Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current, February 28, 2024, Image 9

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Heppner gazette-times., February 28, 2024, Page 9, Image 9

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Newspaper Page Text+HSSQHU*D]HWWH7LPHV+HSSQHU2UHJRQ Wednesday, February 28, 2024 -- NINE Tension continues over county ambulance services -Continued from PAGE ONE days of limbo on ambulance services is not ‘soon,’” said 3HWHUVRQ DGGLQJ WKDW KH lives in the unincorporated part of Morrow County. ³2QH KXQGUHG HLJKW\ GD\V RIKDYLQJRQHDPEXODQFHLQ the south of Morrow Coun- W\«LVQRWJRRGHQRXJK´ /RUL6LHW]RI/H[LQJWRQ who has been with the Mor- row County Health District for more than 20 years with both the quick response team and the ambulance, XUJHGWKHFRPPLVVLRQHUVWR VLJQWKHWHPSRUDU\FRQWUDFW with the health district. ³3OHDVHWDNHWLPHWR¿[ WKLVSURFHVV´VKHXUJHG -RGL)HUJXVRQRI/H[- LQJWRQ WROG WKH FRPPLV- VLRQHUVWKDWWKH\ZHUHEHLQJ advised by people who are not from Morrow County DQGKDYHQRWOLYHGKHUHORQJ HQRXJKWRXQGHUVWDQGKRZ WKH FRXQW\¶V HPHUJHQF\ medical services work on a daily basis. ³,¶PGLVJXVWHGZLWKWKH time that has been allowed to be wasted on backup plans when this valuable time could have been spent QHJRWLDWLQJ ZLWK 0RUURZ County Health District to FRPHXSZLWKDQDJUHHPHQW that is best for the residents RI 0RUURZ &RXQW\´ )HU- JXVRQ VDLG ³, KRSH \RX JX\VKDYHDORWRIPRQH\WR spend on EMS services and ZURQJIXOGHDWKODZVXLWV´ 6WXDUW'LFNRI,UULJRQ DOHDGHULQWKHUHFDOOH൵RUW addressed his comments to Morrow County Adminis- trator Matthew Jensen, say- LQJKHKDGEHHQDGGUHVVLQJ the BOC for the past year, EXWWKH\ZHUHQ¶WOLVWHQLQJ “No, it’s a waste of WLPH 7KH\¶YH JRW D SUH- RUGDLQHG DJHQGD IURP WKH JHWJR´ 'LFN VDLG ³,W¶V D hostile takeover.” “You inherited a won- derful system that worked for nearly 30 years,” he added. “You came in and you ruined what these won- derful people had put to- JHWKHU<RXKDYHQHYHUEHHQ honest about this.” Ray Akers of Boardman waved a folder, presumably FRQWDLQLQJUHFDOOSHWLWLRQV when he addressed the com- missioners. “If we have to ¿UHDOOWKUHHRI\RXJX\VWR JHWULGRIWKLVPHVVZH¶UH JRLQJWRGRLW´ At the same time, he told the commissioners they should ask for Jensen’s res- LJQDWLRQLPPHGLDWHO\ “Because you’re not wanted. You’re not wanted; you created this problem,” he told Jensen, who took over as county administra- WRUODVW$XJXVW “Let’s keep this civil,” 6\NHV UHVSRQGHG WHOOLQJ Akers to keep to the issues. “Don’t attack people.” “This isn’t an attack,” Akers responded. “You’ve attacked us. You’ve at- tacked our healthcare. “You forced our hand, DQGWKHVLJQDWXUHVDUHUROO- LQJ´KHDGGHG $QGUHD)OHWFKHUVWDWHG that, despite public testi- PRQ\ XUJLQJ WKH FRPPLV- VLRQHUV WR GR VR QR H൵RUW had been made to reach out WR KHDOWKUHODWHG RUJDQL]D- WLRQVLQWKHFRXQW\)OHWFKHU works with the Community Health Improvement Part- nership (CHIP) of Morrow County, which is comprised of more than 25 multi-disci- plinary partners within the county. “These conversations would have provided vital and appropriately timely LQIRUPDWLRQ WKURXJKRXW the past year for you to make informed decisions,” )OHWFKHU VDLG ³:LWKRXW WDONLQJ WR WKH YHU\ SHRSOH with local expertise in the KHDOWK ¿HOG LW¶V H[WUHPHO\ GL൶FXOW WR XQGHUVWDQG WKH provision