Candidates Forum
SEEN AT THE OKANOGAN
Oroville Chamber Hosts Candidates Forum Oct. 15 at Vicki’s Backdoor Club
FAMILY FAIR See A3
SERVING WASHINGTON’S
OKANOGAN VALLEY
SINCE 1905
GAZETTE-TRIBUNE WWW.GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015 | 75 CENTS NEWSSTAND PRICE
IT on the doorstep at North Valley Hospital District
RUNG THE BELL
ics to get the specifics. It is taking a lot of man hours.” Fries said it costs the hospital a lot TONASKET - Payge Fries, Health of money to re-bill after a claim has Information Manager, reported on been denied, and it’s unknown upfront implementation of the new ICD-10 at if something will be reimbursed when the Oct. 8 North Valley Hospital Board it’s re-billed. She said additional employees are of Commissioners meeting. The ICD-10 is the tenth revision of the needed who have experience and trainInternational Statistical Classification of ing in billing and coding. “It’s not something that’s easily taught,” Diseases and Related Health Problems. ICD codes have been required for reim- said Fries, adding, “It’s pretty difficult bursement of Medicare and Medicaid right now, but we will get through it.” “Payge Fries has championed this claims since 1979. The ICD-9 had 13,000 project to prepare codes but the ICDour organization for 10 has around 68,000; this time of change providing greater “Doctors have been reimbursement,” said specificity in reportCEO Mike ing diagnoses. trained to take care of NVH Zwicker, adding that “The ninth revision patients first, and they the hospital might has been out since the effects of the 1970s, so there will have to transition to see decreased Days Cash are lots of changes taking care of the elec- on Hand over the and lots more codes,” few weeks due said Fries. “The govtronic records. We have next to the conversion. ernment mandated Chief Information to change from being it be put in place Officer Kelly Carriker by October, so we clinical to being techno- and Lori Sawyer, started a group back logical, because that is a former NVH RN in March to get it in works in Health place.” what we are being man- who Information now, According to the presented inforMedicaide.gov webdated to do.” mation on Quality site, one of the bigLori Sawyer , Former NVH RN Reports required by gest concerns in tranHealth Information Specialist Medicade. sitioning from the Sawyer said reports ICD-9 to the ICD-10 is there is no simple mapping or transla- are run weekly with statistics on meeting tion from one to the next; codes from the core objectives based on computer usage. “For example, we have to send a previous ICD don’t usually have one-toone correspondence, but often require certain percentage of prescriptions by one-to-many, many-to-one, many-to- computer or fax to pharmacies,” said Sawyer. Another example she gave was many or no correspondence at all. Fries said one diagnosis in ICD 9 now the requirement of more than 5 perhas two and a half pages of diagnosis in cent of patients to access their medical records by computer from their home or the ICD-10. “We have been working with coders to the hospital. “This one is hard with our demomake sure they are prepared, to prevent graphics; a lot of people don’t have comdenials of billings,” said Fries. Electronic tables and crosswalks have puters or internet, but we are reaching been published to help clinicians and the required percentage,” said Sawyer. The project, started five years ago, is physicians chose the correct codes, including general equivalence tables by currently in Stage 2. Carriker said once the National Center for Health Statistics. it reaches Stage 3, instead of 5 percent “But if they are not specific enough, it of patients accessing records online, 30 will go unspecified, which Medicare will percent would be required. deny,” said Fries. “We are going through each unspecified billing and calling clinBY KATIE TEACHOUT
KATHERINE@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
Gary DeVon/staff photos
Above, the Oroville Hornets celebrate last Friday night with the Victory Bell game trophy after several years of defeat at the hands of North County Rivals the Tonasket Tigers. The football game was not only the “bell” game, a rivalry which started several decades ago, but was also the Homecoming Game, as well as Senior Night. Left, Hornet Head Coach Tam Hutchinson was showered with Gatorade by his elated team following the Hornet’s victory.
SEE HEALTH INFO| PG A2
Oroville concerned County Health may close City passes recent federally required audit without any problem BY GARY A. DE VON EDITOR@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
OROVILLE – The Oroville City Council was informed that Okanogan County Health may no longer do water sample testing and may even close. “We do a lot of testing in Wenatchee, things they can’t do, but there is talk that the whole department may close. That would be inconvenient,” said Rod Noel, Oroville’s superintendent of public works, at the council’s Tuesday, Oct. 6 meeting. “Not only that it would be inconvenient for the general public,” said Councilman Tony Koepke. Koepke was referring to the fact that Oroville often acts as a drop off for people, especially those living outside the city limits. County Health regularly stops by city hall to pick up both the city’s samples and those dropped off by others. “There can be ten to 12 other samples
waiting here,” said Karen Monroe, depu- service.” ty city clerk. The fees to those using the service are Mayor Chuck Spieth said he thought going up by $4.00. there should be a response to the fact the “It seems like a lot to me and it seems county wasn’t going to do water sampling they will be making a lot more money any more. than we are getting,” said Councilman “I think we should respond, either Ed Naillon. individually or as a city,” said Spieth. Noel said he figured it would balance They also asked out if the city raises the Councilwoman Neysa park fee and the oneRoley, the city’s repretime yearly fee charged “I think we should sentative to the Public by Camis is dropped. Health Board, to relay Clyde Andrews, respond, either indithe city’s concerns to Oroville Chamber of vidually or as a city” Commerce President the county commisChuck Spieth, Mayor sioners and manager of the City of Oroville There was more Camaray Motel sugdiscussion about gested the city conthe increase in fees sult him about future being charged to the city next year for changes. online reservation services for Oroville’s “The service I’m talking about was one Osoyoos Lake Veterans Memorial Park. I’ve used and they seemed very reason“Basically the contract from Camis able and reasonably priced,” he said. is the same other than the fee increase. The city also passed a recent audit with However, the one time yearly charge flying colors. The audit was brought on will go away,” said Noel. “We have been by the Central and Cherry Street projects working with them continuously as well and the airport improvement project. as looking for an alternative. We pretty When a city uses more than $300,000 in much have to go with them again for federal funds the audit is automatically another year while we look for another triggered.
OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 111 No. 42
Gary DeVon/staff photo
Rod Noel accepts a certificate of appreciation for 30 years of service to the City of Oroville from Mayor Chuck Spieth. Noel serves as the Superintendent of Public Works, as well as the fire chief. Two of the candidates for Oroville City Council, David “Mac” McElheran and Richard Fuchs introduced themselves. McElheran works for the U.S. Border Patrol and moved here eight years ago. He is running for the position being
INSIDE THIS EDITION
CONTACT US Newsroom: (509) 476-3602 ext. 5050 gdevon@gazette-tribune.com Advertising: (509) 476-3602 ext. 3050 chelm@gazette-tribune.com
vacated by Councilman Naillon. Fuchs works for Hughes Department Store and moved to Oroville 15 years ago. Both will be at a candidates forum planned for Thursday, Oct. 15 at Vicki’s Backdoor Club.
News A2-3 Cops/Courts/911 A4 Letters/Opinion A5
Community Sports, Schools
A6-A7 B1-B2 B3
Classifieds Real Estate Obits
B4-B5 B5 B6