October 4, 2012
Improvement is the Goal of Changes to Mental Health Care
When news began spreading two months ago that Peace Health Counseling Services would be closing, patients and community members automatically thought the worst.
Sherry Catlin –“It’s not as though we’re deserting a community of folks who need our help. We’re trying to find a better way to deliver that care.”
Vice President of PeaceHealth Medical Group, Dr. Sherry Catlin says the counseling service is not closing, but the delivery of the care they provide will be changing. Later this month, most of the services provided there will simply be moving to the clinic on the main campus of Peace Harbor Hospital where social workers will be working side by side with Primary Care Physicians.
Catlin says one goal is to provide earlier care to someone who may need it.
Sherry Catlin — “If we can treat things earlier and do better prevention then the long term cost is reduced.”
There will be some changes though…
Sherry Catlin — “In the process of going through this change we have had lots of conversations with other organizations in the community.”
Some chronic, persistently mentally ill patients will be seen by one of the other care providers in the area. Catlin said anyone with concerns about their care can call her personally.
Coal Trains
Lane County Commissioners will wait a couple weeks before considering a proposal to support a coal cargo terminal at Coos Bay. If built, the terminal would handle coal trains that come through Eugene and travel along the Coos Bay Rail Link; much of which follows the Siuslaw River.
All five commissioners agreed to the delay in order to get more public input. Some of that would come during a commissioners’ meeting set for October 16th in Florence; followed by another one the next day in Eugene. A possible public advisory vote on the matter appears to have been derailed because the cost of such a vote could range between 300 and 600-thousand dollars. Supporters of the coal trains include business and labor groups; environmental groups are opposed.
Wave Delay
The company planning a wave energy installation off Reedsport won’t have its first buoy in the water this year as planned. Ocean Power Technologies says it managed to put one of three anchors in place, but the remaining two anchors will spend the winter in Reedsport while the power generation buoy is stored in Portland. The company encountered a number of challenges, mainly weather related. The Pennington, New Jersey company eventually plans to have 10 buoys about three miles off Winchester Bay. They would use the motion of waves to generate enough electricity for about a thousand homes.
Great Oregon Shakeout
The Great Oregon Shakeout is set for 10:18 on 10-18. Officials have set that date and time to make it easy to remember, but what they really want folks to remember is to prepare for a large seismic event. Scientists say it’s not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ a large earthquake will strike the Pacific Northwest. They say Oregon is due for one in the coming years.
Althea Rizzo is the Geologic Hazards Program Coordinator with Oregon Emergency Management. She says in the event of a large quake, residents would have only seconds to protect themselves. That’s why the “Shakeout” on October 18th. At 10:18 that morning residents are being encouraged to “drop, cover and hold”. Rizzo says you can pre-register for the event on Facebook… the keyword search would be oregonshakeout… or you can go to to their website.
