The Nugget Newspaper's Partners in Health & Wellbeing 2019 // 2019-03-27

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Health & Wellbeing

CONSTRUCTION • REAL ESTATE • ARTS & EDUCATION • INNOVATION

2019

Partners P in Health & Wellbeing

The Dedicated Healthcare Professionals & Wellness Specialists Who Serve Sisters

pg. 6

G

ood health and wellbeing are key components of the Central Oregon lifestyle we all value.

Medical professionals provide outstanding care — but are also committed to providing screening and educational protocols that help us avoid getting sick or hurt in the first place.

Local businesses and public agencies alike offer products, activities, and services that enhance an enjoyable lifestyle — while also promoting health and longterm wellbeing.

Services and products that are usually associated with a much larger community

pg. 12

are available in Sisters, with the added benefit of a genuine hometown touch. In these pages, you will learn more about the remarkable work our friends and neighbors are doing to contribute to the way of life that makes Central Oregon so special.

pg. 9 Your Care is committed to accessibility ..........pg. 2

Enhancing health every day with saunas & hot tubs ...............pg. 5

Dr. Winter Lewis: Dedication to service..................... pg. 8

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief The Nugget Newspaper

Step & Spine: Help patients help themselves ......... pg. 10

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Partners in Health & Wellbeing // The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

Your Care is committed to accessibility

By Jim Cornelius editor in chief

“Our philosophy is providing accessible care at a fair rate,” says Debora Wattenburg, co-owner and operations director at Your Care in Redmond. “We want people to get care when they need it.”

Dr. Eric Wattenburg and the staff at Your Care has offered urgent care, walk-in care and occupational medicine services at the clinic in Redmond since March 2013. Deb and Eric moved to Sisters from northern California, where Eric had practiced in the town of Quincy.

“He practiced in a very rural, remote area, where it was not uncommon for people to show up on our doorstep,” Deb recalled.

After falling in love with the culture and natural surroundings of Central Oregon, they decided to move here. Dr. Wattenburg practiced with several providers in the area before purchasing a clinic and establishing Your Care.

Operating his own clinic “allowed him the freedom to practice medicine the way he thinks it should be practiced,” Deb explained.

That style of practice is personal, and thorough, with complete follow-up. A physical “doesn’t just take two minutes,” Deb said.

“Our bottom line is our patient care,” she said.

In order to provide the level and style of care Dr. Wattenburg believes in, “we have to have a team that owns it,” Deb says Deb Wattenburg is very proud of the 16-member team they’ve built at Your Care in addition to herself and Dr. Wattenburg.

Your Care’s providers are: Eric Wattenburg, MD; Clayton Reinhardt, DO; Jack Bertman, MD; Khuelien Dretke, FNP; and Jim Munro, FNP. “I’m very proud we’re able to say that every year we’re able to grow the benefits we offer to our staff, she said, “making it a place where they can build their career — and provide for themselves.”

Your Care invests in facilitating the staff’s professional growth.

Wattenburg cited the example of lead receptionist Stephanie Roberts, who recently completed course work to become an X-ray technician.

“She graduated at the top of her class,” Wattenburg said. “We’re waiting for her (certification) to come, but she’s very close to taking pictures for us. We’re very, very proud of her. I feel at Your Care, our team — we’re really a community.”

Building a community spirit in the clinic is critical to serving the

broader community. Your Care offers urgent care services for illness and injury, from the flu to a cut that requires stitches. They also offer same-day walk-in care for general medical needs, wellness checks and physicals, screenings and some immunizations.

Occupational medicine is a particular area of emphasis at Your Care.

“We’re working really hard on keeping our work force healthy and safe,” Wattenburg said. “That’s a big emphasis for us.”

The practice provides a range of services that include screening, prevention and care.

Screening can be audiology and vision screening or EKG testing — or drug testOur philosophy is providing ing and employment physiaccessible care at a fair rate. cals. If screening detects an issue of concern, a patient We want people to get can be referred out to the appropriate specialist. care when they need it.

