Green River Medical Center serves community

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

The Green River Medical Center gave a report to the Emery County Commission and requested their annual donation for the operation of the medical center. The Green River Medical Center is a federally funded primary health care facility for the medically underpopulated and underserved. The patients are charged on a sliding scale according to their income. The staff includes a physicians assistant and a supervising physician that visits the facility twice each month. A dentist from Moab sees patients once each week. The East Carbon pharmacy fills prescriptions for Green River Medical Center patients. Lab work is sent out to Quest Lab services. Last year the clinic treated 856 medical patients and 27 mental patients for a total of 2,839 patient visits. Seventeen percent of the visits are from the elderly, 28 percent from those under 18, 17 percent Hispanic patients and 38 percent of the patients are not insured.
Money donated by Emery County last year was used for a generator for the clinic. The clinic also acquired a decontamination tent this year. Emery County donates $24,000 each year for the clinic.
Glenn Baxter also spoke of the needs the medical center fills. He said the staff at the center take very good care of the center. They also serve Grand County residents who take advantage of the sliding scale payments. The center is also asking Grand County to help support the center monitarily.
Sheriff LaMar Guymon said the center performs a vital service as it is the only medical facility for miles on I-70. Often trauma patients are brought to the center which also has a helipad and they are transported to the hospital from there.
In other commission business they looked at a piece of property which was acquired in the May tax sale to determine if it was in the best interest of the county to sell the property. If they decide to sell it will be by sealed bids. The property has an IRS lien on it as well as the debt to the county for taxes owed. The house on the property is occupied.
Notice of any such sale must be posted on the property. The county would sell for the county costs involved. Any new owner would take care of liens on the property and would be responsible for evicting those living in the house. County Attorney David Blackwell will look at the matter and determine the best way to handle the property legally.
The county will begin advertising for a lube mechanic to replace an employee who quit.
Commissioner Jeff Horrocks said the Green River Senior Citizen Center is moving along. The Lawrence cemetery committee is researching the unmarked graves and working with DeMar Guymon for metal headstone markers for the unmarked graves.
Commissioner Drew Sitterud said he attended the CIB and Castle Valley Special Service District had received a $1 million grant. Orangeville City also received a grant to finish the recreation center at the city park.
The county is involved in budget hearings at this time with department heads and elected officials.
Commissioner Sitterud met with the water users in Green River to discuss a new diversion. The old diversion is going to need a lot of repair. Several million dollars is estimated to be needed for the project. All of the Green River water users seemed in favor of the project.
Commissioner Sitterud attended the Association of Local Governments meeting where Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert spoke and Commissioner Sitterud said Herbert was politicking at the meeting. The governor was supposed to hike the Arch Canyon with SUWA, but he has declined to do that until the roads issues are decided. Emery County has seven roads in the quiet title process at this time.
The 10th district court determined that SUWA does not have standing as long as the BLM does their job in taking care of the land.
Commissioner Sitterud said the addressing group is still working on the common names of roads as the road moves from county to county. This is an ongoing process. He complimented Jeff Guymon the IT man on his work on the addressing.