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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
February 1, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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February 1, 2007
 
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Mediation report shows some ongoing conflicts (Continued from page 1.) • When a district paramedic per- formed an advanced airway proce- dure the patient suffered a brain injury due to lack of oxygen and also suffered a throat injury wherc the procedure was done. The fam- ily of the patient sued the district tbr negligence and the paramedic also sued the district after being "fired tbr dishonesty." The media- tion report cites no evidence that Hoffman reviewed the incident as required, but states that he did assist that paramedic in the legal action against the district, an ac- tion which was later dismissed by a federal court. THE MOST publicly known is- sue between the district and Hoff man, however, occurred when Chief Greene ran for the public office of hospital commissioner. According to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission as cited by the mediation report, Hoffman himself paid for a sharply critical political advertisement against Greene, running the large ad for "three consecutive weeks in the Mason and Kitsap county newspa- pers." The ads bore the signatures of six emergency physicians of Ma- son General Hospital, including Hoffman, and the ad copy cited the destination-hospital transport issues as evidence of Greene's ca- pacities as a paramedic. "His [Greene's] reports to us by radio when taking care of citizens are highly suspect in terms of con- tent and quality..." the ad read, and went on to say that "his per- formance as a medic jeopardizes the health of our citizens... (and) he is not trusted for his medical decision making and administra- tive motivations by those of us who know him best, and should not be elected to this position." It is worthy of note that no prior evidence of Hoffman's doubts as to Greene's abilities, nor those of any other party, was turned up by the mediator's investigation. GREENE, IN response to the ads, amended his written com- plaint to DOH to note Hoffman's "ongoing retaliatory behavior and actions." Finally, when Greene needed to recertify as a paramedic, Hoff- man refused to sign it and instead oflbred to approve a lower level of certification. Greene was stunned; the mediation report noted that he had been a paramedic for 27 years and had recertified 10 times under five different medical directors. According to the report, Hoffman had told Greene that his refusal was based on the airlift-request in- cident; Greene says that when he pointed out that DOH had inves- tigated and had fully exonerated him, Hoffman had replied that "he was unhappy with the results of the state DOH investigation." Shortly thereafter, DOH re- quested that the fire district and the medical director resolve the is- sues with professional mediation. After a thorough investigation, the mediator proposed an agreement which both Greene and Hoffman signed. Although the agreement does not specifically address most of the vgrious issues with Hoffman's policies as outlined in the report, it does include a provision stating that if the on-scene paramedic be- lieves a patient may require airlift or alternative hospital destination orders, the paramedic will first contact the Mason General Hos- pital physician for orders. If the paramedic received orders that they believe would contradict or- ders from Harrison Hospital, the paramedic will then contact Har- rison and give a patient report and request subsequent orders THE PROVISION concludes, "The paramedic will then follow the Harrison Hospital orders re- garding hospital destination." The mediation agreement also notes that, "This agreement is con- tingent on the Washington State Department of Health providing the Mason County Medical Pro- gram Director a letter releasing him/her from any liability associ- ated with the exception to his/her policy." In other words, Mason County paramedics are no longer bound solely to the orders of the Ma- son County medical director and should the director make destina- tion decisions that are subsequent- ly overruled by Harrison's officials, the Mason County medical director will suffer no liability. The press release issued by Greene announcing the resolution carried the statement, "Dr. Hoff- man summarized the issue by say- ing, 'Fire Chief/Paramedic Michael Greene is a very experienced and highly capable paramedic and our conflict was communication.'" Greene considers the mediation results to be a full exoneration of his four years' worth of conflicts with the county director and ex- pects the agreement will put a complete end to the destination- orders issues that have dogged the district for that time. WDFW grantsl are available The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has begun accepting applications from individuals and groups seeking financial support for vol- unteer projects that benefit fish and wildlife. Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) grants fund up to five major categories of proj- ects, including habitat restora- tion, research, education and outreach, facility development and artificial production. The grants will be awarded for proj- ects undertaken between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009. "ALEA grants are a great tool for individuals and organiza- tions to make a positive impact on fish and wildlife throughout the state," said Josh Nicholas, WDFW cooperative projects co- ordinator. "Projects that provide educational and recreational op- portunities directly benefit the public as well." Applications must be received by March 31. Application ma- terials are available on WD- FW's Web site at http'J/wdfw. wa.gov/volunt or by calling the 360-902-2700. 2 , e • locations Our Sen,ing anyone living or in Mason or Grays 526 W. Cedar St., 2948 Olympic Hwy. N., 426-9701 www.ourcu.com JESFIELD Construction, Serving the North Masort  since 1967 Specializing in Re-construction home repairs 275-6684 Frank Merrill Belfair, Lic #JESFII'228DO TRUCKING " & LANDSCAPE SUPPLY, INC. Topsoil * Bark. Mulches * Fill Dirt • Rookery Rock. Crushed Rock. Land Clearing • Free Estimates * Certified Scales • Accepting Stumps, Brush and Belfair 275-3465 Mon.-Fri.: 7 Library has busy schedule Timberland Regional Library's 10th annual districtwide Adult Winter Reading Program is now underway at all 27 Timberland libraries, including the North Ma- son branch. For, each five books that participants read or listen to during the contest period, they can fill out a form for chances to win local and districtwide grand prizes. Complete rules, forms and prize lists are at all Timberland library branches, including the one in Belfair located at 23081 NE State Route 3. Southwest Wash- ington businesses and local library Friends groups have donated all of the prizes. Here's a quick look at some of the other events and activities coming up at the local library, which can be reached by calling 275-3232, in the days ahead: • The Belfair library presents Junior PageTurners Book Club, from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 1, for ages 6-8. Meet for a book chat, games, snacks and a craft. Featured book: Digging Up Dinosaurs by Aliki. Limit 15. Sign- up is required. The book may be picked up beginning January 25. Cosponsored by the Friends of the North Mason Timberland Library. * The Belfair library presents Computer Basics from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Monday, February 5, for adults. Aimed at the novice com- puter user, topics for this class will include basic computer skills and how to access the World Wide Web and the TRY home page. No prior computer experience is necessary. Because this is a hands-on class, there is a limit of seven partici- pants. Sign-ups required; call 275- 3232. • The Belfair library presents Preschool Story Time from 11 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Febru- ary 7, for children ages 3-6. Help your child build vocabulary by at- tending story times. Then check out some books and read aloud at home. Research shows children who hear and understand more words will be better readers. Co- sponsored by the Friends of the North Mason Timberland Library. • The Bellhir library presents Beyond Basics Computer Class i₯om 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Monday, February 12, for adults. Topics for this class will include e-mail, word- processing and the various TRL databases available to patrons. Participants should be comfortable with basic computer use. Because this is a hands-on class, there is a limit of seven participants. Sign- ups required; call (360) 275-3232. • The Friends of the North Ma- son Timberland Library will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 13, at the library. The Friends group meets on the second Tues- day of each month. • The Belfair library presents Teen Poetry Open Mic from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 13, for ages 13-18. Enjoy an oppor- tunity to share poetry with other teens in an informal setting. Spon- sored by the Friends of the North Mason Timberland Library. Cook is NORTH MASON : named FIBER COMPANY ,i[ all , P.O. Box 275. N, 431 Lol Yard Rd. Belfair. WA 9852 state The Place To Take Your ] North Mason High School soph- omore Danielle Cook has earned a YARD & WOOD Waste second-team spot on the all-state volleyball team. She was also named the most valuable player by coaches in the Olympic League. Sophomore Maci Hunt also earned a spot on the league's first team while Cook's twin sis- ter, Michelle, earned a spot on the league's second team. Earn- ing honorable-mention status was sophomore Stephanie Hicks. Contractors Welcome [. - .. ..__- oo. .,"j l.g,, Cm Pe: C:74 t  Traile vas __ I . (pick-.pSize)Oig I Ioad* veh’| i __. __2_"" A...