The goal is to keep employees on the job and — Debora Wattenburg feeling healthy, preventing injury and illness when possible and caring for the injured or sick so they can recover responsibility that we take seriquickly and thoroughly and get ously,” Wattenburg said. back into action.

Whatever the business type, Your Care is especially commit- Your Care can create customized ted to this work on behalf of law healthcare packages designed for a enforcement and fire personnel particular business, and direct billwho serve the ing is available. community in Deb Wattenburg emphasizes high-risk and that Your Care is constantly seekh i g h - s t r e s s ing ways to enhance its services. jobs. Your Care “We’re working hard to fill the h a s w o r k e d needs of the community,” she said. with cops and “We’re listening and we’re hiring f i r e f i g h t e r s people to fill those needs.” and smokeIn addition to his practice, jumpers who every Sunday at 4 p.m. Dr. Eric work wildfire. Wattenburg takes calls on Central Lately, they’ve Oregon’s KBND 1110 AM/100/one b e e n d o i n g FM, offering straightforward mediF A A p h y s i - cal advice in terms that are eascals as well. ily understood. Topics range from Keeping those physical and mental symptoms to who serve fit the latest news in healthcare related is important topics: laws, ethics, costs, prescripto Wattenburg tions and other topics. Podcasts and the Your for Your Care, Your Health can Care staff. be found at http://kbnd.com/ “It’s a big podcasts/your-care-your-health. photo provided

What is occupational medicine?

Occupational medicine is a subspecialty of preventive medicine that supports the health, safety and performance of workers. This obviously serves the workers themselves, but it also provides major benefits to businesses and agencies that employ them, improving productivity, minimizing downtime and minimiz retraining caused by injured or ill workers being unable to perform their work.

Occupational medicine is a focus

at Your Care’s clinic in Redmond.

They offer a wide range of occupational medicine services, and if a client has a particular need they are willing to see what they can do to meet it. Services include: DOT physicals; pre-employment physicals; firefighter physicals; DPSST physicals; hazmat physicals; customized physicals; drug screening; breath alcohol testing; TB testing; hepatitis vaccination and management; and annual health screenings.

Your Care also offers workmen’s compensation management; postinjury care & management; audiometry testing; and vision screening, and they provide on-site flu vaccination clinics (at no cost to employer).

Operations Director Debra Wattenburg notes that Your Care is particularly pleased to provide occupational medicine services to the region’s first responders such as law enforcement

and firefighters and they provide physicals for smoke jumpers and now for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees.

Wattenburg notes that high-stress, physically demanding careers like law enforcement and firefighting can expose people to heart attack risk and risk of damage to hearing and vision. Your Care is proud to provide screenings that can catch problems early and keep those who serve healthy and in the field.

The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

// Partners in Health & Wellbeing

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Partners in Health & Wellbeing // The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

St. Charles addresses unseen barriers to health Lenny Probert is known as “quite the character” at the St. Charles Family Care Clinic in Sisters.

During a recent wellness visit, he rolled in for his 2 p.m. appointment with sunglasses on and announced to the registration clerk, “I just woke up.” He has a bold sense of humor, filled with self-deprecating honesty.

He also has stage IV kidney disease and will likely soon need dialysis treatment.

“I’m feeling like I’m getting real old, real quick,” he said. “It’s one thing after another.”

As a patient with multiple health issues and a limited ability to care for himself, Probert works with a team of care providers as part of St. Charles Family Care in Sisters, which is a Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH).

The PCPCH is a collaborative care model that focuses on coordinating patient care among a team. A patient’s healthcare team might include a behavioral health consultant, a community health educator, a nurse care coordinator and a clinical pharmacist who work together with the provider as an integrated support network. This allows issues to be addressed that fall outside of the typical spectrum of clinical care.

“We do a lot of problem-solving,”

photo provided

said Heather Lasecki, a primary care consultant and member of Probert’s care team. “It’s teamwork, working as a tribe and thinking outside the box and outside the clinic.”

Probert’s care team also includes Community Health Educator Chloe Fief and Nurse Care Coordinator Gwen Hanson.