of care for fron- tier and rural areas.” ³7KHUHLVQRGLVSXWLQJ WKHYDOXHRI%RDUGPDQ)LUH Rescue,” she added, “but this issue transcends one RUJDQL]DWLRQ´ Kirsten Espinola of Ione, who works for the health district, said it VKRXOGQ¶W EH D ELJ GHDO IRU WKH FRXQW\ WR VLJQ D two-year contract if they truly intend to work with MCHD. ³$OO,DPVD\LQJLVGR you want your families, LQFOXGLQJPLQHHYHU\ERG\ in this community, to have WR ZRUU\ DERXW VRPHWKLQJ KDSSHQLQJWRWKHPEHFDXVH \RXJX\VGRQ¶WZDQWWRFR- RSHUDWH"7RPHWKLVLVQRW okay,” Espinola said. MCHD Funding Re- quest At the same time, the Morrow County Health District approached the FRXQW\GXULQJWKHPHHWLQJ ZLWKDUHTXHVWIRU in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. 0RUURZ &RXQW\ )L- nance Director Kevin Ince said the health district had VXEPLWWHG WKH IXQGLQJ UH- quest to Morrow County to PLWLJDWH¿QDQFLDOORVVHVGXH to the economic impacts of COVID-19. Ince told the commissioners that county VWD൵KDGPHWZLWK0&+' VWD൵WRUHYLHZWKHGHWDLOVRI the request and that, based on the discussion in that PHHWLQJ WKH JUDQW UHTXHVW ZRXOGEHDQHOLJLEOHXVHRI the ARPA State and Local )LVFDO5HFRYHU\)XQGV 6/- )5) IXQGV MCHD Chief Oper- DWLQJ 2IILFHU DQG &KLHI )LQDQFLDO 2IILFHU 1LFROH Mahoney asked the com- missioners to set aside any GL൵HUHQFHVZLWKWKHKHDOWK GLVWULFW RYHU HPHUJHQF\ medical services and con- sider the request on its own merits. 6KH VDLG WKH IXQGLQJ request was for a primary FDUH DQG HPHUJHQF\ URRP subsidy for post-COVID fiscal recovery. Mahoney said the district’s state and IHGHUDO UHOLHI IXQGLQJ KDG ceased last year, but MCHD LVVWLOOLQ¿VFDOUHFRYHU\ ³:H¶UH GDLO\ PDNLQJ FKDQJHV WR RXU RSHUDWLRQV WRQRW¿OOSRVLWLRQVWKDWDUH RSHQWRFRPELQHOLJKWSR- sitions to cover four clinics instead of two, or to make FKDQJHVLQDOOWKHZD\VWKDW we do business,” she said. Mahoney also said the district has been on a spend- LQJ IUHH]H VLQFH WKH ¿VFDO \HDU EHJDQ FRQWUROOLQJ VSHQGLQJ ZKHUH LW FDQ LQ order to operate $600,000 XQGHUEXGJHW At the same time, she said, MCHD has been hard hit by areas out of their con- WURO VXFK DV LQÀDWLRQ DQG RYHUUXQV LQ VWD൶QJ FRVWV Some costs have doubled since pre-COVID. That has left the district with a $2 million shortfall. “So we’re 1.6 down overall for six months of the year,” she told the com- missioners. “Our cost report last year came in a million WZRVRWKHUHZLOOEHDVL]H- able takeout of the that to that bottom line, but it will not eradicate all of it.” Mahoney added that the health district had nev- er approached the coun- W\ IRU IXQGLQJ GXULQJ KHU time there and pointed out that, while it seemed like a ODUJHUHTXHVWLQWHUPVRIWKH combined dollar amount, $200,000 for the hospital and each of the three clin- LFVZDVQRWDODUJHUHTXHVW compared to other amounts already funded under the SURJUDP Mahoney also said fa- cilities and service lines are FORVLQJDFURVVWKHFRXQWU\ DQG0&+'LVKDYLQJWRUH- structure the way it delivers care post-COVID. ³:H¶UH XS DJDLQVW D lot of…self-service health. <RXFDQJHWDSHGLDWULFLDQ RQ WKH SKRQH DW PLGQLJKW for 20 bucks instead of JRLQJ WR WKH (5 %XW ZH VRXJKWWRVWD൵WKH(5´VKH said, “with a physician that cost twice what it did pre- COVID.” “This is totally sepa- rate from the ambulance,” 6\NHVDJUHHG³:HZDQWD healthy health district.” Morrow County Com- PLVVLRQHU-H൵:HQKRO]QRW- ed that a lot of the district’s problems seemed to stem from the rise of telehealth and provider expenses. 