Enterprise community developments in Wallowa County

Enterprise is seeing two distinct local developments. Ron Pickens, a teacher with Building Healthy Families, is leading a proposal to construct a new bicycle park in Enterprise. The project is slated for the city park at the corner of Second and Greenwood streets, occupying the site of a former swimming pool and ice skating rink. The estimated cost is approximately $200,000, which Pickens intends to cover through a combination of grants and local fundraising efforts. He is seeking support from the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners and local businesses to realize the project.

In healthcare, Wallowa Memorial Hospital has been named one of 11 rural Oregon hospitals included in the proposed Cascades Rural High Value Network. Approved by the Oregon Health Authority, the network involves a partnership with the nonprofit Cibolo Health to create a clinically integrated network. According to CEO Dan Grigg, the collaboration aims to coordinate care, establish common quality metrics, and allow hospitals to negotiate better purchasing arrangements for equipment and software. The network is also expected to facilitate shared staffing arrangements for specialists. The participating hospitals will remain independent and community-led.