Clatsop County Health and Human Services

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Monday, July 15, 2002

County department celebrates a healthier work environment

By TOM BENNETT

The Daily Astorian

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TOM BENNETT - The Daily Astorian

Attending Sunday's open house for the new Clatsop County Health and Human

Services facility were Mitchel , Judy Corneille, Holly , Lynn

Cook and Barbara Engbretson-Cambell.

Barbara Engbretson- remembers how debris from moldering tiles rained

down whenever she walked into certain rooms in the old Clatsop County Health

and Human Services office.

Or how the doors to the tiny examination rooms would slam into a chair or

desk when opened. Or how it took a half-hour to get hot water out of the

taps.

So the opening of the new health department facilities in the former

PeaceHealth clinic, celebrated Sunday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and

open house, is a special event for long-time staff like Engbretson-.

" This is unbelievable, " she said.

The new facility, which opened two weeks ago, has five examination rooms

instead of three in the old building. Nurses have their own offices, instead

sharing one room among the six of them. There are also none of the other

problems, such as leaks in the roof, peeling paint and chronic mold problems

that plagued the former office, a 1920s-era bank building at 857 Commercial

St. The new facility is also fully handicapped-accessible.

" I want to thank everybody for being so patient so many years, " County

Administrator Jim Azumano said following the ribbon-cutting. " You responded

in the spirit of public service, whether you had a good facility or not. "

As clients share the word about the new and improved quarters, the

department will be able to attract new service recipients, he said.

The county purchased the clinic facility, and the next-door 800 Exchange

office building, from Ron Hoxie in December for $2.2 million. The money came

from the county's special projects fund, which holds the county's share of

state timber receipts.

Commissioner Chairman Sam credited former chairperson Kiepke

and Commissioner Tim Gannaway with the idea of setting aside money for the

acquisition of new space for the health department.

In spring 2001 Kiepke asked county officials to trim their special projects

requests to free up money for the health department. Department heads cut a

total of more than $1.1 million from their proposed budgets.

Along with the health department offices, the new facility holds offices for

the Woman-Infant-Child nutrition program, Commission on Children and

Families and tobacco prevention program.

Engbretson-, a nurse practitioner who started with the health

department in 1966, said it wasn't just the peeling countertops,

disintegrating paint and carpeting that wouldn't come clean that made the

old office such poor work environment. The lack of space made it almost

impossible for staff to speak confidentially with clients about their health

care issues.

" This staff has an incredible background, and an incredible dedication to

their community to work in that environment down there, " she said.