called to care - Willamette Valley Medical Center

community news
w i l l a m e t t e valley medical center
spring 2010
Cec Zander, RN, with a young patient in Kenya.
called to care
Reaching Further with Helping Hands
quality & satisfaction Surveys • health care reform provisions
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physician
community News
Wound Care And
Hyperbaric Medicine
director appointed
In This Issue
1–3 community News
10-11 survey results
New Program Director at Wound Care Center
Quality and Satisfaction Survey Results
Aguiar and Ford Join Board of Trustees
About the On-Site Survey
Ophthalmologist Joins Hospital Staff
Board Certified Internists Join Staff
New Joint Care Coordinator Appointed
Board Certified Orthopedists Join Staff
12–13 health care reform
Summary of Major Health Reform Provisions,
from the desk of Rosemari Davis, CEO
George Wiley Appointed Chief Financial Officer
4–9 called to care
Reaching Further WIth Helping Hands
How You Can Help
Left to right:
A building collapsed by the January Haitian earthquake,
as seen by Peter Van Patten, MD,’s medical team;
Robert DeMaster, MD, with an operating team in DR Congo;
Children wait in line for care in Guatemala.
Jill Addison has been appointed
Program Director at Willamette
Valley Medical Center’s Wound Care
and Hyperbaric Medicine Center.
Addison graduated from Corban
College in Salem, Oregon with a
degree in healthcare administration.
She has an extensive background in
healthcare services, including acting as
director of in-home care for the Sun
Retirement Corporation. She also
owned and served as vice president of
customer relations and marketing for
BHS Long Term Care Pharmacy, where
she worked as liaison for long-term
facilities to ensure proper medication
management for seniors and disabled
individuals. She also served as sales
and marketing director for Bi-Mart
Health Solutions Pharmacy.
She is a member of the Board of
Directors for BHS Pharmacy and
Advisory Board for OASIS. She has also
served as Chairperson for March of
Dimes BHS team and volunteered for
the Alzheimer’s Association.
hospital board appoints
new trustees
Angel Aguiar Jr., mortgage banker
for Sunset Residential Mortgage, and
W. Glenn Ford, Vice President for
Finance and Administration and Chief
Financial Officer at Linfield College,
have been appointed to the hospital’s
Board of Trustees.
Aguiar attended Glendale Community College in Glendale, California,
and obtained his real estate licenses
and certifications in Los Angeles. His
professional career includes serving as
Bank of America’s neighborhood
Lending Certified Mortgage Loan
Officer, working closely with non-profit
organizations that serve the Latino
community. He was also owner and
operator of Nationwide Lenders, a local
mortgage company, and currently owns
JARIKA Investments, a real estate
development business.
Ford graduated from the University
of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in
forest products with a business management option and a master’s of
business administration. Prior to his
position at Linfield, he served as Vice
President for Business and Finance
and Chief Financial Officer for Utah
State University in Logan, Utah, and
Associate Vice President for Business
and Finance for Washington State
University in Pullman, Washington.
Both new members have been
active in their communities. Aguiar
has served as a member and chair of
the Dayton School District Budget
Committee.
Ford is a member of the City of
McMinnville Downtown Master Plan
Advisory Committee and is participating in the 2009-2010 McMinnville Area
Chamber of Commerce Community
Leadership Development Program.
Jill Addison, Program Director
Angel Aguiar, Board of Trustees
Glenn Ford, Board of Trustees
2
ophthalmologist
Joins Staff
Ophthalmologist Ryan Berger, MD,
has joined the staffs of the hospital and
McMinnville Eye Clinic.
Dr. Berger earned his bachelor’s
degree in liberal arts and sciences at
Utah State University, and earned his
doctorate of medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
He completed his residency in internal medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center where he was Chief
Resident, and his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Colorado,
Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute.
Dr. Berger has also served as an
instructor at Dartmouth Medical
School and as attending physician in
internal medicine at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center and the
White River Junction Veterans
Affairs Medical Center in Vermont.
