>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

TOURING ODS: Gary Lillard and other La Grande city councilors were treated to a top-to-bottom look at the new two-story steel, stone and brick structure that houses ODS's claims center upstairs and a dental hygiene school on the first floor. (Observer photos/PHIL BULLOCK).

Bill Rautenstrauch

Staff Writer

"Gorgeous."

That was the word La Grande Mayor Colleen Johnson used to describe the new ODS building at Fourth Street and Adams Avenue during a pre-grand opening tour Monday.

Johnson and the rest of the city council were treated to a top-to-bottom look at the two-story steel, stone and brick structure that houses ODS's claims center upstairs and a dental hygiene school on the first floor.

ODS, a company selling health and dental insurance products, is a partner with the city in the development of the site, which is the former location of Safeway.

ODS broke ground for its building last June; construction of a new city library adjacent to the ODS building began last month.

Monday's tour was led by Janie Casanova, ODS's manager of La Grande operations, and ODS Facilities Manager David Shaffer.

It began outside, where Shaffer pointed out a closed circuit television system that monitors the entrances and the grounds around the building.

Inside, Debra James, executive director of the dental hygiene school, ushered the group through the school, which is set to open this fall.

She walked the visitors through a state-of-the-art teaching facility that includes an x-ray department, lab, sterilization room, faculty offices, locker rooms, a student lounge, a 24-chair dental clinic and a high-tech classroom.

Students working chairside in the clinic will be able to view dental models projected on screens at the work stations, James said.

Teaching media will include digital video, video cassette, slides and Power Point presentations, she said.

"We'll use anything we need to do our instruction," she said.

The clinic also includes a separate room for pediatric dental care. The room is walled off to cut down on noise.

The dental hygiene school is affiliated with Eastern Oregon University in La Grande and Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls. A first class of 24 students is set to begin studies this fall.

Some classes given in La Grande will be beamed to OIT. Students at the remote location will appear on a screen at the back of the La Grande class room.

Instructors will be able to call on them and answer their questions, James said.

"We like to work with technology and I can tell you we're very excited," she said.

In addition to helping fill the demand for training, the school is expected to help ease the problem of access to dental care.

Beginning in their second term, students, supervised by faculty, will treat patients in a clinical setting.

"We'll be taking insured patients, and also those who make private payments," James said.

A goal of the school is to improve the dental health of people with lower incomes.

Monday's walk-through also included a visit to the basement where Shaffer showed the council a complex system of pipes that includes a delivery system for medical gasses.

Other basement features include a phone data room that serves the whole building, laundry facilities, storage areas, and more.

ODS claims service employees — about 50 in number — have already moved in to the building from the former claims center in the former GTE building on Adams.

Showing off the new claims center upstairs, Casanova said the workers are happy with their surroundings.

"It's really nice for them. They have room to spread out," she said.

Shaffer said the new building sports 11,000 square feet of upstairs office space, compared to about 5,000 square feet in the old building. Overall, the new structure has 33,000 square feet of floor space.

Casanova said there are 60 office work stations available in the claims center.

"It's built-in expansion. We'll add more employees as business allows," she said.

At tour's end, Johnson had some words of praise for ODS.

"This is a really gorgeous building and I think it shows what kind of organization they are," she said.

She also expressed hopes that the overall project — including the ODS building and library — will enhance downtown economic development.

"I hope it's a spark for development and brings people to this spot. I think it's got potential for building up this end of town," she said.

ODS plans an August grand opening.

The library building is scheduled for completion in December.