January 25, 2012 -- It can be very exasperating when an employer changes health plan options and people no longer have quite the same benefits.
Irma Gentile faced that dilemma. An early retiree, she joined the Oregon Educators Benefit Board in 2008, choosing Providence Health Plan after reviewing the other three choices available to her.
January 24, 2012 -- Jamie had a physically abusive mother, a situation that led to her living with an aunt to escape the violence at home. Even there, Jamie wasn’t safe; her uncle sexually abused her in the very place she went to find refuge. Eventually, Jamie found support from another family member and was able to graduate from high school.
January 23, 2012 -- Even as Curry County’s unemployment rate inches downward, the CEO of the Curry Health Network, Bill McMillan, announced a work force reduction in the network’s three operating facilities. He said the 23 positions eliminated could save the network big money in a bad economy.
“This should save over $1 million annually,” McMillan wrote on the network’s website. “We honor those who lost their jobs and hope and pray for their welfare.”
January 23, 2012 -- Kathy Moon, a nurse practitioner at Dunes Family Health Care, is one of the lucky ones whose practice hasn’t closed down or had to slash services because nurses now make less for performing the same functions as physicians.
Not that her patients wouldn’t notice the strain on her practice, she points out. But while it doesn’t affect her personally, being on a salary, it does affect the clinic’s ability to hire help in the office.
January 23, 2012— When the House Health Care Committee met earlier this week, concern was raised about how non-discrimination language would impact provider groups wanting to participate in coordinated care organizations (CCOs).
Starting in July, these CCOs are expected to integrate the physical, mental and dental care for more than 600,000 people on the Oregon Health Plan.
January 19, 2012 -- Oregon Health & Science University has joined the University Partnership of BioPontis Alliance, becoming the ninth premier institution engaged in the partnership to improve how discoveries made in laboratories at academic research centers translate into public benefit.
January 19, 2012 – Sam Chase stepped into his role as executive director of the Coalition of Community Health Clinics 18 months ago after serving as Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish's chief of staff and working with a variety of groups and government agencies on social justice and poverty issues, including the Oregon Opportunity Network and the Clackamas County Land Trust.
January 19, 2012 – Salem Health has announced that it’s opening a new clinic in May, known as Willamette Health Partners Family Medicine in West Salem. It will be staffed by three physicians who currently practice in the Salem Hospital campus clinic -- Drs. Rashanda Brown, Patricia Otis and Anna Techentin.
Yet, that property -- located at 1049 Edgewater St. NW – had been owned by a prominent member of Salem Health’s Foundation Board – Paul Gehlar.
January 19, 2012—Healthcare advocates, medical professionals, and legislators are developing a state-wide grassroots campaign to start educating the public about a single payer health system to provide universal coverage for everyone.
“It’s really the only way that we can assure affordable, high quality healthcare for all,” said Rep. Mike Dembrow (D-Portland), who introduced such legislation during the 2011 session which received a courtesy hearing in the House Healthcare Committee, but never came up for a vote.
January 19, 2012—Oregon’s preparing to launch a major healthcare transformation that will lead to the creation of coordinated care organizations (CCOs) and integrate physical, mental and dental care for more than 600,000 people on the Oregon Health Plan.
But an important question hangs in the balance. What will happen to the millions of dollars in reserve funds now held by the managed care plans that currently provide such services?
