Health Options Digest
May 2, 2004
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Week in Review
The real news is happening in the shadows in and out of the courtroom. In particular, look for Springfield to link the legality of its plans allowing a new PeaceHealth hospital to the legality of Eugene's new zoning rules for hospitals.
Mary Stogsdill of Eugene in a letter to the editor questioned PeaceHealth spending money earned from patients and their insurers to advertise services at a new hopsital that doesn't even exist yet.
McKenzie-Willamette, EWEB and the City of Eugene are in talks over siting a new hospital on the current EWEB site in downtown Eugene.
The City of Springfield is trying to figure out how to pay for emergency medical service. Lane County is trying to figure out how to avoid closing all three rural health clinics.
The Eugene-Springfield area is growing north around Crescent Drive and east around Thurston.
The county and cities made progress in agreeing on how to better share limited funding to maintain existing streets.
Federal earmarks for transportation projects -- including $15 million for the I-5/Beltline interchange -- may be pawns in a political showdown between Republican President George Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress. The president wants to limit federal transportation spending to $256 billion over the next 6 years. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $275 billion package. And the Senate passed a $318 billion bill. The issue is whether to keep federal deficit spending in check or to borrow money to invest in the country's transportation system.
Jaime Sherman has left the Springfield News to spend more time with her family. For several years, Jaime has covered many of the ins and outs of hospital siting. We wish her well.
(top...)
Looking Ahead
On Tuesday, join Eugene's mayoral candidates for an intimate discussion of the issues.
On Wednesday, the Lane County Board of Health will hold its semi-annual meeting.
Make sure to vote!
(top...)
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Monday, May 3 -- Springfield City Council
Springfield City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield
Contact: Amy Sowa, City Manager's Office, 726-3700
6:00 p.m., Work Session, Jesse Maine Room
1. Proposed Local and Regional Sewer User Fees.
2. City Attorney Office Evaluation.
7:00 p.m., Regular Meeting, Council Meeting Room
Public Hearings
1. Fiscal Year 2004-2005 One-Year Action Plan of the Eugene-Springfield Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development (Springfield Section).
2. Liquor License Endorsements for the Renewal Period of 2004-2005.
Business from the City Council
1. Committee Appointments
a. Budget Committee Appointment.
b. Building Board of Appeal Appointments.
2. Business from Council
a. Committee Reports
b. Other Business
(agenda...)
(top...)
Tuesday, May 4 -- City Club of Eugene
5:05 p.m., Cafe Paradiso, Boradway & Olive, Eugene
On Tuesday, you will have the opportunity to hear from all the candidates at Cafe Paradiso. KRVM would like to broadcast that event live, but its plans are not yet confirmed.
(top...)
Tuesday, May 4 -- Springfield Planning Commission
Springfield City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield, 726-3753
6:00 p.m., Work Session, Jesse Maine Room
1. Amendment to the Springfield Development Code -- Article 21 CI Campus Industrial LRP2004-00005.
2. Metro Plan Amendment: Amendment of PFSP to Add Transmission Project.
7:00 p.m., Regular Meeting, Council Meeting Room
Legislative Public Hearing: Metro Plan Amendment: Amendment of PFSP to Add Transmission Project.
(agenda...)
(top...)
Wednesday, May 5 -- Semi-Annual Board of Health Meeting
9:00 a.m., Commissioners' Conference Room, Public Service Building, 125 East 8th Ave., Eugene, 682-4203
(top...)
PeaceHealth
Letter: Who pays for PeaceHealth ads?
| By Mary Stogsdill, Eugene | April 26, 2004 |
I am a patient of PeaceHealth Medical Group. I have wonderful doctors. They maintain all the information in one place, and when I go from one doctor to another, it is easy for them to see all the medications and treatments prescribed by my other doctors. I love the system.
I am upset, however, by PeaceHealth advertising multiple times during the evening programs on television. They are advertising their new hospital as though it already exists, and they are just waiting for us to check in for those surgical procedures and illnesses that require hospitalization.
I am angry every time their commercials air, knowing that I am being charged prices that include the costs of those advertisements. With health care costs so exorbitant already, why is PeaceHealth spending money on advertising a hospital that will not be available for at least a couple of years and maybe never?
If I didn't feel the care I get through PeaceHealth was excellent, their fiscal irresponsibility in this matter would certainly turn me away to look for a different provider who knew how to keep costs lower.
I wonder if others feel the same irritation about the use of the money we patients work so hard to earn being thrown away so frivolously?
(top...)
Sacred Heart forms new heart institute
By Tim Christie
The Register-Guard | April 28, 2004 |
On Tuesday morning, Dr. David Duke, in coat and tie, announced the establishment of the Oregon Heart & Vascular Institute, a new interdisciplinary program for delivering cardiovascular care at Sacred Heart Medical Center. (more...)
