Jake Thomas

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Nurses at Legacy Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland. | LYNNE TERRY/THE LUND REPORT

Oregon Republicans want to ease entry of out-of-state nurses

Legislation billed as easing staffing shortages by adding Oregon to the interstate Nurse Licensure Compact faces headwinds.

Feb 20, 2023
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Activists on Feb. 13, 2023, protested the proposed closure of Mount Hood Family Birth Center in Gresham. | JAKE THOMAS/THE LUND REPORT

Multnomah County leaders say closure of Legacy birth center would boost disparities

County commissioners join a chorus of voices pressing Legacy to keep open a labor and delivery facility that serves east county

Feb 20, 2023
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FERNANDO ZHIMINAICELA/PIXABAY

State prepares to take 300,000 people off Oregon Health Plan as pandemic measures end

Officials expect difficulty in reaching members of the Medicaid-funded program after a three-year pause in eligibility checks. 

Feb 16, 2023
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SHUTTERSTOCK

Bill seeking universal health care in Oregon gets first look

The legislation would create a state board charged with coming up with a plan for single-payer health care in Oregon.

Feb 14, 2023
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Dr. Mary Afsari-Howard, an OBGYN, speaks at a rally on Feb. 13, 2023, seeking to pressure Legacy Health to reverse its decision to close its Mount Hood Family Birth Center in Gresham. | JAKE THOMAS/THE LUND REPORT

Rally sounds alarm over closure of Legacy birth clinic in Gresham

Legacy Health says it doesn't make financial sense to keep Mount Hood Family Birth Center open, but critics say its closure could put expectant mothers in danger.

Feb 14, 2023
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GERD ALTMANN/PIXABAY

COVID, flu and RSV trends moving in right direction, state official says

Many hospitals remain near their capacity, but the Oregon Health Authority has signaled that if trends hold they’ll drop a pandemic-era requirement around masks. 

Feb 9, 2023

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Understaffing concerns have helped fuel nurse union rallies such as the one outside Providence Health's Oregon headquarters in Portland on January 20, 2023. | JAKE THOMAS/THE LUND REPORT

Stressed and overworked, nurses want strict hospital staffing requirements

A union representing Oregon nurses says staff-to-patient ratios will halt nurses from fleeing the profession, while hospitals worry about fewer beds for patients.

Feb 9, 2023
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SHUTTERSTOCK

Oregon hospitals back bill to compensate them for patients with nowhere to go

Patients are increasingly stuck in hospitals due to shortages at long-term care facilities. Hospitals want the state to staunch their red ink.

Feb 7, 2023
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YEONHEE LEE/PIXABAY

Legislation seeks stable funding for new 988 crisis hotline

The bill would establish a new cell phone tax to fund a hotline that advocates and lawmakers say is key to rebuilding Oregon’s mental health services. 

Feb 7, 2023
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OREGON HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN SALEM./PHOTOATELIER/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Bills seek $185 million for local public health and behavioral health workers

Despite previous funding approved by the Oregon Legislature, proponents say the spending is needed to shore up a workforce teetering on collapse. 

Feb 2, 2023
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