maternal health

A staggering 84% of pregnancy-related deaths were deemed preventable, according to data released in September by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

March 15, 2012 – Last month 21.7 percent of the babies born at Oregon Health & Sciences University were delivered via Cesarean section – slightly fewer than the number of C-section births statewide (28.2 percent in 2008) and lower than the national average of 32.3 percent (also in 2008), according to numbers released by the March of Dimes.

March 8, 2012 -- The goals of healthier mothers and babies are prompting some new approaches to prenatal care at Oregon clinics which serve high populations of Latinas. One-third of Hispanic mothers receive no prenatal care in their first trimester of pregnancy and are less likely to have health insurance than are non-Hispanics in Oregon.

February 1, 2012 -- Dr. Kent Thornburg, who teaches in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University and is known worldwide for his research into the developmental origins of disease – has been named interim director of the Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition and Wellness, a new research and education center.

December 6, 2011 – Oregon Health & Science University intends to restructure approximately $210 million of its variable rate debt, and replace old auction rate debt with a more stable funding structure following Friday’s board meeting. Chief Financial officer Lawrence Furnstahl had urged the board to take advantage of favorable conditions -- annual fees for credit will drop by two-thirds, from 1.80 percent to less than .60 percent for a three-year commitment, saving the university approximately $2 million a year.