(top...)
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
New site difficult for EWEB to locate
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | April 29, 2004 |
The Eugene Water & Electric Board is learning firsthand how difficult it can be to find a 30-acre chunk of land suitable for a new headquarters and maintenance facility.
Following a path well-trodden by McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center during its search for a site to build a Eugene hospital, the utility is working from a very short list of properties in or near the city limits.
In fact, EWEB is looking at some of the same tracts considered by McKenzie-Willamette before the hospital corporation chose as its preferred site the 29 riverside acres now occupied by the utility.
Meanwhile, showing their eagerness at the prospect of building a new hospital along the river, officials of Triad Hospitals -- the majority owner of McKenzie-Willamette -- have authorized spending $100,000 for preliminary engineering and architectural drawings for the EWEB site, McKenzie-Willamette spokeswoman Rosie Pryor said.
If Triad bought the property, it would be likely to use the existing EWEB headquarters for its own office building and for some hospital uses, and build medical facilities next door.
The next several months should tell whether Texas-based Triad will be able to strike a deal to buy the EWEB site and build an $80 million hospital there. (more...)
(top...)
Cost of Health Care
City engages consultants to solve EMS services issue
By Jaime Sherman
The Springfield News | April 28, 2004 |
In response to an ever-growing reliance on reserve dollars to provide ambulance services, Spring-field City Council has tentatively decided to fund a consultant's study of the emergency medical services fund to determine if money can be used more efficiently.
During a work session Monday night, councilors agreed to spend $50,000 to $75,000 from the fund to pay for the study, which will be conducted by a national firm selected through a request for proposal process, according to Deputy Fire Chief John Garitz. (more...)
(top...)
County Beat: Health clinics face possible closure
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | April 30, 2004 |
All three of the county's rural health clinics -- in Oakridge, Cottage Grove and Florence -- could be on the chopping block this year as the budget committee looks at cutting $4.1 million out of the discretionary general fund.
Last year, the clinics narrowly escaped closure but had their operations cut back to such bare-bones levels that county health officials say they can't be slashed any more and still remain open.
But knowing cuts have to be made seems to be a lot easier than actually doing it.
Rob Rockstroh, head of the county's human services department, told the commissioners Wednesday that he wanted to give the clinics' landlords in Cottage Grove and Florence notice that the county might be vacating those spaces. (The county owns the building in Oakridge where that clinic operates.)
But four of the five commissioners couldn't bring themselves to make that decision just yet. (more...)
(top...)
Nearby Developments
North Eugene Ready to Grow
| KEZI | April 29, 2004, 12:55 p.m. |
Look around Crescent Drive, you'll see the signs of what's to come. Big Town Hero owner Kevin Wells says, "It's going to turn into a real vibrant neighborhood."
Wells opened up shop in Summer Oaks, to the south of Crescent Drive about a year ago. He's watching the area build up around him, that means more customers for Wells, although he's already seeing big success. He says, "Last month was our best ever and this is going to beat that."
Wells and others saw the potential in North Eugene, and there's more to come. Larry Reed, of Arlie & Co. says, "This whole northeast quadrant of the city really lacks day to day services."
Developer Arlie and Company has plans for an entire nodal village, just north of Crescent Drive. It includes a grocery store, retail and office space, and housing, from apartments to condos and townhomes. Plus, there's at least four new restaurants planned. That's big for people who work within walking distance, like Judith Smith, the owner of More Pzazz. She says, "Lunch is a very important thing to hairdressers!" And so is getting more people to come to North Eugene. Smith says, "The more people that come out this way, the more visability we have."
Business owners hope North Eugene will become a unique destination, like downtown, Oakway Center or the Valley River Center. While developers work on that, Kevin Wells is ready to feed the troops. He says, "Even if they don't start building the buildings for a while there's prep work going on, and those guys need to eat!"
Soon, there will be even more choices.
(top...)
Expansion of Highway 126 in Thurston Area
Springfield will grow.
And when it does, the Intersection of Highway 126 and main street will be "the" important spot.
This will connnect southeast Springfield with the rest of the city.
See this construction behind me?
This signals progress. (more...)
(top...)
Museum staff scrambles for funds
By Jaime Sherman
The Springfield News | April 28, 2004 |
The calendar is filling up quickly at the Springfield Museum, where scavenger hunts, quilt shows, carriage rides and ice cream socials have been penciled in as possible attractions for the coming fiscal year.
Charged last year with weaning the Springfield Museum from all reliance on the city's general fund within a four-year period, the Museum Board of Directors has authored an ambitious proposal of events and products to raise revenue.