Probert’s care plan extends beyond the traditional doctor visit.

During one of his recent check-ins with Lasecki, Probert mentioned his fear of dialysis and asked if she might go with him to see what dialysis is like. So, Lasecki pulled together the care team and they arranged a field trip to the dialysis center.

“It could be a while before he needs dialysis and we didn’t want to scare him, but we wanted him to know what was ahead,” said Lasecki. “I could have spoken to him about it, but it wouldn’t have been as real. He needed to see it with people he trusts.”

They toured the center and talked frankly about his health and how it will determine what the future looks like.

“It just shocked me,” said Probert. “The sight of the beds and machines and people laying around.

They explained to me what was going on and how I was feeling and how it was normal. It was a good experience.”

Lasecki said she’s confident Probert will follow his treatment regimen, which will “hopefully work to prolong the need for dialysis.”

Probert also has a monthly appointment for the team to organize his medications into daily doses.

“I’ve got so many, I don’t trust myself,” Probert said.

Contact with the team is frequent—in fact, when Probert recently missed an appointment and wasn’t answering his phone, members of his care team went out to look for him and were there at his house when he returned from a walk.

“They’re so good to me,” said Probert. “They’re on my side.

They’re real people. That’s why I like them so much.”

The Oregon Health Authority recently audited the Sisters clinic to assess its PCPCH status and awarded it enough points to earn a Tier 4 (out of 5) recognition. The recognition criteria includes access to care, accountability, whole-person care, continuity, coordination and integration and person- and family-centered care.

“They care. They listen,” said Probert. “I think they’re all pretty special.”

The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

// Partners in Health & Wellbeing

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Enhancing health every day with saunas & hot tubs

By Jim Cornelius editor in chief

Anybody who has sat in a hot tub after a long day at work knows that it’s a great way to relax, relieve stress and soothe the aches and pains of the day. But relaxation and soothing are just the beginning of the health benefits of a spa.

The American Whirlpool spas that Rick and Mel Trammell of Aqua Hot Tubs offer in Sisters are designed and programmed with physician input on jet placement so that they have therapeutic massage benefits as well as being a pleasant way to relax. The spas also provide chromotherapy — using light for its various beneficial properties.

“Blues are soothing, reds are more energy,” Mel said. “They took that into account when they built those.”

People have been using saunas for hundreds of years to enhance their health and wellbeing. Many people are now using sauna sits to relieve chronic pain and fatigue symptoms and to counteract the negative side-effects of medical treatments like chemotherapy for cancer (those with a medical condition should consult a doctor before using a sauna).

Aqua Hot Tubs offers Trinity infrared saunas and traditional rock saunas built in Oregon by Finlandia. The infrared saunas are less expensive and run off of 120volt power.

“It’s 120-volt, which I think makes it a little more appealing to the average person because you just plug it in,” Rick said.

Traditional saunas require 240volt power.

Infrared saunas max out at 145 degrees; traditional saunas can run much hotter and have the added effect of steam.

Rick notes that in Europe, a sauna “is a common appliance in anyone’s home.”

The Trammells don’t just sell the products — they use them. They are installing a traditional rock sauna in their home to complement their hot tub.

“We’re going to experiment with having both at home,” Rick said, looking to determine the optimum regimen and use combination for health and wellbeing.

The health effects of the products are what drew Mel into the business when Rick acquired Aqua Hot Tubs after decades of working in the spa service industry.

“I was a nurse for 29 years and

photo provided

he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, to come and help the family business,” she said.

Mel has brought on board a full line of Young Living Essential Oils to complement the wellness orientation of the business.

“It’s just an alternate modality for pain relief,” she noted. “They’ve got oils that help digestion and, obviously, stress. Using products that are infused with essential oils just reduces your toxic load.”

Being able to directly service the hot tubs they sell is a big plus for the business — and for the customer. Maintenance is the

downside of owning a spa, and it’s easy to get it wrong. A poorly maintained spa is not good for the skin, and lack of maintenance shortens the life of the spa itself.

