TEN- Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 27, 2022
MCHD hears public comment Ione Community 4-H Club
takes field trip
regarding termination
The Morrow County
Health District Board, at
their April 25 meeting at
the Port of Morrow offices
in Boardman, heard public
comment via telecom, spe-
cifically concerning the ter-
mination of Victoria Walz,
who had subsequently ini-
tiated a Facebook campaign
against the district. Walz
allegedly used the district’s
computer during work time
for personal reasons. She
listed on Facebook the dis-
trict employees who had
left the district or had been
terminated by the district.
At the meeting, CEO
Emily Roberts outlined a
plan to test wells in the dis-
trict for contaminants, such
as nitrates, coliform bacte-
ria, arsenic and lead. Mor-
row County Commissioner
Jim Doherty was on hand in
support of a Morrow Coun-
ty Health District/Morrow
County Health Department
partnership to facilitate the
collection of samples and
testing of wells. “I want to
remove the cost, time bar-
rier and work with Public
Health,” said Roberts. “I
feel it is critical.” It was
noted that water filters can
help prevent contaminants
and people can also buy
filtered water for drinking
and cooking uses. Roberts
suggested providing water
testing kits where people
could pick up the kits for
testing their wells once a
week, perhaps picking up
the kits on Sunday and re-
turning the water samples
for testing on Mondays,
noting that both Oregon
State University and the
University of Oregon have
testing programs. “I would
like this to be an ongoing
project,” she said.
Roberts advised the
board that they did not need
to take action on the plan.
Also at the meeting, the
board approved three health
provider contracts with
Edward Piepmeier, M.D.
as locum tenens, Jillian
Webb, nurse practitioner,
and Christine Seals, M.D.,
providing “They can meet
our standards,” said Rob-
erts.
The district is still re-
cruiting for a family prac-
tice physician, an MD or a
DO (doctor of osteopathy),
and a behavioral health con-
sultant (a licensed clinical
social worker or a psychol-
ogist) for Pioneer Memorial
Clinic and a family practice
physician, an MD or DO,
for the Irrigon Medical
Clinic.
At the meeting, Chief
Financial Officer Nicole
Mahoney presented a pro-
posed budget for fiscal year
2022-2023 with “net patient
revenues up 29 percent or
$3.8 million over current
year-end projected vol-
umes, which are historically
low due to the pandemic
and a provider shortage
resulting in reduced utili-
zation. The 2022 budget
includes a 4.5 percent cost
of living increase.” The
proposed budget included
no new capital loans, but
added four EMS positions
in Boardman, six EMS
positions in Irrigon and
one medical staff-executive
coordinator.”
“The FY 2022-23 bud-
get includes a 4.5 percent
cost of living increase for
non-contracted and union
employees, annual levity
step increases, market ad-
justments for pay scales,
a 15-percent estimated
increase to the district’s
employee health insurance
contribution cap begin-
ning 1/1/2023, and the ad-
dition of 11 FTEs (full
time employees) over last
year’s budget due to staffing
changes. $20,385.
Mahoney said, “Other
revenue amounts did not
fluctuate a great deal except
for the addition of $200,000
in COVID Provider Relief
Funding for the clinics
and a federal grant request
that has been submitted
for a new CT scanner for
$585,000 that could be
awarded in FY 2023.”
“The forecasted amount
of $3,078,680 is a 20-per-
cent increase over the cur-
rent year revenue due to
increased property values
in residential, commercial
and industrial development
in primarily the north end
of the county,” she said.
“There are no new capital
equipment leases or loans
budgeted for this year.”
Also at the meeting, the
board learned the district is
to receive $657,983 from
the Amazon Gift Payment
distribution.