- ,M. ' ,- NO Plastics or Garbage PLEASE i } Dr. Nancy Isbell is joining Belfair's A Country Veterinary Clinic • General small animal medicine/surgery • Acupuncture certified • Internal medicine residency 23730 HE SR3 • LOG CABIN PLAZA • BELFAIR • 10 minutes from Hwy. 16 • 0.2 miles south of the stoplight at Safeway Open M-F 8 am-6 pm 360.277.3800 Page 4 - Belfair Herald section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, February 1, 2007 Mediation report shows some ongoing conflicts (Continued from page 1.) • When a district paramedic per- formed an advanced airway proce- dure the patient suffered a brain injury due to lack of oxygen and also suffered a throat injury wherc the procedure was done. The fam- ily of the patient sued the district tbr negligence and the paramedic also sued the district after being "fired tbr dishonesty." The media- tion report cites no evidence that Hoffman reviewed the incident as required, but states that he did assist that paramedic in the legal action against the district, an ac- tion which was later dismissed by a federal court. THE MOST publicly known is- sue between the district and Hoff man, however, occurred when Chief Greene ran for the public office of hospital commissioner. According to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission as cited by the mediation report, Hoffman himself paid for a sharply critical political advertisement against Greene, running the large ad for "three consecutive weeks in the Mason and Kitsap county newspa- pers." The ads bore the signatures of six emergency physicians of Ma- son General Hospital, including Hoffman, and the ad copy cited the destination-hospital transport issues as evidence of Greene's ca- pacities as a paramedic. "His [Greene's] reports to us by radio when taking care of citizens are highly suspect in terms of con- tent and quality..." the ad read, and went on to say that "his per- formance as a medic jeopardizes the health of our citizens... (and) he is not trusted for his medical decision making and administra- tive motivations by those of us who know him best, and should not be elected to this position." It is worthy of note that no prior evidence of Hoffman's doubts as to Greene's abilities, nor those of any other party, was turned up by the mediator's investigation. GREENE, IN response to the ads, amended his written com- plaint to DOH to note Hoffman's "ongoing retaliatory behavior and actions." Finally, when Greene needed to recertify as a paramedic, Hoff- man refused to sign it and instead oflbred to approve a lower level of certification. Greene was stunned; the mediation report noted that he had been a paramedic for 27 years and had recertified 10 times under five different medical directors. According to the report, Hoffman had told Greene that his refusal was based on the airlift-request in- cident; Greene says that when he pointed out that DOH had inves- tigated and had fully exonerated him, Hoffman had replied that "he was unhappy with the results of the state DOH investigation." Shortly thereafter, DOH re- quested that the fire district and the medical director resolve the is- sues with professional mediation. After a thorough investigation, the mediator proposed an agreement which both Greene and Hoffman signed. Although the agreement does not specifically address most of the vgrious issues with Hoffman's policies as outlined in the report, it does include a provision stating that if the on-scene paramedic be- lieves a patient may require airlift or alternative hospital destination orders, the paramedic will first contact the Mason General Hos- pital physician for orders. If the paramedic received orders that they believe would contradict or- ders from Harrison Hospital, the paramedic will then contact Har- rison and give a patient report and request subsequent orders THE PROVISION concludes, "The paramedic will then follow the Harrison Hospital orders re- garding hospital destination." The mediation agreement also notes that, "This agreement is con- tingent on the Washington State Department of Health providing the Mason County Medical Pro- gram Director a letter releasing him/her from any liability associ- ated with the exception to his/her policy." In other words, Mason County paramedics are no longer bound solely to the orders of the Ma- son County medical director and should the director make destina- tion decisions that are subsequent- ly overruled by Harrison's officials, the Mason County medical director will suffer no liability. The press release issued by Greene announcing the resolution carried the statement, "Dr. Hoff- man summarized the issue by say- ing, 'Fire Chief/Paramedic Michael Greene is a very experienced and highly capable paramedic and our conflict was communication.'" Greene considers the mediation results to be a full exoneration of his four years' worth of conflicts with the county director and ex- pects the agreement will put a complete end to the destination- orders issues that have dogged the district for that time. WDFW grantsl are available The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has begun accepting applications from individuals and groups seeking financial support for vol- unteer projects that benefit fish and wildlife. Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) grants fund up to five major categories of proj- ects, including habitat restora- tion, research, education and outreach, facility development and artificial production. The grants will be awarded for proj- ects undertaken between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009. "ALEA grants are a great tool for individuals and organiza- tions to make a positive impact on fish and wildlife throughout the state," said Josh Nicholas, WDFW cooperative projects co- ordinator. "Projects that provide educational and recreational op- portunities directly benefit the public as well." Applications must be received by March 31. Application ma- terials are available on WD- FW's Web site at http'J/wdfw. wa.gov/volunt or by calling the 360-902-2700. 2 , e • locations Our Sen,ing anyone living or in Mason or Grays 526 W. Cedar St., 2948 Olympic Hwy. N., 426-9701 www.ourcu.com JESFIELD Construction, Serving the North Masort  since 1967 Specializing in Re-construction home repairs 275-6684 Frank Merrill Belfair, Lic #JESFII'228DO TRUCKING " & LANDSCAPE SUPPLY, INC. Topsoil * Bark. Mulches * Fill Dirt • Rookery Rock. Crushed Rock. Land Clearing • Free Estimates * Certified Scales • Accepting Stumps, Brush and Belfair 275-3465 Mon.-Fri.: 7 Library has busy schedule Timberland Regional Library's 10th annual districtwide Adult Winter Reading Program is now underway at all 27 Timberland libraries, including the North Ma- son branch. For, each five books that participants read or listen to during the contest period, they can fill out a form for chances to win local and districtwide grand prizes. Complete rules, forms and prize lists are at all Timberland library branches, including the one in Belfair located at 23081 NE State Route 3. Southwest Wash- ington businesses and local library Friends groups have donated all of the prizes. Here's a quick look at some of the other events and activities coming up at the local library, which can be reached by calling 275-3232, in the days ahead: • The Belfair library presents Junior PageTurners Book Club, from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 1, for ages 6-8. Meet for a book chat, games, snacks and a craft. Featured book: Digging Up Dinosaurs by Aliki. Limit 15. Sign- up is required. The book may be picked up beginning January 25. Cosponsored by the Friends of the North Mason Timberland Library. * The Belfair library presents Computer Basics from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Monday, February 5, for adults. Aimed at the novice com- puter user, topics for this class will include basic computer skills and how to access the World Wide Web and the TRY home page. No prior computer experience is necessary. Because this is a hands-on class, there is a limit of seven partici- pants. Sign-ups required; call 275- 3232. • The Belfair library presents Preschool Story Time from 11 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Febru- ary 7, for children ages 3-6. Help your child build vocabulary by at- tending story times. Then check out some books and read aloud at home. Research shows children who hear and understand more words will be better readers. Co- sponsored by the Friends of the North Mason Timberland Library. • The Bellhir library presents Beyond Basics Computer Class i₯om 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Monday, February 12, for adults. Topics for this class will include e-mail, word- processing and the various TRL databases available to patrons. Participants should be comfortable with basic computer use. Because this is a hands-on class, there is a limit of seven participants. Sign- ups required; call (360) 275-3232. • The Friends of the North Ma- son Timberland Library will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 13, at the library. The Friends group meets on the second Tues- day of each month. • The Belfair library presents Teen Poetry Open Mic from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 13, for ages 13-18. Enjoy an oppor- tunity to share poetry with other teens in an informal setting. Spon- sored by the Friends of the North Mason Timberland Library. Cook is NORTH MASON : named FIBER COMPANY ,i[ all , P.O. Box 275. N, 431 Lol Yard Rd. Belfair. WA 9852 state The Place To Take Your ] North Mason High School soph- omore Danielle Cook has earned a YARD & WOOD Waste second-team spot on the all-state volleyball team. She was also named the most valuable player by coaches in the Olympic League. Sophomore Maci Hunt also earned a spot on the league's first team while Cook's twin sis- ter, Michelle, earned a spot on the league's second team. Earn- ing honorable-mention status was sophomore Stephanie Hicks. Contractors Welcome [. - .. ..__- oo. .,"j l.g,, Cm Pe: C:74 t  Traile vas __ I . (pick-.pSize)Oig I Ioad* veh’| i __. __2_"" A...- ,M. ' ,- NO Plastics or Garbage PLEASE i } Dr. Nancy Isbell is joining Belfair's A Country Veterinary Clinic • General small animal medicine/surgery • Acupuncture certified • Internal medicine residency 23730 HE SR3 • LOG CABIN PLAZA • BELFAIR • 10 minutes from Hwy. 16 • 0.2 miles south of the stoplight at Safeway Open M-F 8 am-6 pm 360.277.3800 Page 4 - Belfair Herald section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, February 1, 2007