HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013 - September 25 PHAB Meeting Minutes“To promote and protect the health and safety of our community.”
MMIINNUUTTEESS
September 25, 2013
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Midstate Electric Company, 16755 Finley Butte Rd, La Pine OR
Item
Facilitator Kim Curley Reynolds, Chair
Meeting Coordinator Tom Kuhn
Scribe Lisa Michael
Next Meeting October 16, 2013 (BHAB-PHAB Joint Session)
Agenda Items/Discussion/Motions
Topic and Lead
1
Approval of Minutes from July meeting
Charla motioned to approve the minutes with a second by Jock. Unanimously approved by all.
2
Brief Announcements
Oral Health Summit: (“Infectious Disease: nothing to smile about”)
Mike informed the Board that the Oral Health Summit experienced a considerable turnout;
although, Grand Rounds the following day saw an even larger audience. The Summit featured
several nationally renowned dental experts presenting facts on infectious oral disease and its
relationship to overall health. One of the speakers, Dr. Milgram, spoke of the overwhelming waste
in health resources and patient disparities. During the summit, Mike was invited to participate with
several other area dental professionals in the upcoming Dental Society meeting.
Letter to Legislators/Editorial:
Discussion tabled by the Chair. Kim will update the Board on developments via email.
E-cigarettes in County Tobacco Policy:
The BOCC is working on including e-cigarettes as part of the County Tobacco policy, meaning they
will be restricted to off-campus use, the same as regular cigarettes. Tom will email the Board with
developments.
3
La Pine Community Health Center Update
Charla DeHate, Chief Executive Officer, presented some background information on the LCHC and
the various available services. LCHC is a federally funded non-profit clinic that focuses on
providing health care to the uninsured and underinsured residents all over South County. Patient
co-payments are based on a fixed nominal fee or sliding scale depending on income. Not only
does the clinic provide primary patient care, several other services available include, but are not
limited to, medication assistance, behavioral health, x-ray and lab testing, just to name a few. Nick
Manes, Outreach Enrollment Specialist, was recently hired to assist patients in obtaining affordable
health insurance through the Cover Oregon plan, while Shelley McKittrick specializes in providing
non-medical social and cultural community support. A Board of Directors partially comprised of
patients governs the clinic. The clinic offers five providers to choose from specializing in a wide
range of health care services. One primary area of focus is health education and connecting
patients to the appropriate provider and services in order to ensure the best possible care.
Deschutes County Health Services
Public Health Advisory Board
“To promote and protect the health and safety of our community.”
4
La Pine Emergency Transports Discussion
Fire Chief Mike Supkis explained that local residents are utilizing the Fire Department as a “catch
all” for all kinds of services. A study was conducted indicating the number of emergency and non-
emergency transports and what types of calls are being reported. Fifty-four percent of the calls
came through EMS dispatch, while forty-seven percent of all calls were actual transports.
According to the study, the top two reasons for EMS responses were heart related emergencies
and breathing problems. Dispatch personnel are trained to ask three key questions: if a patient is
breathing, has a pulse and/or if the patient is bleeding, so as to better prepare the medics upon
arrival to an emergency situation. Chief Supkis noted that when a call is received, they are
required by law to respond no matter what the circumstances are to transport a patient if needed
or requested. Emergency transport costs are the most expensive of all public transportation and
the La Pine Fire District is experiencing one of the highest overhead rates in the state, mainly due
to lack of patient access to health care facilities. An ambulance ride from La Pine to SCMC in Bend
runs approximately $2400 per incident, with a yearly expenditure reaching over two million dollars
each year on EMS transports in the South County area alone. The La Pine Fire District serves
Sunriver all the way to North Klamath County covering an over 1000 square mile area. The Fire
District is governed by a Board of Directors who continually seek ways to reduce these exorbitant
costs. Collaboration with other area fire districts when appropriate helps in containing some of
these costs. As it stands, and with rural health funding drastically reduced, residents are paying
$700 per incident. Chief Supkis suggested organizing a community education awareness
campaign.
5
South Deschutes, North Klamath Counties Groundwater Protection Recommendations
John Blakinger, Chair of the Groundwater Protection Steering Committee, and Robert Ray, Co-
Chair, gave a presentation on the South Country Groundwater issue and its threat on the aquifer
that provides the drinking water for area residents. Significant traces of nitrates have been
reported in the drinking water in areas of southern Deschutes and northern Klamath Counties
mainly caused by traditional septic wastewater systems. The DEQ has been diligently working with
the USGS and Deschutes County to find a solution to protect the drinking water at a cost to area
residents that is not financially crippling. Property owners who are seeking to develop their land
are being required to install or upgrade their existing septic system to an ATT groundwater
monitoring system. The DEQ recruited several area residents to volunteer on a steering committee
to examine affordable options for protecting the groundwater. Members of the committee held
regular meetings for almost three years to discuss and study varying factors relative to the
problem. After careful consideration, a list of ten recommendations for addressing groundwater
contamination in the area was created. The committee then conducted a public outreach to the
community to relay their findings. Among these recommendations is an exception to the state
planning rules that would allow multi-residence wastewater treatment systems outside of existing
urban growth boundaries and sanitation districts, and allow the formation of a sanitation authority.
This includes establishing a groundwater monitoring system and suspension of the current ATT
requirements while some of the recommendations are being pursued. Another recommendation is
to continue offering community education and outreach. In June 2013, the committee
accomplished their mission in providing these recommendations for consideration by the DEQ and
in doing so, voted to disband. John and Robert directed the Board to the DEQ website for
additional information on this issue.
6
Call for Nominations for PHAB Chair
Tabled for next meeting due to lack of discussion time.
7 Adjourn at 1:52 p.m.
“To promote and protect the health and safety of our community.”
Board members present: Kim Curley Reynolds, Jock Pribnow, Katrina Wiest, Keith Winsor,
Susan Keys, Mike Shirtcliff, Kate Wells, Charla DeHate and Jenny O’Keefe
Staff present: Scott Johnson, Tom Kuhn, Kate Moore, Todd Cleveland and Lisa Michael
Guest(s): John Blakinger, Fire Chief Mike Supkis, Robert Ray, Bob Baggett, Nick Manes
and Shelly McKittrick
BOCC – Board of County Commissioners LCHC – La Pine Community Health Center
EMS – Emergency Medical Services SCMC – St. Charles Medical Center
DEQ – Department of Environmental Quality USGS – United States Geological Survey
ATT – Advanced Treatment Technology