Interim Museum Director Kris Redmond and board members Beverly Medford and Steve Stermer presented the list to city council Monday night to show they are working to become independent -- and asked for another year of partial funding. (more...)
(top...)
Can Springfield museum fly on its own?
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | April 30, 2004 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Owned and operated by the city since its creation in 1981, the Springfield Museum may be on its way to becoming a separate nonprofit organization operating in a municipal building.
That's a polite way of saying the cash-strapped city doesn't want to pay to run the museum anymore. (more...)
(top...)
City eyes leasing a police station
By Diane Dietz
The Register-Guard | |
Conventional wisdom says to buy rather than rent a home. But the Eugene City Council is talking about asking a developer to fund and build a new $30 million-plus police station that the city could then lease. (more...)
(top...)
Eugene takes a new look at tax breaks
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 26, 2004 |
Once spurned as an unneeded giveaway to corporations, property tax breaks for job-creating businesses are becoming alluring again to Eugene politicians of all types.
That's what a three-year economic slump can do, it seems.
Mayoral candidate Kitty Piercy has raised the issue in the city's primary election by proposing that the city examine whether it should waive property taxes as a way of helping local businesses grow. (more...)
(top...)
Transportation
County, cities meet in center of roads issues
By Jaime Sherman
The Springfield News | April 29, 2004 |
Lane County commissioners and the leaders of the county's 12 cities are finally seeing eye to eye, or at least road fund to road fund.
The politicians met Wednesday night to hammer out how they will share Oregon Transportation Im-provement Act III disbursements and work together to renew the federal Secure Rural Schools Act, which provides money for road maintenance. (more...)
(top...)
Petroleum price hike: High gas prices hit the trucking, lodging and travel industries
By Christopher Stollar
The Springfield News | April 29, 2004 |
The pain at the pumps is spreading.
While drivers are reeling under the financial fumes, the trucking, lodging and travel industries are feeling the financial impact of higher gas and diesel rates as well. (more...)
(top...)
Bus blaze never did trigger fire alarm
By Tim Christie
The Register-Guard | April 27, 2004 |
When fire broke out in the engine compartment on the back end of a Lane Transit District bus last week, the driver should have been the first to know about it.
But an alarm system that's supposed to alert the driver never went off, LTD spokesman Andy Vobora said Monday. (more...)
(top...)
Republicans fail to agree on highway spending bill
By Jim Abrams
The Associated Press | April 30, 2004 |
WASHINGTON -- Republican lawmakers and the White House on Thursday were unable to come up with a dollar total for a much-delayed highway and transit bill touted as the biggest jobs and economic stimulus legislation Congress will consider this year.
But they did manage to resolve another crisis, persuading a colleague to abandon a legislative move that could have shut down much of the Transportation Department. (more...)
(top...)
Elections
Editorial: Jacobson for Springield Ward 6
| The Springfield News | April 28, 2004 |
There's apathy in political land. And this time it has nothing to do with an indifferent electorate. The voter pamphlets are available to Oregon voters, and a quick glance makes one wonder where all the candidates have gone.
One in five legislative races are contested. A staggering 94 percent of the Senate primary matches are already wrapped up due to single candidates -- or none at all. What that means is that nearly half of the Senate seats have already been decided. The House doesn't fare much better. One in four primary races have attracted more than one candidate. (more...)
(top...)
Editorial: In Springfield: Pishioneri: Voters citywide will chose Ward 6 councilor
| The Register-Guard | April 28, 2004 |
Springfield's municipal politics are in a mood of sleepy contentment. No one is running against three incumbent members of the City Council. Mayor Sid Leiken is unopposed for re-election. The council's single open seat -- in Ward 6, covering the Thurston area -- has attracted four candidates, none of whom has an ax to grind. At a forum last week, the candidates, the moderator and a couple of reporters nearly outnumbered the audience. (more...)
(top...)
Six county candidates square off on issues
By Jaime Sherman
The Springfield News | April 28, 2004 |
Six men are campaigning to represent East Lane County on the Lane County Board of Commissioners.
The candidates for Position 5 -- incumbent Don Hampton of Oakridge, Mark Herbert of Mohawk Valley, Cedric Hayden of Fall Creek, Faye Stewart of Cottage Grove and Ross Johnson and Jim Gillette, both of Eugene -- will be on the May 18 Primary Election ballot. They have diverse backgrounds and experiences in politics. (more...)
(top...)
Editorial: Hampton for East Lane: Incumbent has been steadying force on board
| The Register-Guard | May 1, 2004 |
Maybe it's something in the water. Or perhaps it's the abundance of open spaces. But there's something about the East Lane County that loves a crowd. (more...)
(top...)
Editorial: North Eugene: Green: Incumbent has provided strong leadership
| The Register-Guard | April 30, 2004 |
Greg Ringer says he's running against Bobby Green for the North Eugene seat on the Lane County Board of Commissioners because he believes "the electoral process benefits from a choice of candidates."
