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He’s Enjoy the 131st World’s Oldest baack: 1C Continuous Rodeo
PAYSON ROUNDUP FRIDAY | AUGUST 21, 2015 | PAYSON, ARIZONA
Dogs help find lost patient by
Wait times drop Banner builds up staff, slashes long ER waiting room delays by
Alexis Bechman
Emergency room waiting times have been cut in half in the past two weeks, according to Mike Herring, chief nursing officer for Banner Payson Medical Center. Herring said the hiring of additional emergency room nurses and staff familiarity with the new computer interface has cut the average time spent from arrival at the emergency room to discharge or admission to the hospital to an average of about 180 minutes. That’s still above his 150-minute goal, but only half as long as the waits in the first week after Banner took over Payson Regional Medical Center. When fully staffed, the wait times have dropped to 118 min-
Provided photo
Robin Ippolito’s Labrador-pit bull mix dog, Pollyanna, is one of the six tracking dogs trained to help the Tonto Rim Search and Rescue. The dogs helped rescuers locate an Alzheimer’s patient lost overnight. Market at the Sawmill Crossing, which staff took him to every weekend. Susan Starr, TRSAR board member and dog team leader, said the dogs were telling
searchers the man had come down the highway and left the area. “I consider this one of the best outcomes we have ever had with the dogs, especially such good
tracking dogs as Ringo, Chill and Toulouse,” she said. “They went to where the subject was picked up and they stopped and
• See Rescue team’s, page 2A
Community college wants accreditation by
Pete Aleshire
roundup editor
roundup staff reporter
Toulouse, a 6-year-old blue tick coonhound dog stopped, looked at its handler and whined outside 87 Cyclery early Monday morning. He stopped at the same spot two other Tonto Rim Search and Rescue tracking dogs had stopped after following the scent of a missing man through neighborhoods and along the Beeline Highway. With no sign of the Alzheimer’s patient, the search and rescue volunteers found themselves face to face with a frightening mystery. The dogs had done their job; now their handlers had to decipher what the dogs had revealed. The next day, the man turned up sleeping under a tree in Pine — and the message of the dogs became clear. The man had wandered down the highway after walking away from the lock-down unit at Payson Care Center. A passerby picked up the 66-yearold. Perhaps thinking he lived in Pine, the good Samaritan drove him up and dropped him off. The man later told nurses he was trying to get to the Farmers
75 CENTS
Michele Nelson
roundup staff reporter
Despite the Arizona Legislature’s votes to gut community college funding, the Gila Community College board has placed accreditation on the front burner. However, the college must balance the costs against the benefits in meeting that goal. At a special committee meeting on Aug. 13, chairman Jerry McCreary expressed his concern that the provisional community college status granted to Gila Community College and Santa Cruz Community College, could be rescinded by any whim of the Legislature. Committee and board member Jan
Brocker agreed. “This provisional college status is something the state came up with and we need to be realistic whether or not that will continue to exist,” she said. Cost remains at the heart of the accreditation issue. GCC has already sent in a packet of information to the Higher Learning Commission, which grants accreditation to colleges and universities in the Southwest, However, the HLC refused to move forward with the accreditation request claiming the packet was incomplete. HLC said the district lacks adequate staff, including a chief executive officer, chief financial officer and a chief academic officer. The list had more items, but the addition-
al staff requires a substantial amount of resources. Senior Dean Stephen Cullen said the estimated budget to cover all of the requirements would come to about $12 million. He said now, the GCC budget comes to $7 million. In order to reach accreditation, Cullen said he and McCreary estimated the budget needed the increase plus a reserve of $12 million. “(HLC wants) to see you have the capacity to run about five years,” said Cullen. McCreary agreed and said community colleges around the state “faced closing their doors because they might not have the reserves to run year-to-year.”
• See College, page 5A
utes on many days — despite continued high patient volumes, he said. “When I first walked in, the staffing was three nurses during the day, but ideally with an ER this size I want it up to where there are five nurses,” said Herring. He said he understood the frustrations patients and their families feel when they spend hours in the waiting room. “The patient experience is the big push,” he said. “It’s all about communications: One of the biggest frustrations is you don’t know what’s going on — you don’t know what you’re waiting for. So even if you come in on a day when we’re overwhelmed, you should have a nurse letting you
• See Emergency, page 7A
Medical helicopter provider remains by
Alexis Bechman
roundup staff reporter
Although there is a new yellow helicopter parked outside Banner Payson Medical Center, Native Air wants residents to know they are still flying in Rim Country. Native Air relocated to the airport after Banner signed a contract with Petroleum Helicopters Incorporated (PHI), moving it onto the hospital pad Aug. 1 after Banner took over ownership of the hospital, formerly Payson Regional Medical Center. After 13 years on the pad, Native Air 7 moved to a new base at the airport. “We are happy to continue serving the community and local fire departments, hospital, and ambulance. Even though Petroleum Helicopters Incorporated has arrived in Payson, Native 7 remains committed to our community, stand-
ing strong and ready for the call,” wrote Jess Ballentyne, Native Air flight paramedic, on the squad’s Facebook page. Lance Porter, CEO of Banner Payson, said having two helicopter companies in town is actually a good thing for residents. If PHI is out on a call and a patient needs to be flown out, Native Air is standing by and vice versa. Porter believes this could mean faster response times. Residents will see PHI on the hospital pad most of the time because it has contracted with Banner for first right of refusal on hospital transfers, such as when someone needs to go to a Valley hospital. In case of a vehicle accident or other emergency, dispatchers will call the helicopter closest to the scene. Porter said the hospital met with local fire departments and
• See Two medical, page 7A
Payson’s rodeo parade celebrates Rim Country patriotism Fifty festive floats will roll down Main Street Alexis Bechman
meets Kiwanis’ goal to help children. All money raised stays local and goes toward scholarships. Look for lots of red, white, blue, stars, stripes It costs $15 to enter a nonprofit float and $30 for and all manner of patriotic bunting and more as a business. “What is more fun than a parade?” he said. this year’s August Doin’s Rodeo Parade celebrates “This is a great time for Payson American Pride. to celebrate its heritage.” Some 50 floats and entrants The grand marshal of this will roll, drive, walk or trot down Parade Schedule year’s parade will be the commuMain Street as part of the activinity’s Military Color Guard. ties for the 131st World’s Oldest Date: Saturday, Aug. 22 And making sure parade-goContinuous Rodeo. Time: 9 a.m. ers know what is going on and The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. Location: Main Street who is passing them will be four at Green Valley Park and makes Parking: First come first serve DJ booths set up along the street. its way east on Main Street to the Staffing two of those booths will Sawmill Crossing. This is the fourth year Kiwanis has orga- be KRIM Radio, Fred Carpenter at another and nized the parade after the Rim Country Regional KMOG Radio at the final booth. Today’s Roundup includes The Rim Review Chamber of Commerce handed over the reins. Bobby Davis, president-elect of the local dedicated to the rodeo. Look for details about Kiwanis chapter, said helping with the parade events and participants. by
roundup staff reporter
THE WEATHER
Weekend: Mostly sunny with highs in the low 90s, lows in the low 60s; chance for rain through the weekend. Details, 7A
volume 25, no. 65
Roundup file photo
The 131st running of the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo will offer shows Friday at 7 p.m. and then both Saturday afternoon and evening. Payson will also host a parade on Main Street — complete with 50 floats, lots of riders — and more than a few clowns.
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