A member of the American Board
of Internal Medicine, he joins Michael
Passo, MD, Nicholas Grinich, MD and
David Hayes, MD at the McMinnville
Eye Clinic. To make an appointment
with Dr. Berger, please call the clinic at
503.472.4688.
board certified
internists join staff
Ryan Berger, MD
Christopher Cirino, DO
Yojana Dange, MD
Christopher Cirino, DO, board
certified in Internal Medicine and
Infectious Disease, and Yojana Dange,
MD, board certified in Internal
Medicine, have joined the staffs of
the hospital and McMinnville
Internal Medicine.
Dr. Cirino earned his bachelor’s
degree in microbiology at Miami
University of Ohio in Oxford, Ohio,
and his doctorate of osteopathic
medicine from Ohio University College
of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens,
Ohio. He earned a master’s degree in
public health at George Washington
University, where he also completed
a residency in internal medicine and
fellowships in infectious diseases and
general internal medicine.
His professional experience includes
working as a consultant of infectious
disease at St. Vincent Health Center
in Erie, Pennsylvania. He also worked
overseas as a medical volunteer.
Dr. Dange earned her bachelor’s
degree in medicine and surgery from
Grant Medical College in Mumbai,
India and her master’s degree in
Pharmacology and Toxicology from
the Medical College of Virginia in
Richmond. She completed her
residency in internal medicine at the
Atlanticare Regional Medical Center
in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Her
professional experience includes
serving as attending physician at
the Union Memorial Hospital, Good
Samaritan Hospital and Overlea
Health and Rehabilitation Center in
Maryland.
McMinnville Internal Medicine is
located at 375 SE Norton Lane,
Suite A. To make an appointment,
call 503.472.9002. Dr. Cirino’s and
Dr. Dange’s practices are open to
Medicare and Medicaid patients and
accept most insurance plans.
reed named joint
replacement institute
coordinator
Natalie Reed, MSPT, CCI was
appointed Joint Care Coordinator
for the Joint Replacement Institute
at Willamette Valley Medical Center,
which is scheduled to open this
summer.
Reed, bilingual in English and
Spanish, graduated from Pacific
University in Forest Grove with a
bachelor’s of science degree in biology
and a master’s of science in physical
therapy, also from Pacific.
Her professional career includes
serving as staff physical therapist at
the Life Care Center of McMinnville,
where she designed and implemented
a community-centered total joint
replacement class and balance screening program. She also served as staff
physical therapist at Willamette Valley
Medical Center, where she developed
and implemented a body mechanics,
ergonomic and injury prevention
program at Cascade Steel Mill.
Reed’s duties as Joint Care Coordinator include teaching pre-and post-op
joint recovery classes and acting as
liaison between department heads.
board certified
orthopedists join staff
Board certified Orthopedic Surgeon
James Ruf, MD, and Orthopedic Specialist in Hip and Knee Replacement
Michael Vessely, MD, have joined the
staffs of Willamette Valley Medical
Center and McMinnville Orthopaedic
and Hand Surgery.
Dr. Ruf earned his bachelor’s degree
in chemistry at Purdue University in
West Lafayette, Indiana, and earned
his doctorate of medicine at Creighton University School of Medicine in
Omaha, Nebraska. He completed his
orthopedic surgery residency at the
University of Michigan Department of
Orthopedic Surgery in Ann Arbor.
Prior to arriving at McMinnville
Orthopedic and Hand Surgery, Dr. Ruf
worked as a general orthopedic surgeon
at Multicare Orthopedics and Sports
Medicine in Covington, Washington,
and at Northwest Orthopedic Surgery
and Sports Medicine in Hillsboro.
Dr. Vessely earned his bachelor’s
degree in human biology from
Stanford University in Palo Alto,
California and his doctorate of medicine from Oregon Health and Science
University in Portland. He completed
his internship in general surgery at
the Los Angeles County-University of
Southern California Medical Center
and his residency in orthopedic surgery
at the University of Missouri Hospital
and Clinics in Columbia.