Regular maintenance is affordable and easy, Rick notes, and provides peace of mind. ”You can lift the lid knowing ‘I’m safe to get in here,’” he said.

With a strong belief that their work is of benefit to the health and wellbeing of their friends and neighbors, Rick and Mel Trammell are happy to provide hot tubs, saunas and essential oils to the residents of Sisters Country.

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www.aquahottub.com | 541-410-1023 | 413 W. Hood Ave., Sisters Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Closed Sunday & Monday

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Partners in Health & Wellbeing // The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

The Lodge in Sisters opens for residents

By Jim Cornelius editor in chief

It’s a project years in the making. It created dozens of construction jobs in one of the largest projects in Sisters history. Now, despite a two-week delay due to a massive snowstorm, the first residents have moved into The Lodge in Sisters.

They are moving into a facility designed to have the amenities of a larger senior community, but with the community feel of having 62 residences, all on one level. The residences range from 425-square-foot studio apartments to 625-squarefoot one-bedroom apartments (the most popular option thus far) and two-bedroom apartments of 909 square feet.

All units have fully accessible bathrooms off each bedroom. The one- and two-bedroom units have spacious walk-in bedroom closets.

Each unit has an interior entrance from the hall and an external door to a small concrete patio.

Scott Nay, the executive director of The Lodge, notes that a guiding principle for The Lodge is that residents have a wide range of choices and options in the level of assistance they receive and how care is delivered. The level of care ranges from fully independent living to assisted living. Memory care is not part of the service; The Lodge staff will assist a family in finding appropriate placement if that need develops. Temporary short-term respite stays are possible if a caregiver at home needs a break or help is needed before returning home after hospitalization.

An interdisciplinary health team works with residents and families to determine what care and service is appropriate. Levels of support can be stepped up over time as needed or desired by the family.

The Lodge is happy to partner with outside entities to provide services.

“If they want in-home care

“It’s like a restaurant,” Nay said.

“Anytime dining.”

The menu, too, is flexible. While there are certain specials available at certain times, regular dining really is “anytime.”

“They can order breakfast at dinner off that anytime menu,” Nay said. “It allows a lot more flexibility.”

Early risers and night owls alike can eat what they want, when they want.

And, Nay notes, “They can have a guest come in and have a meal. I encourage them to do that, because it’s really good for them.”

And, if they prefer, residents can order a meal and enjoy it in their apartment.

The Lodge is intended to be welcoming, and much attention has been paid to aesthetics.

Local glass artist Susie Zeitner has handcrafted 138 lighting fixtures for The Lodge including individual sconces beside each resident’s hall door and four-foot diameter glass chandeliers for the common areas. Wildlife and landscape art adorns the walls t h r o u g hout.

It’s resident-choice. That’s where One area was purpose-built we’re at. We offer resources for them, for rotating but they get to choose what they want. art displays, which the — Scott Nay Sisters Arts Association will help brought in, they can do that,” Nay coordinate. Local schools will said. participate.

Physical therapists from local “I’m sure we will be doing some providers will come in and work art shows here,” Nay said. with patients at The Lodge.

He also indicated that there will “It’s resident-choice,” Nay said. be music on hand.

“That’s where we’re at. We offer Weekly housekeeping and launresources for them, but they get to dry for linen/towels is available — choose what they want.” but again, resident choice and indeChoice extends to dining and pendence are at the forefront. activities, too. The dining facility “Residents have the ability to do seats 96 people. There are no fixed their own laundry,” Nay said. “meal times” here.

Scheduled transportation,

photo by jerry baldock

utilities including internet and basic cable, social events, activities, classes and excursions, and fitness center and group classes are all available. Two activity rooms allow ample space for arts and crafts activities and one boasts a full kitchen that can accommodate cooking classes.

A theater/meeting room offers a large screen and comfortable chairs.

photo by jerry baldock

Hand crafted light fixtures by local glass artist Susie Zeitner.

That room, which can accommodate church services, has a capacity of 132, and will also be available to the community.

