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Public input sought about drug costs BEN BOTKIN Oregon Capital Chronicle Sentinel Guest Article
Program increases physical activity among kids with disabilities MOLLY ROSBACH Sentinel Guest Article By engaging regularly with their family dog and teaching it a series of tricks and commands, children with developmental disabilities experienced a significant increase in their daily physical activity, a new study from Oregon State University (OSU) researchers have found. Children in the experimental group increased their moderate to vigorous physical activity by 17 minutes per day, while simultaneously reducing their sedentary time by nearly an hour per day. “We often talk about physical activity as just fitness or exercise, but really, it’s about moving and being active on a daily basis,” said study coauthor Megan MacDonald, head of OSU’s School of Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences in the College of Health. “It’s getting out with your dog, playing, having fun.” THE STUDY’S SIGNIFICANCE Previous research has found that more than 80% of American children are not getting the recommended amount of physical activity — at
least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous activity, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — and that overall physical activity declines progressively with age. Studies have also shown that children with developmental disabilities are significantly less physically active than their peers without disabilities. “In my opinion, the biggest barrier is just access: access to physical activity from your home, from your community and often from your school. Those are the places we know kids are getting physical activity,” MacDonald said. “But if we want to engage in a sport or activity that’s not inclusive, or that has concerns about adding someone with a disability, that’s an issue. If we have schools that aren’t engaging in inclusive or adaptive physical education — which they are legally required to do — that’s an issue.” For the current study, published today, MacDonald teamed up with Monique Udell from OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences. As director of the HumanAnimal Interaction Laboratory, Udell’s research includes animal training, human-animal
Courtesy photo from OSU The study revolved around the “Do As I Do” training intervention, in which participants are essentially playing a game of “Simon Says” with their dogs. bonding and mutually beneficial interactions. The team started in 2017 with 45 child-dog pairs, where each child was identified by parents as having some form of developmental disability. The canine participants included a wide range of breeds, ages and previous training experience. DO AS I DO The study revolved around the “Do As I Do” training intervention, in which participants are essentially playing a game of “Simon Says” with their dogs. Pairs in the experimental group received 10 hour-long one-on-one sessions with
a dog trainer where they learned about dog body language and behavior, and taught their dogs multiple commands, including the “Do it” command that tells the dog to mimic the behavior their owner has just demonstrated. “Not all kids got to the final protocol, but what was kind of amazing was that everyone progressed,” MacDonald said. “At the end we had a little showcase, and everyone was able to show something new they could do with their dog.” Participants assigned to the “active control” group engaged in a dogSee DOGS on Page 6
Police department gets a ‘refresh’ CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
TODAY’S EDITION
Last year, the Cottage Grove Police Department (CGPD) staff was ready to make a fresh start. The CGPD staff teamed up with the city’s public works staff to created a “refreshed” workspace. Occupying the east side of Cottage Grove City Hall, there are eight rooms connected by a long narrow hallway
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with offices that serve patrol officers, detectives, records and administration purposes. THE PROJECT
Last year, under Interim Police Chief Jeff Groth, the area received a thorough cleaning, walls were given a fresh coat of paint and new carpet was installed. This year, on Chief Cory Chase’s watch, construction sounds
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reverberated off the walls as two large rooms were repurposed. “It’s really a lowbudget refresh not a major renovation project,” Chase said. “We were able to work with public works staff to get the work done in-house, as time permitted. As the project neared its end, the ice storm clean-up put the finishing touches on pause.” The biggest change
Cottage Grove residents and others across the state have the chance to voice their concerns about the rising price of prescription drugs. The Oregon Prescription Drug Affordability Board has launched community forums across the state to seek the public’s input about soaring costs of prescription drugs. The first forum was held in Portland on Tuesday, April 2. The board will use public comments on the costs of specific prescription drugs as a guide when working on the state’s first plan for establishing price limits on prescription drug costs in Oregon. Prescription costs can make it challenging for Oregonians to access the health care they need. A 2021 survey of more than 900 Oregonians found that one in four adults opted to either not fill a prescription, cut pills in half or skip a dose because they couldn’t afford the medication. “The insurance companies are the problem,” McCoy’s Pharmacist David Debysingh, R.Ph said. “America is the only country with PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) and we pay the highest prices in the world for drugs. Until we eliminate or regulate the PBMs nothing will change.” Oregon lawmakers created the prescription drug affordability board through Senate Bill 844, which passed in 2021 and charged the board with making recommendations to lawmakers. In 2023, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 192, which directed the board to develop a plan with public input on establishing price limits.
Forum Schedules
• Woodburn forum in Spanish: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, April 15, Woodburn Public Library Multipurpose Room, 280 Garfield St., Woodburn. • Medford forum: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 25, Rogue Community College Higher Education Center, 101 S. Bartlett St., Medford. • Bend forum: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, Deschutes County Library, 62080 Dean Swift Road, Bend. There will also be two online-only forums from noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14. For more information, email pdab@dcbs. oregon.gov, or call 971374-3724. “This will allow us to bring back a plan and pathway that will create public value for Oregonians and help address drug affordability in our state in the most meaningful and inclusive way possible,” Ralph Magrish, the board’s executive director, said in a statement. Under the law, the board is required to submit the plan to legislators by Sept. 15 and include information such as the methodology for limiting costs, enforcement and and impact on the state, health insurers, hospitals, pharmacies and consumers. Sentinel reporter Cindy Weeldryer contributed to this story. Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@ oregoncapitalchronicle. com.
relieved the South Lane 911 Center dispatcher from being distracted by also serving as the front lobby receptionist. The project moved the dispatchers into a more private dedicated area that accommodates two consoles. Multiple computer screens fill the new space to conduct police business and monitor cameras Cindy Weeldreyer / The Sentinel trained on various city Cottage Grove Police Chief Cory Chase, righ, and Administrative Assistant Brooke Crow stand along See FRESH on Page 6 the department’s photo wall.
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