Dr. Vessely’s fellowship experience
includes a research fellowship in Adult
Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota,
and a surgical fellowship in hip and
knee replacement at New England
Baptist hospital in Boston.
Both are members of the American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons,
and join George Zakaib, MD, at
McMinnville Orthopaedic and Hand
Surgery.
george wiley appointed
chief financial officer
George Wiley has been appointed
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at
Willamette Valley Medical Center.
Wiley graduated from Weber State
University in Ogden, Utah with a
bachelor’s of science degree in accounting, and University of Phoenix, with
a master’s of business administration
and healthcare administration. Prior
to Willamette Valley Medical Center,
Wiley served as the CFO at Phoenix
Baptist Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.
A CFO with 19 years experience, his
professional career includes serving
as vice president and CFO for Raleigh
General Hospital in Beckley, West
Virginia. He also served as CFO for
Georgetown Community Hospital in
Georgetown, Kentucky and LifePoint
Bluegrass Community Hospital in
Versailles, Kentucky.
In addition to his tenure as CFO,
Wiley’s community service includes
serving as treasurer for Habitat for
Humanity in Castle Country, Utah. He
has also served as member, treasurer
and board member of the Healthcare
Financial Management Association.
Natalie Reed, MSPT, CCI
James Ruf, MD
Michael Vessely, MD
George Wiley, CFO
called to care
reaching further with
helping hands
When you ask Cecilia “Cec” Zander why she
spent her time off from working as a nurse at
Willamette Valley Medical Center to work as a nurse
in Kenya, she may tell you about the listless boy who
perked up after being treated with IV fluids and antibiotics, or the woman in labor whose life and that of
her newborn were saved, or she may tell you of the bad
roads filled with beautiful people whose smiles greeted
her medical team as they arrived by foot at a rural
village in Western Kenya.
Zander described the back-breaking toil of the shorthoe rural farmers and the village women who carry
heavy water on their head and children on their back
as performing “work that is really, really hard.” Some
might say the same of Zander and the other physicians
and nurses who take “vacation time” and pay their
own travel costs to work in difficult conditions, often
surrounded by poverty in makeshift clinics that are
understaffed and lack sufficient equipment, resources
and medicines. Although there is much that is different about their stories of service—located in places as
diverse as Honduras, Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Peru
and Salem, Oregon—all seem to share a sense that they
are called to do this work.
Zander’s most recent Kenya trip was organized by
Mercy Medical Teams from The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. Her husband, a pastor, accompanied
Wayne Hurty, MD, with colleagues
from Food for the Hungry and
Guatemalan villagers;
John Neeld, MD, carrying medical
supplies in Guatemala;
Peter Van Patten, MD (in white),
with medical staff in Haiti.
Shannon Seehawer, RN and Cindy Hall, RN
the medical team as chaplain. Zander, who called her
two trips to Kenya “toe-dipping opportunities,” said she
may consider a longer trip when she retires. “It was a
blessing to me,” she said.
“We take much for granted…how
incredibly fortunate we are to have the
medical advancements we do.”
Dolly Palacios , a surgical technologist who traveled with Medical Teams International to Ethiopia,
admitted that she found the extreme poverty very disturbing, especially emergency room conditions and the
orphaned children often abused in the city streets.
“We take much for granted…how incredibly
fortunate we are to have the medical advancements we
do,” said Palacios.
Palacios went to Ethiopia at a time when her own
father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She considered cancelling, but her father encouraged her to go.
“He said he wanted me to go, and that he was proud of
me.” He died before Palacios returned from the 16-day
medical trip.
In spite of the difficult conditions, she is hoping to
be able to make future mission trips. “It’s a calling,” she
said. “The Ethiopians are a very kind, gentle and humble
It is hard work, but
the rewards outweigh
sitting by a pool or
walking on the beach.
There’s nothing wrong
with that—we all need
that—but what makes
me tick is my love for
people.
—Kathy Galer, RN
Emergency Room Nurse
people, and just so thrilled when we help. They were
very gracious.”