The 2022-23 budget
includes the following
proposed resources: Pi-
oneer Memorial Hospi-
tal-$11,678,067, compared
to $10,168,965 adopted
for 2021-22; Home Health
& Hospice-$1,217,749
vs. $1,148,484 adopt-
ed for 2021; Boardman
Ambulance-$654,401
vs. $567,954; Irrigon
Ambulance-$449,615
vs $348,603; Ione Am-
bulance-$3,676-vs
$4,4201; Heppner Clinic
$1,734,724 vs $2,061,75;
Irrigon Clinic-$2,061,756
vs $2071,900; Ione Clin-
ic-$278,624 vs $274,882;
Other Revenue -$467,343
vs. $267,343;; Donations
and Grants-$909,000
vs $274,00; Interest In-
come-$45,000 vs. $60,000;
Community Service Fees-
$311,900 vs. $293,100;
Electronic Health Record
Reimbursements-$0 vs.
$0; 340B Retail Pharmacy
Net Revenue-$260,000 vs
$260,000; Operating, Cap-
ital, Long & Short Term
Loans-$0 vs. $67,500;
Total Resources Except
Taxes-$20,071,855 vs.
$ 1 8 , 3 3 9 , 2 0 8 ; P r o p e r-
ty Taxes (including Lo-
cal Option Taxes if ap-
plicable)-$3,078,680 vs.
$2,372,518; Total Re-
sources-$23,150,535 vs.
$20711,726.
2022-23 proposed ex-
penditures: Pioneer Memo-
rial Hospital-$12,068,033
vs. $11,975,707 for last
year; Home Health &
Hospice-$1,392,900 vs.
$1,230,084; Boardman
Ambulance-$863,687 vs.
$552,838; Irrigon Am-
bulance-$863,769 vs.
$404,972; Ione Ambu-
lance & Lexington EMS-
$20,385 vs. $21,$21,512;
Heppner Pioneer Memo-
rial Clinic-$2,467,243
vs. $2,075,910; Irrigon
Clinic-$2,008,841 vs.
$1,697,013; Ione Com-
munity Clinic-$258,069
vs. $239,389; Community
Benefit Grants-$50,000
vs. $50,000; Revenue De-
ductions and Bad Debt-
$1,275,420 vs. $1,415,174;
Capital purchas-
es-$1,343,640 vs. $590,970;
Capital Lease Principal
Reduction-0; Long &
Short Term Debt Princi-
pal Reduction-$316,495
v. $343,713; Total Ex-
penditures-$22,928,483
vs. $20,597,282; Net de-
crease in cash-$222,052 vs.
$114,444.
The board also received
the following unaudited fi-
nancial statement for March
from CFO Mahoney:
$1,209,576 in gross patient
revenue, less $253,319 in
revenue deductions, plus
$218,296 in tax revenue and
$14,844 in other operating
revenue for $1,696,035 in
total operating revenue, less
$1,557,545 in total operat-
ing expenses for a $138,490
gain from operations and
$48,035 in a non-operating
gain for a $186,525 gain for
the month.
In other business, the
board:
-approved a 20-year
loan at 4.15 percent for refi-
nancing the district’s USDA
loan. “I haven’t found any
rates more favorable,” not-
ed Mahoney.
-approved the follow-
ing equipment purchases: a
portable x-ray machine pur-
chased with COVID funds,
a hospital water softener, a
hospital bathtub-a Pioneer
Memorial Foundation Do-
nation, and a pulmonary
function test machine, pur-
chased with COVID funds
for additional testing for
people with COVID.
-approved the following
capital purchases from July
1, 2022 to June 30 2023: re-
placement of administrative
car for staff-$30,000 paid
with cash from operations;
hospital flooring-$28,000
cash from operations; hos-
pital interior paint-$10,000
cash from operations; hos-
pital water softener sys-
tem-$65,000 cash from
operations; Pioneer Me-
morial Clinic back entrance
project-$35,000 COVID
funds; 2 Zoll Defibrillators
for crash carts-$21,930 do-
nation; freezer for QC ma-
terials-$6,088; Irrigon Am-
bulance Hall site prep and
paving-$400,000 in grants
received in prior years; door
security systems at all lo-
cations-$125,335 in grants
received in prior years;
two computer switch-
es-$10,677 in cash from
operations; Omnicell Soft-
ware interfaces-$26,610 in
cash from operations and
a CT scanner with injec-
tor-$585,000 federal grant,
if awarded; total capital
purchases-$1,343,640, with
$170,287 to be paid with
cash on hand, $525,335 to
be paid by prior grants/do-
nated funds; and $648,018
to be paid with the current
year’s grants and donations.