“We have a full-service beauty shop/salon,” Nay pointed out.

Sisters stylist Suzie Johnson will operate the salon by appointment.

The grounds feature landscaped

courtyards, walking paths, and outdoor seating areas for strolling and relaxing outdoors — and enjoying an impressive view of the Three Sisters.

Safety and security have been designed into the facility. Nay points out that the building has four fire zones with fire doors blocking off the ones from each other, so that if an incident occurs in one wing, the entire facility does not have to be evacuated at once. Residents can simply be moved to a safe zone.

Nay acknowledged that the external doors on apartments may seem a bit unusual for such a facility, but the access adds to the sense of independent living.

The need for a substantial independent-toassisted-living space has been felt acutely in Sisters for years, as the population ages and wishes to stay here, and as families bring parents to live in Sisters Country. Demand is likely to fill The Lodge quickly.

In that case, there is space on the east side of the five-acre parcel to add a one- or two-story structure that could provide 20 or 40 more residences.

“There’s places to expand once we hit 100 percent capacity,” Nay said. “If we fill up, they’re ready to start building that second place.”

For more information on The Lodge in Sisters visit https:// www.thelodgeinsisters.com or call 541-904-0545.

photo by jerry baldock

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The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

// Partners in Health & Wellbeing

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411 E. Carpenter Ln., Sisters • 541-549-5634 www.TheLodgeInSisters.com

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Partners in Health & Wellbeing // The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

Shibui Spa at FivePine pursues wellness

Dr. Winter Lewis: Dedication to service

“Wellness” means a lot more than just the absence of illness.

True wellness is a state of being that encompasses physical robustness, emotional wellbeing and overall resilience. Achieving and maintaining wellness requires attentiveness not only to avoiding sickness, but also to eating well, sleeping enough, and coping with the inevitable stresses of day-today living.

Shibui Spa has made an ethic and a mission of pursuing wellness, ever since founder Zoe Willitts started providing massage in a garage on the FivePine property at the east end of Sisters.

Shibui immediately became the spiritual center of the FivePine development.

“You disconnect from the world and you reconnect with yourself or your partner,” Zoe reflected. “The concept was a quiet place to find yourself — that was it.”

To facilitate that connectedness, Shibui has made a concerted effort to keep massage and spa services accessible. They offer a Winter Wellness Wednesday discount program, which they recently extended to May. In a special

Dr. Winter Lewis’ practice with In Focus Eye Care is focused on service.

As a primary eyecare provider, Dr. Lewis not only provides routine vision care, he is trained in diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, dry eye, and emergency eyecare. He has participated in several research projects for both dry eye management and glaucoma treatment.

Staying on top of eye health is critical to maintaining quality of life — especially as we age. Dr. Lewis is a strong proponent of annual eye exams.

“As we get older, risks for glaucoma, macular degeneration and other retinal problems are screened for in our annual exam,” he said. “Once past age 50, annual exams are recommended.”

Dr. Lewis also specializes in therapeutic contact lens fitting, and he takes particular satisfaction in helping patients who have suffered eye trauma — scarring and deformities on the cornea that are not candidates for surgical correction.

Dr. Lewis completed a residency in disease-based optometry at the Portland VA Medical Center and

photo provided

community-centric program, they offer an opportunity to help and honor a special person with the “gift of giving back.” Shibui offers treatments to select recipients free of charge based on a narrative of their story. The program has aided cancer patients, people dealing with traumatic stress in their lives, and people who have given so much to others that others wish to give back to them.

The narrative may be sent to info@shibuispa.com with the subject: Gift of Giving Back. Recipients will be chosen on a case-by-case basis.

A centerpiece of the Shibui Spa wellness focus is an annual 10-day cleanse held in the supportive environment of the FivePine campus.

Wellness Wednesdays (Seasonal) 60-min. Swedish Massage and 60-min. Customized Facial

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photo provided

he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and Adjunct Professor at Pacific University College of Optometry and New England College of Optometry. He serves as a part-time staff member at the Bend Veterans Hospital.

