has broken down, with
repair estimates from Otis
at $24,800 and an estimate
on a new elevator with new
construction to accommo-
date it in the $200,000
range. Houser said he opted
for repair.
-approved a new contract
for pharmacy services be-
tween the district and Mur-
ray’s Drug with board Chair
John Murray opting out of
the discussion and vote: the
pharmacist may work up to
24 hours a week at $90 per
hour; the pharmacy tech
may work up to 24 hours a
week at $24 per hour.
-learned from Houser that
candidates to fill a position
as a licensed clinical social
worker and a behavioral
case manager have accept-
ed the jobs.
-heard from Houser that
parts for the x-ray machine
have been found and the
machine is operating ac-
cording to factory specifi-
cations. He said that “If all
goes well, we will continue
to plan for replacement of
this room in the next fiscal
year’s budget.”
-learned from Houser that
Dr. Arnold Cha will be
covering the emergency
department on July 20 for
a shift. He said that the dis-
trict will be employing Dr.
Cha until Dr. Hejmanowski,
who is in the process of
being credentialed, arrives
and as needed subsequently.
-learned that Houser is in
discussion with Kadlec
Medical Center about using
one of their dieticians to
help MCHD via telemedi-
cine and spoke with David
Ayala, executive director
of Columbia River Com-
munity Health about the
possibility of sharing the
cost of a dietician.
-learned that MCHD will be
taking part in First Friday
events on Main Street start-
ing July 5 from 6-8 p.m.
-learned that the MCHD lab
passed their recent state sur-
vey with zero deficiencies.
-learned that MCHD re-
ceived a $10,000 grant
from the City of Irrigon
Enhancement Funds to go
toward the Irrigon Ambu-
lance garage once land is
purchased.
-received a report from Ja-
mie Houck, Chief Nursing
Officer.
-received the following
report for May for Pio-
neer Memorial Hospital:
three admissions, one swing
bed skilled admission, two
admissions for observa-
tion, two non-skilled swing
bed admissions, 617 total
out-patients, 70 emergency
room encounters, 1,837 lab
tests, 102 x-ray/ultrasound
tests, 27 CT scans, one MRI
scan, 16 EKG tests, two
lower endoscopy proce-
dures, one upper endoscopy
procedures, 44 respiratory
therapy procedures.
-received the following
reports: Heppner Ambu-
lance-10 transports for
$17,450 in revenue; Board-
man Ambulance-25 trans-
ports for $45,500; Irrigon
Ambulance-21 for $33,290;
Ione-0; there were two
flights.
-received the following
Home Health report-124
patient visits; Hospice-one
admission; Pharmacy-2,537
drug doses for $67,932 in
revenue.
-received the following
May clinic reports: Pio-
neer Memorial Clinic-418
patient visits with two new
patients, 26 seen by a nurse
and 17 no-shows; Irrigon
Medical Clinic-296 patient
visits with 11 new patients,
161 seen by a nurse and 39
no-shows; Ione Community
Clinic-27 patient visits, two
new patients, five seen by a
nurse and two no-shows.
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