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A12 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Lifeways:
Continued from Page A1
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Dr. Greg Jones inspects a patient’s teeth during
an exam Thursday, June 10, 2021, at Fourth Street
Dental in Hermiston.
Delay:
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routine screening, such as a mammogram, because
they were trying to avoid catching COVID-19.
“Right now, the queue is really long to get a
colonoscopy, so if you delayed a colonoscopy I
would say book it down because it could be a few
months from now,” she said.
Some cancers grow faster than others, she said,
but in certain cases, not catching something for an
extra six months could be fatal.
Hosiriluck said while cancer patients are in
treatment, they have a higher risk of severe cases
of COVID-19, so she strongly encourages patients
to get vaccinated before treatment.
“If they’re not willing to get the shot, I recom-
mend careful social distancing, because they’re
more at risk,” she said.
Eye exams
Some patients put off eye care during the
pandemic.
Dr. Michelle Monkman, an optometrist with
Vision Pendleton, said they were shut down for
fi ve weeks in spring of 2020, then opened to lower
patient volumes. Things have been rebounding,
however, as people who have gotten vaccinated
have felt more comfortable coming in.
Monkman said she hadn’t personally seen any-
one lose vision because they hadn’t caught some-
thing soon enough after skipping appointments
during the pandemic. But she had seen people
live longer with easily fi xable issues like cata-
racts. One of her biggest concerns, she said, is see-
ing people try to wear their contacts much longer
than recommended rather than come in for a new
prescription.
If someone wears contacts for fi ve or six months
that were meant to replaced monthly, she said, they
can cause serious problems, including blood ves-
sels growing into the cornea, dry eyes, scratches in
the cornea and infections.
If people are wondering whether to book an eye
appointment, Monkman said, “I think it’s time.”
“Eyes need to be, especially in the elderly pop-
ulation, checked yearly,” she said.
“At the very least, Life-
ways hopes its protest draws
attention to the gamble the
county is taking with its resi-
dents’ health,” Hoekstra said.
“Their health deserves a thor-
ough and accurate evaluation
process. There is no question
that the evaluation process
conducted and forming the
basis of the award to CCS was
neither thorough nor accurate
because it missed the obvious
conclusion that CCS’ lack of
readiness is a danger to Uma-
tilla residents.”
But CCS Executive Direc-
tor Kimberly Lindsay said
the Heppner-based provider,
which serves four Eastern Ore-
gon counties, is fully prepared
to take on the new role and will
begin preparations as soon as
Lifeways’ appeal is fi nished.
Community Counseling is set
to begin off ering addiction ser-
vices in the county in Septem-
ber and mental health services
in December.
Lindsay said she has yet to
decide if CCS will respond to
Lifeways’ claims.
“We’re
interested
in
defending our good name,”
she said. “We’re not going to
do anything to discredit any-
one. That’s not how we oper-
ate. But we will do what we
need to do to defend our name
and our reputation.”
Lifeways plans to stick around,
tries to maintain staffi ng
Lifeways sent a formal
protest letter to the county on
June 2, which the East Orego-
nian obtained and reviewed.
The board of commission-
ers, which approved a unani-
mous recommendation from a
fi ve-person committee in late
May to go with CCS over Life-
ways, is considering Lifeways’
protest and whether or not to
maintain their earlier decision,
according to Doug Olsen, the
county’s legal counsel.
Olsen said there is no spe-
cifi c timeline for an agency —
in this case Umatilla County
— to consider or rule on a pro-
test, but the decision had to be
made “in a timely manner.”
Olsen said the commission-
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2021
ers likely will announce their phrenic disorders, 491 cli-
decision “in the next couple of ents with major depression,
board meetings.”
