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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 2025)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 7, 2025 -- NINE Letters to the Editor Continued -Continued from PAGE THREE a variety of roles in her years of leadership in Mor- row County health. The variety of positions she has held makes her a strong candidate who will work together with the board to develop strategies that align with meeting these goals. Sincerely, Linda K. LaRue Ione, OR Hospital board needs to change Thanks to Dale Bates, I was able to hear those running for board members. After a fall and surgery in Portland, I returned to Heppner for recovery at our local hospital, hoping for the same quality of care I had received in the past. Unfortunately, my experi- ence this time was far from what I had come to expect. In the past, I was al- ways treated with kindness and compassion by the hos- pital staff—many of whom I knew personally. They were attentive, ensuring that I moved carefully so I wouldn’t further harm my neck. However, this time, I found that things had changed. I was told the hospital was short-staffed—some- times with as few as one or two people working a shift—and as a result, basic care was compromised. I wasn’t bathed for several days, and my scheduled walks to help with recov- ery were canceled. When one of the local nurses returned after a week off, she was shocked to learn that I hadn’t had a bath in eight days. I had asked for help, but I was always told the same thing: they were short on staff. Sadly, the problem seemed to go beyond just a lack of personnel. It appears the hospital leadership, in- cluding the board members, may not be fully aware of the staffing issues or the questionable practices that have emerged under the current management. For example, some of the new hires at the hospital had questionable back- grounds—some were even let go from other healthcare facilities—and many of them seemed indifferent to patients’ needs. I was left waiting for help on more than one occasion, and at one point, a nurse tried to give me stool softeners and Miralax, despite Dr. Everts’ clear orders to stop. She disregarded the doctor’s in- structions and seemed more focused on doing things her way. If she couldn’t fol- low a doctor’s orders, she shouldn’t have been there. On a positive note, I did receive good care from two out-of-state staff members, one from Arizona and the other from the Tri-Cities. They ensured I got my baths and was able to walk as part of my recovery. But it’s troubling that I had to rely on staff from out of town to get the care that should be standard. Furthermore, I was re- cently shocked to learn that one of my doctors from Hermiston ordered blood and urine tests to be done locally at Heppner hospital for my convenience. When I followed up, I found out that only one of the tests were completed. It makes me wonder why the hospital did not properly verify the test results, and why they allowed mistakes to slip through the cracks. It’s clear to me that our hospital needs new lead- ership and accountability. The current state of affairs is unacceptable, and our community deserves better. That’s why I’m asking the voters to support the fol- lowing candidates for the hospital board: * Annetta Spicer (Po- sition 1) * Russ Nichols (Posi- tion 2) * Janet Greenup (Po- sition 3) * Jason Hanna (Posi- tion 4) Our community should not have to travel out of town for basic healthcare needs—we deserve to have quality care right here at home. Please vote for change this election and help bring accountability back to our hospital. Betty Mills Heppner, OR Community has a right to be heard My final thoughts on the direction of MCHD: Scott Ezell said that our commu- nity’s efforts to add new board members was “out of spite.” Steve Munkers said, “I am ashamed of our citizens that react and con- demn without true facts,” “certain personalities will set the agenda, then recruit the uninformed.” My message to these board members is that our community has the right to voice our opinions on the future of our hospital and clinics. I have no regrets for my participation in this endeavor. As Jason Hanna said at the candidates forum in Heppner, “You either vote for the status quo or vote for change.” Clearly, Russ Nichols, Ann Spicer, Janet Greenup and Jason Hanna have a vision of what changes are required to make our local health care prosperous and serve the needs of our com- munity in a friendly and more positive environment. Please vote! Sincerely, Shanny Miller Heppner, OR DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5PM Heppner Youth Baseball home game schedule Heppner Youth Base- ball has announced the fol- lowing home game sched- ule for the month of May: 5/8: Majors Gray, 6 p.m., Waterland Field 5/12: Minors softball, 6 p.m., Bob Kilkenny Field 5/13: Majors Gray vs. Ma- jors Blue, 6 p.m., Waterland Field 5/14: Majors softball, 6 p.m., Bob Kilkenny Field; Minors baseball Gray vs. Gold, 6 p.m., Hisler Field 5/17: Minors baseball Gold, 11 a.m., Hisler Field 5/19: Majors softball, 6 p.m., Bob Kilkenny Field 5/19: John Britt Logging Coach Pitch, 6 p.m., Hisler Field 5/20: Juniors softball, 6 p.m., Bob Kilkenny Field; John Britt Logging Coach Pitch, 6 p.m., Hisler Field; Majors baseball Gray, 6 p.m., Waterland Field 5/30: Minors baseball Gray vs. Gold, 6 p.m., Hisler field