“You come home and feel like you’re the one with
the reward,” said Palacios.
“What’s so amazing to me is seeing
people—the poorest of the poor—
laughing, enjoying their children…”
This sentiment was echoed by Emergency Room
Nurse Kathy Galer. “It is hard work, but the rewards outweigh sitting by a pool or walking on the
beach. There’s nothing wrong with that—we all need
that­—but what makes me tick is my love for people,”
she said. “How can you tell someone about the love of
Christ if you don’t help them physically?”
Galer has traveled with many different groups. Her
first trip was 19 years ago to Africa. Since then, she’s
been to Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic
and the Philippines. She called her mission trips “life
changing.”
“What’s so amazing to me is seeing people—the
poorest of the poor—laughing, enjoying their children, just like we do,” she said. “It’s not all about toys
we have…they have happiness also, and sometimes
our media doesn’t portray that.”
“We expect perfection from our system.
There, they are grateful for anything
they can get.”
Dr. John Neeld , a gynecologist and obstetri-
cian, had his first experience with an overseas medical
project in March 2008 when he and nurse practitioner
Nancy Manley went to the villages of Guatemala
with a medical team organized by Faith in Practice.
Working in makeshift exam rooms made from rope
and tarps, Neeld and Manley provided primarily gynecological care for up to 30 patients each per day, and
focused on cervical cancer prevention. Because the
villages see physicians so rarely, Manley said they had
to turn away thousands of people hoping to receive
medical attention. And those they were able to treat,
they had to do so with accelerated care—meaning
treating any lesion as if it was cancer, without taking the step to biopsy it. Although accelerated care is
not common or necessary in the U.S., in Guatemala,
if the women had to wait for teams of physicians to
return to their village, it would give the cancer time to
Kathy Galer, RN, with a patient in Ghana.
7
develop and endanger their lives.
“We [Americans] expect perfection from our
system. There, they are grateful for anything they can
get,” said Neeld. He added, “It feels good to be able to
treat people who are underserved.”
“In the U.S., we’re often financially rich
but impoverished spiritually. There, they
are poor financially but…happy people.”
Cardiologist Dr. Wayne Hurty was also struck by
the gratefulness of the people he served. In February,
he spent a week in Pompeche, Guatemala, serving in
a medical clinic and making home visits for those too
sick to travel to the clinic.
His trip was organized by Food for the Hungry
which bases its programs on the philosophy, “if you
give a man a fish he will eat for a day. If you teach a
man how to fish he will eat for a lifetime.” In addition
to medical treatments, Hurty and the nine-member
medical team instructed community members on how
to: develop and maintain clean water sources (since
contaminated water is the source of much illness),
practice good hygiene, wear footwear to prevent infection, and practice good nutrition. “We are all very
similar—we pray to the same God, sleep under the
same moon and I felt very blessed for what I have. In
the U.S., we are often rich financially but impoverished spiritually. There, they are poor financially but,
for the most part, happy people.”
“We began by setting up exam rooms
in the school gym with PVC pipe and
shower curtains.”
.
Dr. Marion Hull , family practice physician, also
had her first experience with mission trips in Guatemala. “Then I noticed the need in my own backyard,”
she said. Living in Salem, Oregon, at the time, Hull
co-founded the Salem Free Clinic. A self-described
“start-up” person, Hull said she was helping her
church with outreach and making home visits when
the need became apparent. The clinic was a cooperative effort of the Foursquare Church and Walker
Middle School. “We began by setting up exam
rooms in the school gym with PVC pipe and shower
curtains,” she said.
News of the free clinic traveled by word of mouth.
The clinic served the working poor, the mentally ill
Robert DeMaster, MD, with a patient in Peru.
You’ve got a skill
to offer and can
provide services they
otherwise don’t get
and there’s a satisfying
feeling that comes
with that. Once you’ve
been there, you want
to go back.
