Nurses Approve Contract
Today, nurses at PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center—represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA)—voted overwhelmingly to approve a new three-year contract with the hospital, ending more than nine months of contract negotiations between local nurses and PeaceHealth administrators. The agreement includes increased security measures to help protect nurses working off-site, rules designed to dissuade excessive call shifts and overtime use, and cost-of-living adjustments to help attract and keep more qualified nurses in Florence. The ONA nurse negotiating team reached a tentative agreement with PeaceHealth administrators July 12. Nurses voted to approve the contract August first through the third. ONA represents 75 nurses at PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center and more than 14,000 nurses throughout Oregon.
Surgical services nurse and ONA member Sandy Fleetwood thanked the community for their support saying that the nurses and community members worked together to secure a fair agreement with the hospital. She says this deal will help attract top flight nurses and improve the quality of care for patients.
As part of the agreement, the hospital also recognizes nurses’ service with a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment retroactive to Jan. 1, 2017 and 3 percent cost-of-living adjustments in 2018 and 2019 with a 2 percent adjustment in 2020. These cost-of-living adjustments help ensure Peace Harbor’s compensation keeps pace with inflation and will help the hospital attract new nurses who want to work and live in Florence. Nurses had been working without a contract since January 2017. The new contract runs through March 31, 2020.
Health Help For Native Americans
A new care-coordination model is helping Oregon’s tribal members access the health-care they have been promised. This week, CareOregon started its program for Native Americans in the Oregon Health Plan fee-for-service program, and developed it with the nine federally recognized tribes in the state, as well as the Native American Rehabilitation Association. Sharon Stanphill, health-operations officer for the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, says tribal members usually pick and choose care venues from a number of options. But options can be limited, especially for rural tribal members looking for specialized care.
“CareOregon is really breaking down some of those barriers to health-care delivery, and these are barriers that shouldn’t be happening for tribal members in Oregon.”
Stanphill says this new model will help coordinate transportation and social service needs, and will provide culturally appropriate services for Oregon’s Native American population. Jackie Mercer, C-E-O of the Native American Rehabilitation Association, says this program is going to change lives and help tribal members get the best care they can. Mercer says there are many health disparities in native communities, including higher rates of diabetes, alcoholism, and a suicide rate for young adults that is nearly double the national average. But Mercer notes these health gaps shouldn’t lead to the stereotyping of Native Americans.
“We’re not the diseases, we’re not those disparities. We’re just people trying to make our best way in this world. So, investing in native people has tremendous positive outcomes.”
Erin Fair Taylor, executive director of legal affairs at CareOregon, says people can participate in this program without any changes to the providers they currently see.
Temp Cool Regulations Don’t
Temperatures will dip a few degrees here on the coast over the next several days, but the danger of fire still remains Extreme. The burning ban along with new fire restrictions are intended to keep wildfires in check, but the Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue want citizens to be very fire conscious during the dryer conditions that exist. Don’t let the cooler temperatures lull you into a false sense of security. Brush and grasses are at a high risk for fire as are trees. The best defense against fire is to adhere to the restrictions and not light fires for any reason. Do not mow dry grasses or attempt to use any spark emitting devises around trees, grass, or brush. And if you are a smoker, do not throw your butts from your car window. Do not smoke outdoors near dry grass or brush. And use your ashtray when extinguishing your cigarettes or other products. The Western Lane County Fire restrictions, as posted by the SVFR are available on the KCST website.