Hospital Eyes Future Growth;Names Released;Bridge Work Rhody Week; Wings and Wheels

Needs Assesment Prepares Peace Health for the Future

Peace harbor hospital is positioning itself for growth and accommodating the needs of the community.  According to Susan Blane, community Benefit Director with Peace Health in Eugene it began with a greater Lane County Health needs assessment which they then modeled and internalized for their own plan combining the needs of the community with the needs of the hospital.

Our internal Community Health Needs Assessment focuses on what we can do to support the community through taking care of our patients and then the Greater Community Health Needs assessment, the Lane County Health Improvement Plan focuses on the entire community and really those two are combined.  They are always interchangeable.”

One of the many innovative ways they are meeting the community needs is by providing alternative forms of care for things like pain management through their Points of Grace acupuncture program

Not only does it help those patients find new ways of dealing with that area of treatment that they’re struggling with, bt it also relieves some of the burden on their primary care providers.”

Rick Yecny with Peace Health said that local practitioner, Patricia Immel sees about 50 patients in the course of a two hour period which in turn frees up clinic times.

Officers Names in Jail Incident Released

What exactly is the delay?  The names of the two officers involved in Last Monday’s prison incident, that also involved the death of a detainee, have been released.  Florence Police Officer Ken Larson and Corrections Officer Stephanie Sansom, were treated and later released after they sustained injuries from a detainee that they were attempting to release.  Days prior to the release of the names residents were overheard speculating and wondering why no additional information had been released.  Even tossing out a few possible scenarios of what actually happened that day.  The District Attorney’s office was quick to state that they would release more information once the investigation is complete.  One reason residents have not heard from Florence Police on the matter is that the investigation includes their department and therefore all information regarding the findings will come from either the District Attorney’s Office or from the Oregon State Police, which is heading up the investigation along with support from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and Eugene, Springfield and Cottage Grove police.  The name and cause of death of the 40 year old detainee has not yet been released pending the conclusion of the autopsy which includes the results from a toxicology report.

 Bridge Work for Rhody Week

Single lane closures and 20 minute delays will likely occur over the Siuslaw River Bridge this week.  Construction is scheduled to continue Monday through Thursday this week, but ODOT officials say that there will be no construction over the Rhody Days Festival and that traffic will not be impeded due to ongoing repairs. Work is scheduled for 10pm to 4pm daily.  Leaving only a 6 hour reprieve in the evenings.

Airport Committee to Look at Upcoming Wings and Wheels

This Wednesday the Airport advisory Committee will meet at the City Hall for their quarterly meeting.  On the docket for discussion and review is the upcoming Wings and Wheels.  They will also be updating the Capital Improvement plan.  The meeting will be in the conference room Wednesday at 2pm.