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Wednesday August 13, 2025 | Volume 150, Issue 33

West Valley laboratory upgrade streamlines medical analysis

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Dallas FFA advisor wins ag teacher of the year

Fair Field of Fun

By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

West Valley Hospital unveiled its newly renovated and updated laboratory Aug. 5. Jaime Rouse, Salem Health Director of Lab Services, said the update featured $700,000 in upgrades to the facility and about another $700,000 in equipment upgrades. “The renovation started because we had to have a replacement of our chemistry analyzers,” Rouse said. “To fit them in a space what was needed to best serve West Valley Hospital and Polk County community, we need this space to fit and the infrastructure to support it.” She added because there hadn’t been any work or remodel done to the space in over 20 years, they also upgraded the cabinetry, the table tops and flooring. One of the key features to the remodel, Rouse said, was building redundancy into their equipment. “If we have one instrument that goes down, we still want to be able to run laboratory tests to support our emergency room patients that come in or our patients in our in-patient unit,” Rouse said. “So we don’t have to stop or send those tests somewhere else.” Rouse said just about all of the lab equipment has been replaced in the last three years. Most recently was a chemistry upgrade. The complete list of equipment upgrades includes: • Sysmex XN – Hematology testing • Stago (two of them) – Coagulation testing • Genexpert – Molecular testing • Sysmex UN – Urinalysis • RapidPoint – Blood gas analysis • Alifax – Sedimentation rate testing • BacT – Blood culture incubation • Pro and Pure – Chemistry testing • BioFire – Blood culture ID • Refrigerators • Microscope • R/O Water System Kate Hainsworth, West Valley Hospital lab manager, explained that specimens are drawn in the emergency room or draw stations, and brought to the lab for analysis. The West Valley lab supports eight other clinics within the Salem Health Medical Group. Technical lab assistants process the samples. West Valley has about 40 staff members total at the lab, with half a dozen manning the lab at any given time. Hainsworth was especially impressed with the lab’s new microbiology analyzers. Traditionally, they took a sample, plated the results and sent them over to Salem regional labs for reading. Now, West Valley Hospital can perform molecular testing for microbiology. With it’s up upgrades of just under $200,000, she said this analyzer is a miracle.

By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

The inflatable water slide is always a popular attraction at the Field of Fun on hot days at the fair. For more photos from the event and other sights from the fair, see page A8.

Former Ukrainian pilot seeks return to the skies By LANCE MASTERSON For The I-O

For Leonid Puliaiev, a Ukrainian refugee and former pilot, flying is as essential as the air that he breathes. “Flying means life to me,” he said. This from a man who once flew massive transport aircraft like the Iluyshin IL-76. He logged decades in the pilot seat of numerous Russian-built planes. War and displacement grounded him three years ago. “When the war started, my hometown of Kharkov was among the first to be bombed,” he said via a translation app on his cell phone. “Russian bombs destroyed my home, my flying club, my aircraft. My family and I flew to Poland. Later, we were accepted into the United States as refugees.” The family lives in Salem, but Puliaiev spends much of his time at the Independence State Airport where he works on his Fisher FP-404 ultralight. He sees the Fisher as his ticket to the skies.

See UPGRADE, page A2

IN THIS ISSUE Voices Corrections Obituaries Puzzle Solutions Social Public Records Classifieds Puzzles

A4 A4 A4 B2 B2 B6 B4 A6

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Leonid Puliaiev, pictured here while still a pilot in his native Ukraine, has not been able to fly solo since moving to the United States three years ago. “This is the only kind of plane I can fly now,” he said. Because the FAA does not recognize his Ukrainian pilot’s license, Puliaiev cannot legally act as pilotin-command in U.S. aircraft. But ultralights fall outside this restriction, providing him the chance to fly solo again. “Leo is incredibly skilled. But he can’t get licensed without starting

from scratch. He’s helped build planes, performed first flights, even aerobatics,” said fellow pilot Martin Winziers. “We’re lucky to have him here.” Puliaiev lends his expertise and skills to others when he is not working on his Fisher. See PILOT PAGE A3

In a way, Danielle Bull can thank her cousin for her teacher of the year award. Bull, one of two agriculture teachers and FFA advisors at Dallas High School, was recently honored as the Oregon Danielle Bull Agriculture Teachers Association Early Career Teacher of the Year. And she has her cousin to thank for redirecting her academic interests to her current level of obsession and dedication. “My cousin was into FFA and ag, so I was the little cousin that wanted to do everything she did,” Bull said during a break at the Polk County Fair helping her FFA students show their animals for judging. “I was really excited. Just knowing you won an award is fun, but my peers, the other ag teachers, read the applications, and I won it, it was really special,” Bull said. Growing up, Bull, now 31, always wanted to be a teacher. “My grandfather was a teacher, my aunt was a teacher. I thought I was going to do health and sports,” Bull recalled. “I grew up playing sports - softball, basketball and soccer. But I got to high school, and I really liked this thing called FFA, animals, so I changed that to being FFA and ag teacher.” Bull solidified her love for the ag program at Clackamas High School, and its North Clackamas FFA program, where Bull showed sheep, pigs and dairy animals. After graduation, she earned an associates at Linn Benton Community College then got her bachelors and masters in agriculture education at Oregon State University. After a three-year stint teaching at Hood River, an opportunity opened to teach in Dallas that allowed her to be closer to friends and family. “My best friend teaches at Perrydale, is also the FFA advisor, and my other best friend is the Amity advisor,” Bull said. Now in her third year at Dallas High School, and seventh year overall teaching in agriculture, the question almost is what hasn’t she taught in the schools’ ag programs? “Ag science entails a lot. I’ve taught welding 1 and 2, woods 1 and 2, small engines, animal science, vet science, science, principles of agriculture, and horticulture/ See FFA PAGE A2

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