—Robert DeMaster, MD
Anesthesiologist
It’s a calling. The Ethiopians are a very kind,
gentle and humble people, and just so thrilled
when we help. They were very gracious. You
come home and feel like you’re the one with
the reward.
—Dolly Palacios, Surgical Technologist
and many recently released from the correctional system. The clinic treated diabetes, high blood pressure
and a myriad of mental illnesses including bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. “The difficult thing was
many of the people from the correctional system were
mentally ill and were released with only two weeks
worth of medications,” said Hull. “It’s not good if they
are off their meds; that’s how many of them ended up
in jail in the first place.”
The free clinic soon partnered with an organization
that provided free medications (nothing narcotic or
that can be abused). Other volunteers joined in and
provided meals and prayer, and supported the clinic in
many ways. Recently a donor funded a two-year lease
on a building to house the clinic; and now that the
program has malpractice insurance, more physicians
and nurses are willing to volunteer. The program today
has two psychiatric nurses.
“You have to be flexible. You can’t do
things the way you’re used to doing
them.”
Orthopedist Dr. Peter Van Patten was about to
go on a ski vacation when the January earthquake hit
Haiti. After talking it over with his wife, he changed
his plans and went to Port-au-Prince. Although he
didn’t travel with a specific aid organization, once in
Haiti he met up with the relief organization Humedica
and worked at the Hopital Espoir, the Hospital of
Hope. For 12 days he worked in makeshift surgical
rooms with minimal functioning equipment. He performed surgeries to fix broken and fractured limbs or
amputate when necessary. “You have to be flexible,” he
said as he spoke about the primitive conditions. “You
can’t do things the way you’re used to doing them.”
Although grateful he could help, he said he was
disheartened because of the gravity of the situation,
and returned in March to follow up with patients.
Even months later, little had changed since his earlier
trip—there were still new patients coming in with
injuries and the city was still in ruins. He plans on
returning to Haiti to continue to help.
“It takes a certain level of sensitivity.
You are going to find frustrations.
Standards of care are not the same.”
Anesthesiologist Dr. Robert DeMaster has been
a physician for 30 years, and has practiced locally since
1996. For nearly each of the years that he’s practiced
medicine, he’s served on a medical mission trip.
DeMaster administers anesthesia for many of the
most common surgeries performed by the medical
teams, including cleft lip and palate surgeries, and
orthopedic and gynecological surgeries. DeMaster said
it is important for American workers to be culturally
sensitive and work alongside the countries’ physicians
and staff. “You’re only there a short time. It takes a
certain level of sensitivity,” he said. “You are going to
find frustrations. Standards of care are not the same.”
DeMaster, who has been on many medical mission
trips, including to Mexico, Honduras, the Congo,
Ethiopia and Peru, is preparing for a trip to Cameroon.
“Once you’ve been there, you want to go back,” he
said. Now that his six children are grown, he anticipates spending even more “vacations,” working.
Doing Our Part: How You Can Help
The following charities were featured in our article.
We encourage you to support these or other
programs that work with causes important to you.
Clockwise from top:
Dolly Palacios, surgical technologist,
assists Ethiopian surgeons;
Nancy Manley, nurse practitioner, with
a patient in Guatemala;
Marion Hull, MD, examines an elderly
woman in Guatemala.
Gabriela Rubio, Food Services
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod includes
many mission groups. Visit http://catalog.lcms.org/
GiveNow/Gift–Catalog.asp to choose between grant
support, domestic and international projects, art
programs and other giving programs.
Medical Teams International helps people
around the world affected by disaster, conflict and
poverty. Visit www.medicalteams.org/sf/donate.aspx
to set up planned giving, donate non-cash or stock
gifts, support a volunteer, or browse the gift catalog.
Faith in Practice serves more than 14,000 patients
each year. Visit www.faithinpractice.org/general
donate.php to donate money or in-kind and learn how
you can become a volunteer.
Food for the Hungry’s mission statement demonstrates their dedication to help churches, leaders and
families overcome poverty and build spiritual connections. Visit www.fh.org to donate money or stocks,
sponsor a child, or become a volunteer yourself.
