MESSAGE FROM
EPHC BOARD CHAIR

This summer marks the 30th anniversary of our district hospital and it is also the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Western Pacific Railroad Hospital in Portola. The citizens of Portola and the surrounding area as well as countless railroad employees over the years have benefited from the presence of a local hospital.

As a long-time resident of Portola and the great-grandson of the WPRR Hospital’s first physician and surgeon, I have a special bond with our local district hospital and its predecessor. Many Portola “old-timers” have personal memories of the special place our hospital has been over the years in serving our community. The names of some of the doctors from the past come to mind: Hensel, Sproat, Edwards, McKnight, Coulter, Narkevitz, Blieburg, Peters, Brown, Bross, Hesselschwerdt, Wilt, Cohen—all preceding the outstanding current medical staff.

It is easy to identify doctors and administrators, but no hospital or health care district can offer quality service without the outstanding contributions of the total staff. The nurses, lab and imaging technicians, food service, maintenance and office staffs, department managers, ambulance crews, housekeeping, hospice and our loyal auxiliary members—these unsung heroes who really make our district one of which we can all be proud. For too long, they have labored in relative obscurity. I hope we all will take the time to mention how much we appreciate their efforts. As a member of your EPHC District board, I am very proud to be associated with all these dedicated individuals.

As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of our own District Hospital, we offer to you one of the best small, rural hospitals in the state and we invite you to keep us in mind when you are in need of health care services.

Ray Donnenwirth

HOSPITAL CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY

This month marks the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Eastern Plumas Community Hospital. The hospital, completed in 1971, is a testament to what a community can do when it works together to reach a goal.

Western Pacific Railroad opened the first hospital in Portola to serve the railroad employees from Salt Lake City to San Francisco in 1911. It also served members of the Portola community who were not railroad employees or their family members. When Western Pacific decided to close the hospital due to increasing operating costs, the local community pulled together to keep the hospital open.
A non-profit organization, The Save the Hospital League, was formed to operate the hospital and negotiated a lease for the building and operations. They formed the Eastern Plumas Community Hospital, Inc. to run the hospital. Voters approved the formation of a hospital district, which allowed the board to pursue public funds to build a new hospital facility.

Many people were involved in setting up the new corporation, raising funds for the new hospital with bake sales and dances and securing personal pledges of support, and sponsoring ballot measures to start a district. The Auxiliary, which had been serving patients since 1957, also worked to raise money, to landscape the new hospital and continue to serve patients.

In the years since, it has been the support of the community, the work of the Auxiliary, and the dedication of our staff that has kept the doors of this hospital open. It has become increasingly difficult for rural hospitals throughout the country to stay viable and maintain quality care. We know that this hospital plays an important role in the delivery of health care to residents and tourists in eastern Plumas County.

We appreciate the understanding and support we enjoy in this community. As partners, we must continue to work together to insure that we always have quality health care available in eastern Plumas County.

BOARD SETS MISSION FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS

The Board of Trustees has spent several years examining the role of Eastern Plumas Health Care as an organization and as a part of the community we serve.
As EPHC acknowledges the 30th Anniversary of the hospital, we are also looking to the next 30 years with a renewed vision and sense of where we have come from and where we are headed.

The mission of the organization is this: to provide quality medical services to those who reside in or visit our region and in concert with our community. We work to restore and promote the health and well being of the community as a whole.

The Board of Trustees, the medical staff and department managers have also set forth new “organizational values” that are intended to establish clear standards for how the organization behaves in pursuit of its mission in the community. Those values include putting our patients first, building strong relationships, maintaining integrity and excellence, being fiscally responsible and behaving ethically, and promoting a healthy community as an essential ingredient in personal happiness and fulfillment.

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A DAY OF FISHING THAT LASTS A LIFETIME
By Kathleen Perazzo

It was like old times, out in a boat fishing with my Dad. When I was a kid my father was a member of the San Pablo Avenue Sportsmen’s Club. He had a boat and we fished in the bay all the time. When the bass were running we were there with our poles, ready to catch the big one!

My Dad now lives in the Skilled Nursing Facility at Eastern Plumas Health Care. The staff there does a nice job of taking care of him and doing little special things that mean so much to him and our family. Like taking him fishing.

Lorraine, the SNF director, Rhonda, a CNA, a couple of residents and their families, and my Dad, Mom and I spent a day at Lake Davis fishing. We had a great time and I caught a fish! It is so great to have the opportunity do special things with my Dad. This time we spend together means so much to me.

At the end of the day, the residents and families were all asking when we could do this again. It was such a good day.