Health Matters at Pioneer Memorial Hospital, November 2008

The information below was originally published on Wednesday, Nov. 5 in The Central Oregonian, Prineville, Ore.

I have a lot to report to you this month from Pioneer Memorial Hospital, starting with the preparations for the Light Up a Life remembrance ceremony. In truth, hospice event coordinator Brenda Wilson and her committees are busy preparing for two events that happen close together: Light Up a Life, which is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Broughton Room at the Crook County Library, and the Hospice Christmas Auction two weeks later on Dec. 5 and 6 at the Crook County Fairgrounds.

Both events mark a time of year that has special meaning for families who have lost a loved one, and for patients and their families who need the services that hospice care can provide.

“It is important for people to know that the money we raise in Crook County  stays in our community,” Wilson said. A gift of $15 sponsors a light on the Tree of Remembrance, while $20 will place a beautiful silver ornament on the tree. The tree will be in the hospital lobby throughout the holiday season. “Ornaments and lights may be a tribute to a loved one, or they may also be in honor of someone you admire,” Wilson added.

Next, in case you have not had occasion to park on the Elm Street side of our facility, there is a new sidewalk and stairs leading up from the street into the parking lot in front of Pioneer Health Care Center. Those of us who work in the Administration wing of the hospital are enjoying these steps instead of the climb up a very steep slope over the grass. Our plant services team also appreciates our not walking on the green carpet they strive to maintain.

Scott Smith and Jerry Brummer of the Prineville Public Works Department worked with the hospital to develop this joint effort project. Previously, walking up Elm Street  was a safety hazard because pedestrians walked in traffic lanes behind angular parked cars. The hospital’s portion of the project was building the retaining wall and providing the sidewalk along the length of available parking. The city provided the excavation and used grant funds to cover expenses from the lower end of parking to the 10^th Street intersection, including an ADA-compliant ramp.

“From our perspective, it was an excellent joint effort of the city working with a local business to provide a benefit to the community,” Steve Uffelman , PMH chief pharmacist and director of ancillary services, said. “Scott Smith and his crew were great, and exceeded all of our expectations. D.L. Johnson was the cement contractor, and did great work, too.”

In addition, if you happen to park along Elm Street , please take a look at the new signs posted near your parking space. Some spaces now have time limits posted for their use. These are intended for use by our patients. Most are for two hours between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. There are also a couple of 30-minute spaces facing the main laboratory. These are next to the two new ADA-designated spaces.

Finally, an army runs on its stomach, and the hospital does, too. Last year our Dietary Department prepared nearly 24,000 meals. This included those for our patients as well as for visitors, family members and our caregiving staff. Every single day the kitchen team prepares nutritious, well-balanced meals using the fresh foods delivered by our vendors. These include meals for patients with special needs, such as a diabetic diet or low-sodium diet as ordered by our doctors.

To keep up with these demands, Mount Hood has come to our kitchen: a new dishwasher bearing this name has arrived and been installed recently. It looks a lot like the old one from the outside. But parts for the older one were harder to find since that model had been discontinued. We depended upon sometimes creative efforts to keep the older one running. For instance, as recently as a couple of weeks prior to the replacement arriving, the motor housing cracked on the old one. The housing was immediately repaired and a replacement motor arrived two days later.

The new dishwasher is a slightly different size, and that required some metal fabrication to get a proper fit, according to Uffelman. “Workman & Sons did an excellent job coordinating their fabrication with the new unit installation,” he said. “All is working well.”