Courtney Sherwood

As Data Drives Payments to Hospitals, CCOs, Policymakers Ask for Deeper Look at Equity

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Policymakers are reviewing how Oregon Health Authority data has been used to financially reward hospitals and coordinated care organizations, what the data says about progress being made to improve health and hold down costs, and which groups are being left behind.

Members of the Oregon Health Policy Board are asking the Office of Health Analytics to put race and other indicators of equity gaps in regular reports on coordinated care organization performance.

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Courtney Sherwood

OHSU Faculty Present Frustrations to University’s Board

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Faculty agitation has grown in recent years, with complaints about compensation and commutes, as well as concerns about executive turnover.

Oregon Health & Science University faculty are frustrated by high-level leadership changes, inconsistent pay scales that some deem inequitable, and the challenges of getting to work when both of OHSU’s Portland campuses have very limited parking, according to a letter they delivered to the un

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Courtney Sherwood

Insurers Seek to Pull Out of Rural Counties in 2018

State officials say they hope to convince some health insurance companies to return – especially to Douglas, Lane, Lincoln and Tillamook counties, where Providence is the only company offering individual plans on marketplace exchanges next year.

Rural Oregonians will have fewer health insurance options than ever in 2018, unless state officials are able to lure back companies that have opted to leave many small regions behind.

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Courtney Sherwood

OHSU Approves $3 Billion Budget for Fiscal Year 2018

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The hospital and university system’s spending plan for July 2017 through June 2018 includes heavy capital spending, an also a continuing focus on keeping expenses down as revenue growth slows.

After two years of rapid growth, Oregon Health & Science University ability to meet demand for its services is running into capacity constraints, and the pay OHSU’s hospital receives for care is curbing as well, prompting the state’s largest healthcare institution to approve a budget on Thurs

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Courtney Sherwood

Oregon VA Hospital Seeks to Improve Rankings

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In an exclusive briefing with The Lund Report earlier this month, leaders at the Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System shared their efforts to tackle veteran suicide rates, and improve lower-than average local performance within the national VA system.

In a U.S. Veterans Affairs system that ranks hospitals from best – a score of 5 – to worst – a score of 1 – the VA Portland hospital is near the bottom of the barrel, with a score of 2. But in the weeks after Secretary of Veterans Affairs David J.

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Courtney Sherwood

Doctors, Hospitals Grapple with Health Reforms Not Touched by ACA Repeal Efforts

At a Portland-based conference on the MACRA reforms passed in Congress in 2015, medical providers dug into how federal efforts to fundamentally overhaul Medicare reimbursements are driving changes in how they manage patients and budgets.

Hundreds of medical providers gathered in Portland Thursday to discuss primary-care centered health, changes in how the government pays for quality, and a drastic overhaul that’s reshaping healthcare across the country – and that won’t be affected by the rancorous debate now unfolding over the fa

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Courtney Sherwood

Panelists to Explore Providing Healthcare through Schools

After a summer hiatus, the Oregon Health Forum will return on Aug. 23 with a exploration of how to break down the wall between K-12 funding and healthcare budgets.

Millions of education dollars are being spent delivering healthcare in schools across Oregon – from insulin injections offered by a teacher, to mental health counseling at a high school, to a school nurse working with a medically fragile child.

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Courtney Sherwood

Experts Divided on Unintended Consequences of Legal Marijuana

One panelist at Thursday’s Oregon Health Forum breakfast expressed deep alarm about addiction and cannabis use, while two others brought more nuanced views and called for better research, noting that legalization of pot is boosting communication with doctors and may provide help for some opioid addicts.

Marijuana legalization is creating a raft of opportunities and challenges for healthcare providers, panelists said Thursday morning at an Oregon Health Forum discussion of the consequences of legal cannabis use.

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Courtney Sherwood

Individuals, Business Client Raise Questions About Zoom Health Plan Rebates

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A former employee says that New Seasons, a Zoom Health customer, may be due a refund under an Affordable Care Act provision that requires insurers to spend at least 80 percent of premiums on claims or health system improvements. Individuals are also asking about rebates from the shuttered plan.

Thousands of individuals and two of Portland’s most beloved companies may be owed rebates that insurance company Zoom Health Plan sought to pocket for itself, if allegations being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation are proven true.

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Courtney Sherwood

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