-received the follow-
ing statistics for March:
Pioneer Memorial Hospital
had six admissions, two
hospital respite admissions,
five swing bed admissions,
six admissions for obser-
vation, two hospital respite
admissions, 662 outpatient
admissions with emergen-
cy room, 100 emergency
room encounters, 1,752 lab
tests, 98 x-ray/ultrasound
tests, 37 CT scans, five
MRI scans, 31 EKG tests
and 13 respiratory therapy
sessions; Home Health had
153 patient visits; Hospice
had two admissions and one
discharge, with no deaths;
Pharmacy had 2,331 drug
doses for $93,1218 in drug
revenue.
-received the following
report on provider visits:
the Heppner Clinic had 343
provider visits, the Irrigon
Clinic-406, and the Ione
Clinic, 92.
-received the following
ambulance reports for the
month: Heppner Ambu-
lance had 18 transports
for $36,830 in revenue;
Boardman Ambulance had
22 transports for $48,469
in revenue; Irrigon Am-
bulance had 15 transports
for $28,352 in revenue;
Ione Ambulance had no
transports.
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Above pictured (L-R): Miley Strzelewicz, Phegley Padberg, Novalee Campbell, Liam Heide-
man, Corey Rice, Khira Kreitzer, Kole Strzelewicz, Cadance Kreitzer and Madelyn Cambell.
Dr. Bob and Jessie Peters are in background.
Below: Members of Follett Meat Co. met with members of the Ione Community 4-H Club this
past week as part of the clubs monthly meeting.
Nine members of the
Ione Community 4-H Club
participated in their month-
ly meeting with a field trip.
The trip included a tour of
Follett Meat Co., where
owner Justin Follett walked
students through the pro-
cessing of animals. Many
of the students in the club
show market animals and
this provided some insight
into creating a quality prod-
uct for a consumer. Part of
their experience was getting
to watch half a beef being
cut up. “It was a really neat
experience,” said member
Khira Krietzer, an eighth
grader in Ione. “It will help
me decide how to feed my
show animals.”
The second part of the
field trip was to Frontier
Genetics with Bob and
Jessie Peter. Club mem-
bers were able to watch the
artificial insemination of a
mare and get a lesson on
Oregon State Univer-
sity Extension, Morrow
County will be conducting
interviews for a 4-H Pro-
gram Coordinator/Outreach
Program Coordinator on
Friday, April 29, 2022. The
community is invited to
view community presenta-
tions by each of the three
candidates. The presenta-
tion for candidate A will
be available from 3 to 3:30
p.m., candidate B from 3:45
to 4:15 p.m. and candidate
C from 4:30 to 5 p.m.
The public viewing
for the presentations will
be done through zoom.
Community members can
log onto the zoom link
posted below. Community
participants will be asked
for feedback through a link
shared at the time of the
presentations. For those
who are unable to view
genetics. At this stop, club
member, Miley Strzelewicz
also gave a presentation on
theriogenology; the study
of animal reproduction.
Ione Community 4-H
is a club in Morrow Coun-
ty that was established in
2011. The current club lead-
er is Dawn Eynetich and the
club participates in many
kinds of livestock, primar-
ily, but also includes static
opportunities as well.
Public invited to view 4-H
candidate presentations
presentations during the
scheduled times, but would
like to, please contact Julie
Baker at julie.baker@ore-
gonstate.edu for a link to
recorded versions.
Please email Julie Bak-
er also for the link to the
Zoom presentations.
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