0DKRQH\DJUHHGDQGDGGHG WKDW XWLOL]DWLRQ RI EULFN and-mortar primary care services is down across the country. ³$QGZHGRR൵HUWHOH- health, but there’s a lot of other, expanded telehealth that’s available that wasn’t there pre-COVID,” she said. “And people are repri- RULWL]LQJ KRZ WKH\ DFFHVV it.” Mahoney said MCHD KDVVHHQWHOHKHDOWKHPHUJH VLJQLILFDQWO\ LQ WKH SDVW year. “Specialists can run a business on cash and not have any staff in the EXLOGLQJ DQG FDQ PDNH D YHU\JRRGOLYLQJSURYLGLQJ telehealth services,” said Mahoney. “In rural America where you have a limited populace, where you’re WU\LQJ WR EH DYDLODEOH DQG provide services and be open, it literally is very FKDOOHQJLQJ´ “This has not been VRPHWKLQJWKDWZHMXVWVDLG µ2KWKLVLVDSUREOHPULJKW now,’” she added. “It’s VRPHWKLQJ ZH¶YH KDG RXU H\H RQ LW IRU YHU\ ORQJ time.” :HQKRO] KRZHYHU questioned that based on what he said he had seen in WKH¿QDQFLDOVRQ 0&+'¶V website. “And I see, since 2019, your net position has in- creased every year, and in your audit, your auditors VWDWHV WKDW ORRNLQJ DW \RXU QHWSRVLWLRQLVDJRRGZD\ to look at the overall health RI DQ RUJDQL]DWLRQ WKDW LI LW¶V JRLQJ XS WKHQ \RX¶UH GRLQJRND\´KHVDLGDGG- LQJWKDWWKHKHDOWKGLVWULFW¶V RSHUDWLQJUHYHQXHKDVJRQH up for the past several years. “So, you know, when \RXVD\WKDWWKHPLJUDWLRQ from brick and mortar, your financials don’t bear that RXW´VDLG:HQKRO] “Not your audited fi- nancial statements that are on your website,” he said when Mahoney objected. “Your audited statements don’t show that you’re hav- LQJDGHFUHDVHLQEXVLQHVV´ He did admit that the December financials showed that income had one down year-to-date, but questioned whether it had EHHQRQJRLQJIRUPRUHWKDQ the past six months. ³,¶P QRW VD\LQJ WKDW ,¶P QRW JRLQJ WR ORRN DW \RX NQRZ SURYLGLQJ \RX VRPHUHOLHIKHUHEXW,JXHVV we also want to know, is WKLV MXVW D %DQG$LG"´ he said. “Where will we be in six months with the "´ Mahoney replied that MCHD was aware it would only be a one-time contri- bution but that the district also has to plan ahead. She also pointed out that the increase in income didn’t show the whole story when WDNLQJ LQWR DFFRXQW FRVW increases, and that district income is $2 million below EXGJHWIRUWKH\HDU “But you said that it’s because of telehealth. And \RXVDLGWKDW¶VEHHQJRLQJ on for more than a year,” VDLG:HQKRO]³:HKDYHD GL൵HUHQFHRIRSLQLRQ´ Sykes asked Mahoney what the health district’s SODQ LV PRYLQJ IRUZDUG She replied that MCHD is DVVHVVLQJHYHU\SRVVLELOLW\ LQFOXGLQJ SRVVLEOH FXWV WR services, but that she wasn’t ready to make a public statement on the plan for next year. ³:H¶UHMXVWVWDUWLQJRXU EXGJHWSURFHVV´VKHVDLG The conversation took a contentious turn when Sykes asked if the ambu- lance service was really a money loser and whether that should be considered in MCHD’s plans. “Oh my God. What if \RXZHUHWRVXEVLGL]HLWOLNH we’d ask for in service con- WUDFWV"´0DKRQH\UHSOLHG Mahoney said that, since the county started RYHUKDXOLQJ WKH $6$ MCHD personnel costs KDYH JRQH XS IRU (06 because none of their per- sonnel want to work in Boardman. ³'R \RX NQRZ ZK\" We pay overtime to people that work elsewhere to pick up shifts there because it’s so…it’s a hostile place