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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2002)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, October 17, 2002 Carry a tasty, nutritious and safe lunch Health Notes ByAudeen Wagner New employees at clinic In September, two new staff members were hired at Providence Family Medicine- Vernonia: Marla Rethwill has recently been hired as the new Patient Relations Representa tive, and will be working at the front desk. Marla is a five-plus year resident of Ver nonia, and brings to the clinic years of office skills and experience, having worked in var ious offices where she has met with the public. Marla graduated from Wasco County Union High School in Maupin, and attended Eastern Oregon University, where she met her husband, Scott. They came to Vernonia when Scott was hired by the City of Vernonia to work for the Public Works Department, a job which came about because of the flood of ‘96, but worked into a permanent job for Scott. Marla and Scott have one daughter, Amy, a fifth grader. Amy shares a hobby with her mother, they are both tap dancers, and perform frequently with their dancing group. The family also en joys biking and outdoor activities, including white-water rafting. She and her husband both help out with local sports, in volunteer coaching and related duties. Marla sees Providence as a company which “invests in its em ployees” - she already feels the support and concern of a very caring group. “I also find working so close to home a huge asset,” she says. Dawn Anderson is the new Medical Assistant, and will work with Jeanette in patient care. Dawn received her Medical Assis tant certificate from Concord Career College in Portland in August of 2001. As part of her training, she was assigned to the Vernon ia clinic for her externship, which was a real help in getting orient ed into her job now. Also, she is now in training to become a Cer tified X-ray Technician. She worked for the Northwest Women’s Clinic in northwest Portland before accepting the Vernonia job. “While I enjoyed my job there,” she says, “It is wonderful not to commute such a distance every day.” Dawn grew up in Vernonia, is a single parent, mother of Stacia, age 13. She and her daughter share many hobbies: hiking, gar dening, sports, and especially reading. Their house is very quiet in the evening, when they both love to read. “I feel a strong need to give back to my community," Dawn says. “I feel that it is important to give every patient the very best care possible." Next Mammovan Visit: The mammovan will be in Vernonia on October 23. Call the local clinic (503-429-9191) to schedule a mammogram. Some people “brown bag” their lunches because they don’t have time to go out; oth ers prefer homemade foods and some kids don’t like to eat in the school cafeteria. Whatev er the reason, with a little ad vance planning, lunch can be tasty, nutritious and safe. • Always keep it clean. Make sure hands, food preparation surfaces and utensils are clean. Use hot, soapy water to effectively get rid of bacteria. Teach children to wash hands before eating. Also wash fruits and vegetables before packing. • Keep hot foods such as soup, chili or stew hot by using an insulated bottle. Fill the bot tle with boiling water and let it stand for a few minutes. Empty the bottle and fill it with piping ding and canned fruits or meats and fish. It is safe to take Ched dar cheese and yogurt out of the refrigerator in the morning and leave them at room tem perature until lunch time. Pack aged foods that are sold unre frigerated, such as applesauce and pudding, can also be in cluded. • Freeze single size juice packs overnight and place the frozen drink in the lunch. The juice will thaw by lunch time and keep the rest of the lunch cold. • Sandwiches made the night before should be kept in the refrigerator until morning. Freezing sandwiches helps keep them cold, but lettuce, mayonnaise and tomatoes don’t freeze well. Prescription drugs topic of public forum Oregon has undertaken a rigorous public process to iden tify the best drugs at the best possible price for the Oregon Health Plan. The state will ask physicians to refer to the lists of most effective and least costly drugs, and will have an excep tion process to ensure that pa tients and physicians retain control of treatment decisions. A series of 20 forums about both the scientific process and changes for Oregon Health Plan enrollees will be held across the state, including Port land and Seaside, October 15 through November 20. “The costs of prescription drugs are increasing faster than any other part of the Ore gon Health Plan,” says John Santa, M.D., administrator of JO AN’S RECO RD Joan fights hard for children, seniors, working families, and for our transportation needs. Let’s keep her working for us. Strong, Decisive Leadership Foi Paid for by Friends of Joan Dukes P.O. Box 1125 Astoria, OR 97103 hot food. Keep closed until lunchtime. • Cold foods should stay cold. Invest in a freezer gel pack and an insulated lunch box. Freezer gel packs keep foods cold until lunchtime, but are not recommended for all day storage. Perishable food should be discarded. • Use the refrigerator at school or work, if available. If not, make sure the lunch is kept out of direct sunlight and away from radiators, base boards and other heat sources found in offices and class rooms. • Keep a supply of shelf sta ble foods for easy packing. In clude fresh fruits and vegeta bles, crackers, bread and peanut butter, packaged pud- R e -E le c t Joan Dukes S tate Senator - District 1 6 the state Office for Oregon Health Policy and Research, “Cost and effectiveness is im- portant to both consumers and taxpayers. Our findings confirm that most costly does not al- ways equal most effective.” For information, go to www.hr.state.or.us or call 503- 947-5050. Please come to the... Jennings McCall Center SEASONAL SAMPLER and Holiday Bazaar Sat., Nov. 2, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. ~ FEATURING ~ A V /A • Distinctive Crafts St Ornaments • Q u ilt and A r t Shows with Demonstrations St Raffles • Food, Wine Tasting • Clowns St Face Painting • Entertainment Jc cnmngs McC,n CENTER Call: (503) 357-4133 2300 Masonic Way Forest Grove, Oregon
