Access & Quality

A sign on top a fire engine reads "save our legacy mount hood family birth center.

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

Legacy’s Gresham maternity unit closure endangered patients, federal regulators say

Blistering federal notice says Legacy’s Gresham-based hospital could lose Medicare payments unless it corrects findings of patient safety violations

May 11, 2023
Premium

Oregon State Hospital in Salem. | OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY

Proposed fixes for Oregon State Hospital stall in Legislature

Spending measures and legislation to address long-running litigation over the state’s behavioral health system face an uncertain future

May 9, 2023
Premium

SHUTTERSTOCK

Pre-pandemic health care spending exceeded Oregon’s goal, says report

As officials and providers prepare for health spending caps, a new report shows what’s driving the cost increases that are hitting households hard

May 4, 2023
Premium

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden at a July 9, 2022 event in Portland. | PHOTO COPYRIGHT: PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP/PETER WONG (USED WITH PERMISSION)

‘Ghost’ providers abundant in Oregon, Washington, Senate report finds

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said patients who pay for Medicare Advantage plans can’t reach mental health providers, and vowed to take action

May 4, 2023
Premium

PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield. | COURTESY OF PEACEHEALTH

PeaceHealth, other hospitals’ cuts diminish communities’ access to care

PeaceHealth, facing chronic financial losses, is following a national trend of trimming jobs and services

May 4, 2023
Premium

SHUTTERSTOCK

New OHSU tool would track behavioral health beds

The system will share data on patients and bed availability, making it easier to find needed placements

May 2, 2023
Premium

Yadira Martinez of Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Institute is one of the first dental therapists approved to treat cavities in Oregon. Lawmakers approved the profession in 2021 to save money and combat inequities, but pilot programs set up for training are slated to go away in less than two years. | COURTESY VIRGINIA GARCIA

They were supposed to fix dental shortages, but Oregon has only a handful

Two years ago, state lawmakers approved a new profession to combat inequities and save money. But a narrow licensing path has limited the number of these dental therapists.

Apr 25, 2023