to work,” Mahoney said. “We’ve had to cut other places in order to meet this because of the BOC’s deci- VLRQWRJLYHXQFHUWDLQW\WR people’s jobs clear back in April. Ten months.” ³6RQRZ\RX¶UHJRLQJ to try to hold this money KRVWDJHRYHUWKH(06VLW- XDWLRQ"´VKHDVNHG “No, no, no, no,” put in Sykes. “It’s completely separate. But you put your position out there, and so I think we should have a ULJKWWRSXWRXUSRVLWLRQRXW there. We would like the health district to continue. We would like you not to stop service on the twelfth. Would like you to keep do- LQJLWIRUGD\VXQWLOWKH $6$LVEDFNIURP2UHJRQ Health and then we can ne- JRWLDWHD¿YH\HDUFRQWUDFW with you. ³,W¶V D ¿YH\HDU GHDO That’s what we want. We ZDQWMXVWWRNHHSJRLQJQR instability,” he added. ³:H JDYH \RX WZR \HDUVWR¿JXUHLWRXW´VDLG Mahoney. “You need to keep these separate.” It took a few minutes WRJHWWKHPHHWLQJEDFNRQ topic, and the atmosphere in the room remained tense ZKHQ:HQKRO]DJDLQUDLVHG his concerns. He said a lot RISHRSOHKDYHEHHQWDONLQJ about transparency, but he KDG EHHQ XQDEOH WR ¿QG D detailed accounts payable OHGJHURQWKHKHDOWKGLVWULFW website. “I’ll use as an example, we list Morrow County Grain Growers as a vendor, DQG PD\ VD\ HTXLSPHQW two 31 wiper blades for this dollar amount, and it’s built into this department,” :HQKRO] VDLG ³'RHV WKH health district provide an $3OHGJHUOLNHWKDW"´ Mahoney replied that WKH 0&+' OHGJHU ZDVQ¶W that detailed, but that they could provide the informa- tion by public request. “So, would the health GLVWULFW EH ZLOOLQJ WR SUR- vide that for 36 months and then, you know, we can see where your dollars have EHHQJRLQJ´:HQKRO]VDLG “What exactly are you ORRNLQJ IRU LQ WKH$3 OHG- JHU"´DVNHG0DKRQH\ “To see that the expens- es are where you say they DUH´:HQKRO]UHSOLHG ³<RX¶UH FKDOOHQJLQJ our work that’s been done HYHU\ \HDU"´ DVNHG 0D- honey. “Is there a reason you GRQ¶W ZDQW WR JLYH LW"´ Sykes asked. ³,¶P KDSS\ WR JLYH LW ,¶PZRQGHULQJZK\\RX¶UH DVNLQJIRULW´0DKRQH\UH- SOLHG³,VWKHUHDQDOOHJDWLRQ that we’ve been misappro- SULDWLQJIXQGV"´ Mahoney said the county had never asked WKRVHTXHVWLRQVFRQFHUQLQJ RWKHUIXQGLQJUHTXHVWVDQG DJDLQVWDWHGWKDW SHUIDFLOLW\ZDVQRWDKXJH request. “If you want to look at RXU UHFRUGV IURP ¿QDQFLDO standpoint, then make a public records request. That shouldn’t be tied to this ARPA request,” she said. :HQKRO]VDLGKHXQGHU- stood people had done that and that records weren’t available or would cost $250. Mahoney replied that the health district is allowed WRFKDUJHDIHHLIVRPHRQH ZDQWVVRPHWKLQJQRWUHJX- larly available. Morrow County Com- PLVVLRQHU5R\'UDJRDVNHG LI WKH IXQGLQJ ZRXOG EH considered a lump sum or if it was certain that $200,000 would be expended to each location. Mahoney said the PRQH\ZRXOGGH¿QLWHO\JR to the four locations. Sykes made a motion to JUDQWWKHUHTXHVWFRQWLQJHQW on the health district sup- SO\LQJ DFFRXQWV SD\DEOH but the motion died for lack RIDVHFRQG'UDJRPRYHG to table the request until the county receives an account payable summary from the health district. The motion passed unanimously. Interim Ambulance Services The tension in the air didn’t clear with the next LWHPRQWKHDJHQGDDV-HQ- sen presented a draft con- tract for interim ambulance services with Boardman )LUH5HVFXH Jensen said that, while the county is in discus- sions