50 YEARS AGO

from the Democrat-Herald

May 29, 1971

The Baker Bulldogs qualified 12 individuals in 12 events yesterday in the first round of the District 7-AAA track meet in Bend. Finals will be run today. As expected, teams from Baker, Bend and Ontario dominated the qualifying rounds, achieving top performances in all events but the shot put.

25 YEARS AGO

from the Baker City Herald

May 29, 1996

Tourists apparently are spending as much money as in previous years in Baker County, but there may not be as many of them, the Baker City Council learned Tuesday night.

The result is that, for the second straight year, the city will collect less in motel room taxes than it expected. The estimate for fiscal 1995-96, which ends June 30, was $267,750.

10 YEARS AGO

from the Baker City Herald

May 30, 2011

Local governments and labor unions representing Ash Grove Cement workers have joined the company’s effort to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s new mercury emissions rules by filing a legal brief.

Baker City and Baker County joined with the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, the International Union of Operating Engineers-Local 701, International Brotherhood of Teamsters-670, and Laborers International Union of North America-Local 121 to form the Durkee Coalition.

ONE YEAR AGO

from the Baker City Herald

May 30, 2020

The era of doctors making house calls is as outdated as black-and-white TV, but these days you can talk with a physician almost as easily as you can grab a burger and fries.

And you can do both things from the driver’s seat.

Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Baker City has increased its use of “tele-health” during the coronavirus pandemic, said Claudia Weathermon Tester, who works in marketing and communications for the Saint Alphonsus Health System.

That’s an internet-based system that allows patients, without leaving home, to meet with their providers via a computer, tablet or smartphone.

But hospital officials understand that not everyone has the technology needed to use the tele-health option, Weathermon Tester said.

So the Baker City hospital, which several weeks ago started a drive-thru system allowing people to be checked for potential COVID-19 symptoms, has expanded the service to include tele-health visits.

Residents can call Saint Alphonsus to schedule an appointment, then drive to the hospital where a nurse with an iPad will set up a tele-health discussion with the patient’s provider.

The service, which started about 3 weeks ago, has been well-received, said Kelly Nork, practice manager and head nurse at the hospital.

The drive-thru tele-health visits, in addition to benefiting patients who lack an internet connection at home, helps the hospital and medical clinics limit the number of patients in their buildings, making it easier to comply with social distancing guidelines, she said.

“There are patients with pre-existing conditions who due to the pandemic don’t want to have to come into a clinic,” Nork said.

The curbside option has also attracted some parents who don’t have child care options, she said. They can bring their kids in the vehicle for a tele-health visit.

Patients can schedule wellness checkups, hospital follow-ups and other types of appointments, Nork said.