He enjoys teaching and passing along his wide-ranging experience, citing “the enjoyment of passing it forward, if you will. That’s sort of the next phase of a career.”

Dr. Lewis has lived in Sisters for the past 17 years, raising two children in Sisters schools.

The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

// Partners in Health & Wellbeing

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Sisters Park & Recreation District enhances wellbeing

By Jim Cornelius editor in chief

Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) has become a community resource for improved health, wellbeing and quality of life.

The District has worked to develop a slate of wellness-related classes and events to avail themselves of what programs director Chad Rush calls “the opportunity to be accessible to various age groups at, hopefully, a low cost.”

A roster of ongoing classes provide an opportunity for adult fitness training in a social, group setting.

“Drop-ins are welcome,” Rush notes.

Restorative Yoga classes move at a slower, more relaxed pace than Hatha or Flow yoga classes and are done mostly lying on the mat. The emphasis is on stretching and bringing oxygen to the muscles. There are other stretch and flex classes available to promote flexibility.

Step Aerobics offers a lowimpact cardio option, while Zumba provides a total body workout set to Latin and international music.

Classes are scaled so that each participant works out at his or her fitness and intensity level. For those looking for a different kind of group

photo by jerry baldock

Classes ranging from tai chi to yoga to Zumba and kickboxing offer Sisters residents a wide range of fitness options cardio workout, there is Cardio Fit Kickboxing.

Such classes are part of SPRD’s effort to serve the adult community in Sisters. Rush acknowledged that the demographics skew older in SPRD classes, and the District is working on ways to provide accessibility to the 25- to 50-year-old demographic, many of whom work during the day.

“We’re looking at times that we can do that,” he said.

SPRD’s programing is a mix of ongoing and special-session classes,

along with special events.

Rush noted that,” we’re offering a nutrition class this spring for busy families. And, being it’s for busy families, it’s only going to be two sessions.”

The sessions will focus on healthy meal planning, identifying convenient alternatives to processed foods and fast-food restaurants.

This June, SPRD is introducing the Senior Fitness Games, for participants 62 years of age and older.

The event will include a four-man

AVAILABLE NOW!

relay race; a walk-run race; wheelchair rounds; pickleball and tennis; horseshoes and more.

The additional event is part of SPRD’s plan to add events and classes each year to “increase activities and programs for our residents,” Rush said.

A 2019 spring program guide is available at the SPRD Coffield Center, 1750 W. McKinney Butte Rd. and at other locations around Sisters, and more information may be found at www.sistersrecreation. com.

GET MOVING!

Activities Forr A Adults du MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of SPRD is to pro provide Sisters Country wit wi with t exceptional, highly v valued, communityfocu fo focused cu park, recreation, and an d cultural-enrichment experiences.

Pickleball Tai Chi

VISION STATEMENT

W envision a fullWe service park and rec re recreation c district with facilities fac and programs tto meet the needs off constituents of all ages. A high level of a community com co m participation leads lea le a to demonstrably better health and a stronger sense of w well-being. Park and re recreation activities are served by an nimble, experienced o organization, able to adjust quickly to the needs of the community and external e influences.

1750 W W. Mckinney Butte Rd Rd. • 541 541-549-2091 5 Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday | www.SistersRecreation.com

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Partners in Health & Wellbeing // The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

Step & Spine: Help patients help themselves and Bend, employing 20 FTE .

Ford started his physical ther“I’ve always loved to treat apy career in Eugene. patients,” says Barrett Ford, owner “I was in a clinic where all we and operator of Step & Spine did was neck and back,” he said.

Physical Therapy.