9
top marks
Hospital Receives Excellent
Satisfaction Scores
98%
satisfaction
Reported By Responding
Physicians
Patients and community members can rest assured
is for that reason that Lash
knowing Willamette Valley Medical Center has passed
said she is particularly proud
another round of quality and satisfaction surveys.
of the results.
As a way to measure the hospital’s operation and
“They had no significant findperformance in every area, Willamette Valley Medical
ings, and those that they found were paperwork related
Center participated in two voluntary surveys this year.
and easily fixable,” Lash said. “We are very pleased with
The first, conducted by
our results. We aren’t perfect,
The Joint Commission,
but we work hard to make our
scrutinized the hospital’s
processes as perfect as possible
operation from the bottom
so we can provide the best care,
up—literally. Surveyors
and the survey results validate
examined everything from
that.”
the physical structure of
She added that any results
the hospital all the way to
needing improvements must be
the paperwork prepared
reported back to The Joint
by medical staff. The
Commission within 45 days,
second survey, conducted
stating the steps they have
in compliance with stantaken to correct the problem,
dards from the Centers for
and providing documentation
Medicare and Medicaid
that they are now in compliance
Services (CMS), compiled
with the standards. Just two
responses from employees
months after the initial survey,
—Carolyn Lash
and medical staff regardLash said they are now comChief Quality Officer
ing key aspects of their job
pliant with standards and are
satisfaction.
continuing to monitor to assure
The Joint Commission
that they remain in compliance
quality check survey was conducted in February and conwith the new processes put in place.
sisted of a three-day visit by Joint Commission surveyors.
John McKeegan, local attorney and chair for the hospiEverything from physical inspections to medical staff and tal board of trustees, said the results confirm what many
patient interviews took place during the three days.
people in the community have always believed —that
Chief Quality Officer Carolyn Lash said the quality
Willamette Valley Medical Center is a first class hospital.
check survey takes place approximately every three years,
“It’s a top to bottom review, and it’s important that they
but the exact date is unknown, adding an extra level of
occur the way they do,” he said. “To pass it with such flyuncertainty for hospital administration and employees. It ing colors is phenomenal.”
...we work hard to
make our processes
as perfect as possible
so we can provide
the best care, and
the survey results
validate that.
The second survey, conducted by the HealthStream
hospital’s nurses, 94 percent of physicians surveyed are
Corporation and focused on the satisfaction of employsatisfied with the competency of the nursing staff, comment for hospital employees and medical staff, was
pared to the national average of 81 percent. Scores were
equally as positive.
also significant when physiHospital employees were
cians were asked how satasked to fill out an anonyisfied they were with the hosmous online survey that
pital’s efforts to continually
covered key aspects of their
improve care—95 percent
employment satisfaction,
respectively, compared to 85
including their overall satispercent nationally.
faction with their jobs, the
While the data gathered by
hospital as an employer, if
The Joint Commission and
they would recommend the
Healthstream surveys prohospital as the best place to
vide very different insights
work in town, and if they
to how the hospital operates,
anticipated staying at the
Lash said they accomplish
hospital over the next several
something very similar: they
years. Scores for each ranged
give patients and community
in the 90 percent range, commembers confidence that the
pared to scores in the 70 to
hospital employees, adminis80 percent range for the avertration and medical providers
age of all other HealthStream
care about providing quality
hospitals.
care at every turn.
The survey also specifically
“Fundamentally, I think a
—John McKeegan
addressed physicians’ levels
hospital is a place focused on
Chair, Board of Trustees
of job satisfaction, which was
caring for others from the
reported to be 98 percent,
top down,” said McKeegan.
compared to 85 percent
“The administrators care
nationally. Lash also said the
about their patients, but also
scores of staff competency and the hospital’s commitment very much about their employees. Nobody wants to be in
to improved care stand out.
the hospital, but if you have to be, you would want to be
When physicians were asked about the ability of the
in our hospital.”
Fundamentally, I
think a hospital is
a place focused on
caring for others
from the top down.
