SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Health district talks accomplishments
-Continued from PAGE ONE at Ione Community Clinic. Member Stephen Munkers CHI-Optima last year, and
unanimously.
The board also passed a
resolution making Kilken-
ny, MCHD CEO Emily
Roberts, Mahoney and
Chief Clinical Officer Sa-
mantha Van Laer autho-
rized check signers for the
district.
In the financial report,
Mahoney said that the dis-
trict is still finalizing fiscal
year 2022-23 and making
adjustments, including the
cost report, so final figures
for the year will not be
available until October.
“We can all hope that
we can get to a break-even,”
she said. “That would be a
really great place if we can
get there.”
She said staff mem-
bers are also pushing to
get caught up so they can
present July and August
numbers in September.
On a positive note, staff
also provided the board
with a list of accomplish-
ments for the fiscal year
2022-23.
Roberts said the health
district asked department
heads to submit lists of
things outside their nor-
mal operations, so the ac-
complishments listed were
above and beyond ongoing
patient care.
“There’s a lot that goes
on behind the scenes, and
we like to show that to the
board once a year,” she
said.
“I thought that was
pretty nice,” said Kilken-
ny. “Lots of good things in
there.”
Some of the highlights
in the document included
the opening of Boardman
Immediate Care, imple-
mentation of lab collection
and blood draws at Pioneer
Memorial Clinic and an
additional day each week
for medical appointments
An ADA accessible
ramp was added to the
rear entrance of Pioneer
Memorial Clinic, and Ione
Community Clinic, Irrigon
Medical Clinic and Pio-
neer Memorial Clinic all
achieved Tier IV Patient
Centered Primary Care
Home (PCPCH) status.
Outpatient lab hours
were expanded at Pioneer
Memorial Hospital to better
meet the needs of fasting
patients.
The staffing model in
the emergency department
changed so providers are
dedicated separately to the
emergency department and
the clinic, which is intended
to reduce patient wait times
and clinic appointment can-
cellations.
The district hired six
additional EMS staff in
Irrigon and converted from
an on-call EMS model to
a fully staffed model for
Irrigon.
Four home health em-
ployees received awards
from the Oregon Associa-
tion for Home Care. Jack-
ie Alleman was awarded
Volunteer of the Year, Jerry
Conklin was awarded Chap-
lain of the Year, Katilyn
Zinter was awarded Home
Health Aide of the Year
and Molly Rhea received
the Hope Runnel’s Award
for outstanding leadership,
service, and achievement
as a pioneer in furthering
the scope of home health
services in Oregon.
Among other staff ad-
vancements and certifica-
tions, Paola Macias Flores
and Nathalie Campos be-
came certified healthcare
interpreters.
The full list is available
on the health district’s web-
site, morrowcountyhealth-
district.org.
New MCHD Board
asked the status of the as-
sisted living facility planned
for Boardman. Roberts re-
plied that the district will
be publishing a request for
proposals (RFP) for build
designs.
“Most likely, compa-
nies will partner up to re-
spond to our RFP,” she
said. Roberts added that
two companies had already
expressed interest, and the
health district will be look-
ing for a third.
“We can’t do any per-
mitting until we know what
the plans are,” she said,
“and we also have some
grant writing and fund-
raising that we need to do
related to that, but we think
that we need the plans first.”
She said anyone would
be welcome to submit
proposals, but preference
would probably be given
to those with experience
building ADA (Americans
with Disabilities Act) com-
pliant homes, since that is
a big need on the project.
In other business, Rob-
erts reported that days cash
on hand has improved to 66,
and days in AR is holding
on where it has been at 64.
She also pointed out that the
patient satisfaction scores
haven’t changed from last
month but that the patient
response rate has been low.
The health district
board approved the renew-
al of a liability insurance
policy with CHI-Optima
for $79,932. Roberts said
the premium increased
by five percent over last
year, which was expect-
ed. MCHD switched to
Roberts said the insurer the
health district used previ-
ously would have increased
the rates by 39 percent.
“It’s a good thing we
changed when we did,”
added Mahoney.
Kilkenny noted that the
policy included terrorism
coverage, but Roberts said
the health district was not
opting into that coverage
because it was extremely
difficult to get a payout,
requiring a certain kind of
declaration of terrorism at
the national level.
“And that has never,
ever happened,” said Rob-
erts.
Murray also addressed
something that he said was
“kind of floating along out
there,” regarding an ethics
complaint made against
him.
The complaint alleged
that Murray, by being on the
MCHD board and owning
Murray’s Drug, benefited
financially from decisions
made by the health district
board.
The Oregon Govern-
ment Ethics Commission
dismissed the complaints at
its Aug. 25 meeting.
The board also ap-
proved the renewal of emer-
gency and hospital medical
staff privileges for Dr. Wil-
liam Everts.
At the end of its open
meeting, the board held an
executive session to con-
sider information or records
exempt from public inspec-
tion pertaining to ongoing
or anticipated litigation, but
no action was taken in open
session.
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Heppner cross-country
starts strong at
Tillamook meet
The Heppner cross-country
team traveled to Tillamook,
OR over the weekend for
the Ultimook Race at Hy-
drangea Ranch on Saturday.
Heppner women placed
fourth out of a field of 21 in
the Womens 5,000 Meters
Varsity 1A-4A. Contribut-
ing heavily to that standing
was sophomore Lily Nich-
ols, who placed fifth with
her time of 20:46.87. The
rest of the Heppner women
all finished well within the
first half of the field of 186.
Out of 35 teams in the Mens
5,000 Meters Varsity 1A-
4A, Heppner boys placed
18 th as a team. Senior Grady
Greenwood placed ninth
out of the field of more
than 250 with his time of
17:42.66, while the rest of
the Mustang men also made
good showings, finishing in
the first half of the field.
Full Heppner results are as
follows:
Womens 5,000 Meters Var-
sity 1A-4A
5. Lily Nichols, 20:46.87
3 3 . A r i a n n a Wo r d e n ,
22:54.63
61. Hailey McDaniel,
24:27.99
62. Brooklyn Hendricks,
24:29.57
64. Riley Archer, 24:31.37
75. Irelynn Kollman,
25:08.93
Mens 5,000 Meters Varsity
1A-4A
9. Grady Greenwood,
17:42.66
113. Carson Greenwood,
21:18.22
114. Max Wilson, 21:18.79
117. Jake Wilson, 21:23.87
164. Quaid Jensen, 22:45.90
Womens 3,000 Meters Mid-
dle School
17. Mikalie Duncan,
14:19.57
19. Hadlie Duncan,
14:37.95
32. Khloe Rodriguez,
15:49.34
54. Lizzie Ginn, 17:40.43
Mens 3,000 Meters Middle
School
63. Olson Anderson,
14:13.23
64. Jaxson Wight, 14:14.25
77. Jack Lathrop, 15:01.55
82. Axton Hendricks,
15:30.69
The cross-country teams
race again this Saturday,
Sept. 9, at the Runner’s
Soul XC Fest in Hermiston.
The first middle school race
begins at 10 a.m. Varsity
races are in the afternoon
beginning at 1:10 p.m.
Lunch
& Dinner
Specials 9/7-9/13
Thursday - meatball sandwich with fries $9
Friday - Turkey Bagel w/ Mac n cheese $9
Saturday - salad is chicken Caesar salad $10
Monday - pulled pork nachos $9
Tuesday - Reuben and salad $9
Tuesday night - 6-9pm $2 hard shell tacos
Wednesday - Goulash $9, $7 for seniors
For the month of September we are doing a
breakfast menu from 11am until 9pm. Please be
patient as we try adding all day breakfast to our
offered items.