In that early work, he imbibed A passion for physical therapy the ethic that has carried him ever is a pillar of the practice at Step & since: “Help your patients know Spine. While a high level of profi- how to help themselves. I love that ciency is obviously important, Ford philosophy.” notes that every physical therapist To do that, Ford takes time can always learn more and get bet- to educate a patient on the body ter at the technical aspects of their mechanics at play in their condiwork. tion, providing visual aids includ“This world is a never-ending ing hand-drawn sketches of, for source of learning,” he said. example, the impact that sitting at It’s passion and a connection a computer banging out news copy with patients that sparks all of it has on the hips and the discs of the — and that’s something that can’t spine. really be taught. Ford seeks out It’s all about “teaching the therapists who have that innate patients mechanically how the quality and strives to bring it out in body works. ‘Why do I feel better them. when I’m walking rather than sitting?’ You teach them how to unload the spine and get them It’s all about “teaching the heading in the right patients mechanically how the direction.”

If a patient can body works. ‘Why do I feel better learn to self-correct, “all of a sudden, the when I’m walking rather than treatment gets a lot sitting?’ You teach them how to better… I think the perfect patient is unload the spine and get them someone who is concerned about their own heading in the right direction.” health and is in a posi— Barrett Ford tion where they need help and they are willing to learn.”

“I … want people who underThat may sound like a therapist stand physical therapy and have working herself out of a job, but a passion for it. I want you to love that’s not the way it works, Ford and care and connect with patients says. Successful patients who feel better than anyone else,” he says. better return when they have other “Because you have the power to do issues — and they tell their friends that.” and family.

The drive to love and care for Ford is acutely aware of the patients — and to help them learn “economic denominator.” A practo help themselves — led Ford tice has to be a successful business to establish his own practice in in order to keep being a successful Sisters, and drove him to expand practice. it from a mere closet space to four The physical therapist launched thriving clinics in Sisters, Redmond his own practice in 2010 in a

By Jim Cornelius editor in chief

photo provided

Step & Spine staff enjoy participating in community events.

photo provided

Step & Spine teaches movement that allows patients to help themselves.

200-square-foot storage space with two treatment tables and a space heater in the back of Cascade Fitness in Sisters. Outside his door, martial artists trained in kenpo, gym goers rode stationary bikes in spin classes and youngsters took dance classes. Ford laughs and shakes his head in wonder that anyone ever came back for a second appointment. But they did.

“I had nothing to lose,” he recalled. “That’s what was available and that’s what I did. That was my home town.”

Ford studied business as assiduously as he’d studied physical therapy, and after two years, he moved the practice into its current site in Outlaw Station in Sisters and expanded into Redmond, Bend and now a satellite location at 7555 Falcon Crest Dr. in Eagle Crest resort.

Step & Spine now has 11 physical therapists in Redmond; two in Sisters; and five in Bend. Katie Ferraro, PT, Cert MDT, is the physical therapist at Step & Spine’s new location in Eagle Crest.

Growth was always part of the plan.

“I always wanted to make a difference,” Ford says. “The more people you can love on, treat, help, the better it feels, I guess.”

And, he noted, “I do like to grow; I do like to expand. Business kind of intrigues me. But honestly, it

really is out of patient experience.”

Ford says that to be successful as a business, a practice has to operate at 85 percent efficiency or above. And the only way to do that in a physical therapy practice is for therapists — and the support staff, too — to connect with patients.

That’s what brings them back and what leads them to refer others and keeps therapists busy and a practice thriving.

Outstanding patient experiences are beneficial for the therapist, too.

Ford’s own ongoing passion for the work is apparent in his enthusiasm for what the practice brings to him and the staff — from front desk to the treatment rooms.

“You’re on the conservative side of medicine,” he notes.

A successful physical therapy regimen can help a patient avoid difficult and potentially fraught interventions like surgery — or help them recover from surgery if it is necessary. Relief of pain and the ability to help a patient manage a difficult injury or condition can be a powerful and life-enhancing experience for the therapist.

It becomes a way of life.

The way Ford sees it, “When we share and start to care about other people, all of a sudden our lives get easier, I believe.”

And that’s the passion he and his people enact each day at Step & Spine Physical Therapy.

The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

// Partners in Health & Wellbeing

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Partners in Health & Wellbeing // The Nugget Newspaper // March 27, 2019

High Lakes Health Care: International reach, local service

By Jim Cornelius editor in chief

From their small clinic in Sisters, Drs. Kevin and Eden Miller have reached out internationally to share their expertise in cutting-edge work in chronic disease management and prevention.