The administrators
care about the
patients, but also
very much about
their employees.
About the On-Site Survey
The on-site survey is just one
part of The Joint Commission’s
multi-process for hospital accreditation. According to Chief Quality
Officer Carolyn Lash, the survey
process is data-driven, patientcentered and focused on evaluating
actual care processes. The purpose
of the survey is to evaluate the
organization and provide best
practice guidance to help improve
performance.
“I look at it as the good housekeeping seal of approval,” she said.
The three-day survey begins with
a survey planning session, followed
by an opening conference, orientation and leadership session.
“An important part of the review is
how prepared we are initially,” said
Lash. “Do we have materials for the
surveyors to read that accurately
describe the hospital, and are our
hospital administrators there and
ready for an open discussion?”
Once the initial briefing is
complete, The Joint Commission
conducts what it calls tracer
methodology. This methodology
uses clients, patients or residents to
assess the standards of compliance
through interviews and observation.
They also complete a competence
assessment of all staff, which
includes a credentials review to
determine the experience and
training of the medical providers.
Lash said once the patient and
employee surveys are complete, The
Joint Commission also examines the
infrastructure of the building, called
an environment of care session.
This includes a building tour where
surveyors examine everything from
firewalls to ceilings.
Staff is then briefed in what is
called an exit conference. The survey
team presents a written summary of
the survey findings to staff, and if
there are any areas for improvement,
the hospital is required to submit an
evidence of standards compliance
report.
11
summary of major
health reform
provisions
From the desk of Rosemari Davis
Chief Executive Officer, Willamette Valley Medical Center
Like myself, I am
sure many of you have
been following the
developments of the
Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act and
the Reconciliation Act
of 2010. The act was
signed into law by
President Obama on
March 23, and offers
immediate benefits to millions of Americans. I believe
the changes will provide the financial relief many of our
community members need, and will allow us to continue
to provide quality, local and affordable health care to
you. The key provisions of the Act include:
1
SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDITS­
Offers tax credits to small businesses to make employee coverage more affordable. Tax credits of up to
35 percent of premiums will be immediately available
to firms that choose to offer coverage. Effective beginning for calendar year 2010. (Beginning in 2014, small
business tax credits will cover 50 percent of premiums.)
2
BEGINS TO CLOSE THE MEDICARE
PART D DONUT HOLE­
Provides a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries
who hit the donut hole in 2010. Effective for calendar
year 2010. (Beginning in 2011, institutes a 50 percent
discount on brand-name drugs in the donut hole; also
completely closes the donut hole by 2020.)
3
FREE PREVENTIVE CARE services
UNDER MEDICARE­
Eliminates co-payments for preventive services and
exempts preventive services from deductibles under the
Medicare program. Effective beginning January 1, 2011.
4
HELP FOR EARLY RETIREES­
Creates a temporary re-insurance program (until
the Exchanges are available) to help offset the costs
of expensive premiums for employers and retirees for
health benefits for retirees age 55 to 64. Effective 90 days
after enactment.
5
NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHILDREN
WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
­ rohibits new health plans in all markets plus
P
grandfathered group health plans from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Effective
six months after enactment. (Beginning in 2014, this
prohibition would apply to all persons.)
7
BANS LIFETIME LIMITS ON COVERAGE
­Prohibits health insurance companies from placing
lifetime caps on coverage. Effective six months after
enactment.
BANS RESTRICTIVE ANNUAL LIMITS
ON COVERAGE
­Tightly restricts the use of annual limits to ensure
access to needed care in all new plans and grandfathered
group health plans. These tight restrictions will be
defined by HHS. Effective six months after enactment.
(Beginning in 2014, the use of any annual limits would
be prohibited for all new plans and grandfathered group
health plans.)
9
13
10
14
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS­
11
15
INCREASes PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS­
16
PROHIBITs plans from
DISCRIMINATIng BASED ON SALARY­
12
Provides investment in training programs to increase number of primary care doctors, nurses, and
public health professionals. Effective fiscal year 2010.
