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March 5, 2004
Providers embrace Nye, InyoDOZENS TURN OUT FOR HEALTH FAIR
By ROBIN FLINCHUM
Event organizers Kari Coughlin, of the Death Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Jennifer Viereck of the Hummingbird Family Resource Center in Tecopa, also debuted their comprehensive Directory of Public Services in Southeast Inyo County, a guide to local health care resources including listings for many Pahrump agencies. Health care delivery is often complicated in remote Southeast Inyo by the fact that the closest service providers are across a state line. And while many Southeast Inyo residents look to Pahrump to meet their needs, Shoshone's Death Valley Health Center, a federally funded clinic, provides low-income services to many Nevada residents who would otherwise have to travel to Las Vegas or further for services. So Viereck and Coughlin, with help from the providers, decided it was time to try and draw these scattered resources together. Smith's Food and Drug pharmacist Denny Weaver said a good portion of his business comes from outlying areas like Tecopa and Shoshone, and added that he was frequently impressed with the quality of service provided by Shoshone's Death Valley Health Center. "We have a good cooperative relationship," he said. "They see a lot of patients from Pahrump and they're very knowledgeable, always on top of things." Weaver spent time at Saturday's health fair speaking about the proper storage and handling of medications, emphasizing expiration dates and keeping potential poisons out of reach of young children. Along with other attending providers, Weaver was available to answer questions throughout the day. Carol Kavulla and Jon Himelhoch from the Wild Iris Women's Center in Bishop, Calif., discussed their work helping women escape and recover from domestic violence. Currently, Himelhoch said, Wild Iris visits Southeast Inyo about once a year and while they hope to increase the number of visits, they said the area is extremely isolated. Wild Iris is scheduled for a three-day visit in March to present programs in the Southeast Inyo schools. Meanwhile, Himelhoch said, the group's 24-hour hotline counselors are trained to provide resource referrals to service providers in nearby Pahrump and help callers deal with any difficulties that might arise from the out-of-state issue. Other speakers included Inyo County Animal Control Officer B.J. Hayner, whose Bat Facts talk was a hit with the kids in attendance, representatives from Pahrump's Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous programs, Inyo County Environmental Health Specialist Steve Frederickson on the Hanta Virus, and many more. The Southeast Inyo Fire Protection District answered questions and handed out fire safety literature. Representatives from the Inyo County District Attorney's office and a family law facilitator were also on hand. Organizer Viereck said she was pleased with the day's turnout, especially for a first-time event that took place on the heels of some the area's worst winter weather. "The providers had a great opportunity to network and set up future events since it wasn't too crowded." Viereck added that she hopes this will lead to more cooperative efforts between Nevada and California providers by strengthening Southeast Inyo's ties to groups such as Pahrump's No To Abuse and Nathan Adelson Hospice. Coughlin, of the Death Valley Chamber of Commerce, said she was "thrilled" with the turnout and by the end of the day was already in discussion with attending providers about doing it again next year. Viereck also reported that through raffle ticket sales and a hot dog lunch, the Hummingbird Center raised over $400. Several Pahrump merchants, including Smith's, Sav-On, Wal-Mart, Country Health Food Store, and Shoshone Propane, provided prizes for the raffle. The Charles Brown General Store in Shoshone and a few Tecopa residents also contributed prizes. |