with Morrow County Health District, it is still ZRUNLQJRQLQWHULPRSWLRQV in case they fail to come WR DQ DJUHHPHQW EHIRUH the health district’s 90-day deadline expires. ³7KLV LV WKH ELJJHVW part of it, the contract for DPEXODQFH SURYLVLRQLQJ´ Jensen said. Jensen said he was not DVNLQJIRUDSSURYDORUVLJ- natures. The contract would DOVREHSUHVHQWHGWR%)5' DW D VSHFLDO PHHWLQJ WKH district had scheduled last :HGQHVGD\HYHQLQJ $FFRUGLQJ WR WKH FRQ- WUDFW%)5'ZRXOGSURYLGH interim ambulance response for up to 90 days, with an additional 90-day extension SRVVLEOH %)5' FXUUHQWO\ has four Advanced Life Support-capable ambulanc- es and says it is capable RI SURYLGLQJ DSSURSULDWH VWD൶QJ To fully cover the coun- W\KRZHYHU%)5'ZRXOG need access to three addi- tional ambulances. Since LWLVDQLQWHULPDJUHHPHQW %)5'DVNHGWKDWWKHFRXQ- W\SURYLGHWKRVHWKURXJKD short-term lease. Tw o a m b u l a n c e s would be stationed in each of the three planned ASA DUHDV²%RDUGPDQ ,UULJRQ and South County—with one staffed for response LQ HDFK DUHD %)5' SODQV WR XWLOL]H HLWKHU D KRXU RU KRXU VKLIW SURFHVVGXULQJLQWHULPFRY- HUDJH “Some people are un- der the illusion that all the DPEXODQFHVDUHJRLQJWREH FRPLQJXSIURP%RDUGPDQ That’s not the case,” said Jensen. Possible South County ORFDWLRQVKDYH\HWWREH¿- QDOL]HGEXWRSWLRQVLQFOXGH WKH 0RUURZ &RXQW\ )DLU- JURXQGVRUWKHSXEOLFZRUNV ORFDWLRQLQ/H[LQJWRQ ³$JDLQ ZH¶UH VWLOO ZRUNLQJ ZLWK 0RUURZ County Health District on possible solutions. And we DUH DZDLWLQJ ZRUG IURP OHA on the ASA and we’ll EHH[SHGLWLQJWKDWDVVRRQ as we receive word on that,” Jensen said. “So the con- tract is set up for up to 90 days, to expire as soon as we have an opportunity to set up and implement the new ASA. “And so this is a con- WLQJHQF\ SODQ DQG ZLOO provide ambulance service WKURXJKRXWWKHFRXQW\´KH added. $FFRUGLQJ WR WKH FRQ- WUDFW%)5'ZRXOGFKDUJH $3,975 per day for proposed LQWHULPFRYHUDJHSOXVD percent administrative fee for billed reimbursements. The county will pay for the three leased AMR ambu- lances and will receive the billed reimbursement, mi- nus the administrative fee, for all calls in the Northeast ,UULJRQ DQG 6RXWK$6$ %)5'ZRXOGUHWDLQELOODEOH reimbursement for North ASA (Boardman) calls. The BOC voted unan- LPRXVO\ WR DXWKRUL]H WKH FRXQW\DGPLQLVWUDWRUWRVLJQ WKHFRQWUDFWLI%)5'PDGH QRFKDQJHV After another comment from the audience, Sykes asked the people in the room to be respectful. “A lot of you, you’re on city councils, and I don’t think you appreciate the SXEOLF PDNLQJ FRPPHQWV WKURXJKRXW\RXUPHHWLQJ´ KH VDLG ³:H¶YH JRW FLW\ council people here, we’ve JRW KHDOWK GLVWULFW ERDUG members and work peo- ple, and I don’t think you DSSUHFLDWH SHRSOH \HOOLQJ from the audience at you. I would ask you to please not do that. Please.” Births 6HQGELUWKDQQRXQFHPHQWVWRHGLWRU#UDSLGVHUYHQHWRUXSORDGWR+HSSQHUQHW Waites and DuBrys welcome new baby Pheobe Ann Waite 2Q )HEUXDU\ WK 2024, Leo Waite and Steph- any DuBry of Provo, Utah, joyfully welcomed baby Pheobe Ann Waite into their IDPLO\ :HLJKLQJ OEV DQG PHDVXULQJ LQFKHV this addition is a bundle of joy for the proud parents. Leo’s parents, Deiter and %ULGJHW :DLWH DQG 6WHSK- any’s parents, Chet and Starla DuBry, are overjoyed with the arrival of their new JUDQGGDXJKWHU ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.