471 clients with post-trau-
Regardless if the county matic stress disorder, 215 cli-
changes its mind, Lifeways ents with bipolar disorder and
says it plans to stay in Uma- more than 2,000 clients with
tilla County and “is already adjustment disorders.
underway in pivoting its ser-
The provider has 11 facil-
vices to retain staff ,” Hoekstra ities in Umatilla County and
said in the statement.
more than 120 employees,
Lifeways Director Liz most of whom are county res-
Johnsen, however, could idents, Johnsen has stated.
not
pro-
T h e
vide specif-
county has
ics of what
allocated
that might
$565,000
look like or
for school
what might
mental
change for
health ser-
its patients,
vices and
employees
almost $1.2
and
facil-
million
ities,
but
for men-
CCS Executive Director Kim-
said
“we
tal health
berly Lindsay
are
look-
adminis-
ing at dif-
tration in
ferent busi-
its upcom-
ness opportunities to continue ing 2021-22 budget, and
to serve the residents of Uma- county offi cials in recent
tilla County in mental health months have emphasized that
services.”
revamping its mental health
She said it’s possible Life- care is a primary goal.
ways might pursue contracts
Without those funds,
or telehealth services with dif- Johnsen said Lifeways will
ferent states or diff erent areas, continue operations “through
adding the company is still our innovation, through look-
investigating how its services ing at other contracts, service
might change.
lines and programming.”
Meanwhile,
Lifeways
Lifeways has 11 facilities
employees have begun con-
in the county
tacting Lindsay to discuss
Lifeways has come under their transition should CCS
scrutiny from offi cials for its remain as the county’s new
ability to respond when law provider, Lindsay said.
enforcement requests help
Johnsen said she’s confi -
during calls for people expe- dent many employees will
riencing mental health issues, choose Lifeways over CCS.
and Lifeways in April drew
“We in no way intend to
attention for the closure of prevent them from choos-
Aspen Springs in Hermiston. ing CCS if that’s what they
The acute care facility pro- choose to do,” she said, add-
vided the highest level of psy- ing, “we have also heard that
chiatric care for individuals many of them don’t want to
experiencing a severe mental go to CCS.”
health crisis before it closed
after being open for just Lifeways’ claims, Community
seven months. It reopened Counseling Solutions response
In the protest letter, Life-
in May as a secure residen-
tial treatment facility, a lower ways argues the county “failed
to evaluate proposals” and
level of care.
Since July 2020, Uma- “lacked a rational basis” in
tilla County has paid Life- its decision to go with Com-
ways more than $1,484,000 munity Counseling Solutions
for behavioral health ser- after the committee’s unani-
vices, according to county mous recommendation.
An educator, business per-
Chief Financial Offi cer Rob-
ert Pahl. The provider serves son and county employees,
184 clients with schizo- including Umatilla County
“WE’RE
INTERESTED
IN DEFEND-
ING OUR
GOOD NAME.”
Commissioner John Sha-
fer, served on the commit-
tee. Several committee mem-
bers said they were asked not
to comment about their deci-
sion until the appeal process is
completed.
Lifeways in its protest let-
ter called the country’s deci-
sion “arbitrary and capricious”
and pointed out Community
Counseling does not have any
active facilities, transporta-
tion services and personnel
in Umatilla County. It claims
CCS’ proposal “is full of state-
ments indicating its own seri-
ous doubt about its ability to
become operational in time.”
Lindsay said she doesn’t
“recall stating that we had
doubts,” adding, “I do think
it’s a lot of work, and I’m not
minimizing that.”
Lifeways also called out
Community Counseling for
not having started hiring the
more than 100 employees
necessary for the company’s
new services in the county.
That would entail “a three-
fold increase in the compa-
ny’s operations” leading to
what CCS itself called “grow-
ing pains.”
Lindsay said Community
Counseling is waiting to begin
hiring employees and fi nd-
ing facilities and transporta-
tion services until Lifeways’
appeal process is complete.
“Our plan was to use the
time starting from the time of
the award to begin contacting
entities about places to rent
or purchase,” Lindsay said.
“We’re kind of grounded
right now because of the
appeal. That’s not a criticism.
Lifeways is entitled to the
appeal.”
Lifeways also noted CCS
has yet to be Medicare creden-
tialed to provide behavioral
health services, saying that “is
akin to a medical student say-
ing they are not a licensed doc-
tor yet, but hope to be soon.”
Lindsay said Commu-
nity Counseling previously
decided to not seek the license
to bill Medicare “due to the
signifi cant amount of paper-
work that was involved.” But
a year ago, the company
changed its mind. Lindsay
said CCS should be creden-
tialed within the next month.
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