NEW, INDEPENDENT APPEALS PROCESS
Prohibits group health plans from establishing any
eligibility rules for health care coverage that have the effect of discriminating in favor of higher wage employees.
Effective six months after enactment.
ENSURes VALUE FOR insurance
PREMIUM PAYMENTS­
Requires plans in individual and small group market to spend 80 percent of premium dollars on medical
services, and plans in the large group market to spend
85 percent. Insurers that do not meet these thresholds
must provide rebates to policyholders. Effective on
January 1, 2011.
IMMEDIATE HELP FOR THE UNINSURED
UNTIL EXCHANGE IS AVAILABLE
(INTERIM HIGH-RISK POOL)­
Provides immediate access to affordable insurance for
Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing
condition through a temporary subsidized high-risk
pool. Effective 90 days after enactment.
13
Increases funding for Community Health Centers to
allow for nearly a doubling of the number of patients
seen by the centers over the next five years. Effective
beginning in fiscal year 2010.
FREE PREVENTIVE CARE UNDER NEW
PRIVATE PLANS­
­Ensures consumers in new plans have access to an
effective internal and external appeals process to
appeal decisions by their health insurance plan. Effective six months after enactment.
EXTENDS COVERAGE FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE UP TO 26TH BIRTHDAY THROUGH
PARENTS’ INSURANCE
Requires new health plans and certain grandfathered
plans to allow young people up to their 26th birthday to
remain on their parents’ insurance policy, at the parents’
choice. Effective six months after enactment.
Requires new private plans cover preventive services
with no co-payments, with preventive services exempt
from deductibles. Effective six months after enactment.
ENDS RESCISSIONS­
Bans insurance companies from dropping people
from coverage when they get sick. Effective six
months after enactment.
6
8
17
insurance CONSUMER INFORMATION­
18
CREATES VOLUNTARY, PUBLIC LONGTERM CARE INSURANCE PROGRAM­
Provides aid to states in establishing offices of
health insurance consumer assistance in order to help
individuals with the filing of complaints and appeals.
Effective beginning in fiscal year 2010.
Creates a long-term care insurance program to be
financed by voluntary payroll deductions to provide
home and community-based services to adults who
become functionally disabled. Effective January 1, 2011.
Have more questions about health care reform?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
manages an official U.S. Government website centered on
health care reform at www.healthreform.gov. You can sign
up for regular e-mail updates, ask questions, and participate in weekly web chats. The site also features specific
information for groups such as seniors, young adults,
early retirees, rural Americans, small businesses, and
minorities. For further details on how health care
reform impacts the state of Oregon, visit http://www.
healthreform.gov/reports/statehealthreform/oregon.html.
2700 SE Stratus Avenue
McMinnville, OR 97128
Looking for a Physician?
The following primary care physicians are currently accepting new Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Family Practice
David Collins, MD
Phone: 503.843.4909
222 SE Jefferson Street
Sheridan
Michael Jaczko, DO
Phone: 503.852.6668
348 South Pine Street
Carlton
Marion Hull, MD
Phone: 503.474.2566
2700 SE Stratus Avenue, #302
McMinnville
C. Francis Kenyon, MD
Phone: 503.474.2566
2700 SE Stratus Avenue, #302
McMinnville
Melvin Herd, MD
Phone: 503.472.9002
375 SE Norton Lane, Suite A
McMinnville
Sunita Paudyal, MD
Phone: 503.472.9002
375 SE Norton Lane, Suite A
McMinnville
Richard Kimani, MD
Phone: 503.472.9002
375 SE Norton Lane, Suite A
McMinnville
Internal Medicine
Beata Kopecka, MD
Phone: 503.472.9002
375 SE Norton Lane, Suite A
McMinnville
Christopher Cirino, DO
Phone: 503.472.9002
375 SE Norton Lane, Suite A
McMinnville
Yojana Dange, MD
Phone: 503.472.9002
375 SE Norton Lane, Suite A
McMinnville