He's right, of course. Ringer deserves an A-plus in civics, along with high marks for citizenship and a hearty slap on the back. But none of those will help him beat Green whose votes, views and personality have proven a comfortable fit with the North Eugene District that he's represented for the past nine years. (more...)
(top...)
Mayoral Debate
By Cathryn Stephens
KVAL | April 30, 2004 |
EUGENE -- The two front-runner candidates for the Eugene mayoral race faced off today. Kitty Piercy and Nancy Nathanson took turns outlining their plans if elected, answering questions and giving rebutals. The debate was held before a packed audience at a City Club of Eugene event.
Both candidates say strengthening downtown and bringing more good jobs to Eugene is their priority, but they differ on how to get there. (more...)
(top...)
Election 2004: Economy dominates mayoral race
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | May 1, 2004 |
Differences between Eugene's top mayoral candidates came into sharp focus Friday as Nancy Nathanson and Kitty Piercy disagreed over job creation, boosting wages, big-box stores, housing codes and leadership style.
Piercy and Nathanson traded rhetorical punches during an hour-long debate sponsored by the City Club and KEZI-TV at the Hilton Eugene attended by about 200 people. The debate was considered the highlight event of the campaign before the May 18 primary. (more...)
(top...)
Ward 7 foes differ slightly on annexation
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 30, 2004 |
Eugene City Councilor Scott Meisner and challenger Andrea Ortiz staked out slightly different positions Thursday night on the hot-button question of the city annexing properties in the River Road area. (more...)
(top...)
Slant: City Council Debate
| Eugene Weekly | April 29, 2004 |
City Club of Eugene is packing in standing-room-only crowds for its series of Friday lunch political programs. Coming up April 30 is the mayoral forum and last week was council candidates. It was great last week to see UO student Adam Walsh jumping into the Ward 1 fray with Bonny Bettman and Tom Slocum. He eloquently defended his youth and inexperience, and he's right that everybody starts off a novice, but there are better places for him to plug in and learn sausage making, such as city committees or his neighborhood association. Bettman was convincing in outlining the reasons why she's a perfect fit for Ward 1. Slocum attacked Bettman on old and debatable hospital siting issues, rather than focusing on her clear stands on important issues today. Maurie Denner (Ward 2) talked a lot about making decisions based on what's good for kids (who can argue with that?) but didn't say anything about sprawl and pollution being bad for kids. Slocum hedged on the big issue of expanding the UGB, calling for more study. Scott Meisner (Ward 7) was strong on the intricacies of such issues as the railyard, while his challenger Andrea Ortiz was better on vision and values. Denner complained about divisiveness on the council but we were pleased to see Betty Taylor (Ward 2) standing up to say that disagreements and lively debates serve democracy. Unopposed candidate Chris Pryor (Ward 8) gave a little speech about "leadership in the middle." We'll find out what that means when he joins the council in January. The City Club program wasn't a real debate, but it gave us a chance to check out the candidates. Too bad it wasn't taped and broadcast on KLCC.
(top...)
Growth Gorilla
Chamber of Commerce raises big election bucks from developers.
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | April 29, 2004 |
The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce has thrown a 1,000-pound gorilla into local elections to pursue its pro-sprawl and anti-environmental agenda.
The chamber's political action committee (PAC) reported that by April 1 it had amassed a $32,700 war chest for local elections next month. The Chamber is backing Nancy Nathanson for mayor and Maurie Denner, Tom Slocum, Scott Meisner and Chris Pryor for the City Council. Pryor is unopposed in Ward 8. (more...)
(top...)
Editorial: Election 2004: Summary of recommendations
Following is a summary of recommendations The Register-Guard has made to voters for the May 18 primary election. The editors are fallible human beings who stand an average chance of being wrong. However, these recommendations are made after sincere appraisals of the choices on the ballot. Where there are no contests, no recommendations are listed. (more...)
(top...)
Campaign Signs Showing Up Around Town
| KEZI | April 29, 2004, 12:45 p.m. |
You know it's election season when you see them popping up everywhere.
We're talkin' election signs. They're everywhere. And some aren't supposed to be.
For example, signs placed on the home side of the sidewalk are legal. But if you stake it between the sidewalk and the street, you're breakin the law. The campaign trail is clearly marked. (more...)
(top...)
Other
Sherman leaving The News
| The Springfield News | April 29, 2004 |
This is Jaime Sherman's last day at The Springfield News.
Sherman has been at The News since September 2002, and was promoted to news editor in August 2003.
She plans to spend more time with her family, get a dog, garden and pick up part-time freelance work in writing and editing. (more...)
(top...)