With the addition of David Kirkpatrick, PA, who joined High Lakes Health Care in Sisters in 2018, they are able to do this work and care for the local community in a timely and effective manner.

Kirkpatrick has nine years of experience in both the hospital and office setting. This background allows him to bring deeply knowledgeable and compassionate care to the Sisters community. As Sisters does not have an Urgent Care, the addition of David Kirkpatrick has allowed Sisters HLHC to offer same-day appointments — an element that is harder and harder to come by in the current health care climate.

HLHC can help patients who come in with the flu and other everyday, transitory ailments — and they can provide help with longterm, chronic, hard-to-handle conditions. In all cases, it’s about maximizing health and quality of life.

Dr. Eden Miller has turned her own experience with Type 1

diabetes into a mission to educate and innovate in diabetes care. She has given more than 900 lectures on chronic disease care and management, including a recent trip to Germany and a position on a panel at the inaugural Wall Street Journal health technology conference. She frequently sits on advisory boards for companies leading innovation in diabetes.

Dr. Kevin Miller has served on local, state, and national advisory boards. He emphasizes the need for prevention for our nation, our community, and for each patient.

He is also fellowship-trained in Osteopathic Manipulation.

With their credentials and experience, the doctors have been offered positions at universities — but they have chosen to live and practice in Sisters because they care deeply about serving the community where they are raising a family.

Awareness and prevention have never been more acutely important to healthcare outcomes. Recent news both locally and nationally has demonstrated that heart attack and stroke can strike suddenly and fatally — even those who are young and seemingly in prime condition. Heart attack and stroke are America’s number-one killers.

“You’ve got to know your risk,”

says Dr. Eden Miller. “You’ve got to check it out — ’cause you may not get a second chance.”

With an emphasis on early screening and prevention, High Lakes Health Care can help patients identify potential problems with blood pressure, diabetes and arterioscleroisis — the buildup of plaque and fat in and on artery walls. Testing can alert a patient and doctor years in advance to the vulnerability to disease and enable intervention with preventative measures that can save thousands of dollars — and, more importantly, the quality of a person’s life.

“This is the early, early kind of smoke,” Dr. Eden Miller says. “It’s not good to wait till it’s obvious you have the disease.”

Dr. Kevin Miller notes that stress and lack of sleep and poor diet and habits can take a major toll.

“The body likes normal,” he says.

“We run it out of normal for a long time, and systems start to fail.”

High Lakes Health Care helps patients plan and manage their conditions and their vulnerabilities. Dr. Kevin Miller emphasizes that management programs for chronic conditions have to be individualized so that they work for each person and fit their way of life.

He points with pride to a metric

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that indicates that their work is effective: While the national average for patients with hypertension that is considered under control is 52 percent, 80 percent of the Millers’ HLHC patients have their hypertension under control.

Through offering patients sameday appointments, education on an international stage, and through individualized, cutting-edge screening and management protocols, High Lakes Health Care in Sisters is focused on a mission that Dr. Eden Miller articulates this way: “We are dealing with chronic disease management and prevention to create a healthier community today and tomorrow.”

O

ur board-certified family medicine providers provide primary care to patients of all ages in Sisters. We are focused on treating each patient as a whole person while providing patient-centered, comprehensive primary care. We take the time to listen and get to know you, your medical history, and your health goals moving forward. As Primary Care Physicians, we develop a personalized treatment plan specifically tailored to your needs and goals. We enjoy practicing medicine and caring for our patients. Because our focus is on treating people, we take your health concerns seriously.

Walk-In & Same-Day Appointments 541-549-9609 | 354 Adams Ave., Sisters Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Closed for lunch from Noon to 1 p.m. daily Lab Hours by Appt., Monday 8 a.m. to Noon

Kevin Miller, DO, Family Medicine

David Kirkpatrick, PA-C

Eden Miller, DO, Subspecialty in Diabetes

highlakeshealthcare.com/locations/sisters