Hospitals face growing pressure to prevent patient injuries and stop the spread of infections. But are they doing enough to keep their own workers healthy and safe?
July 15, 2013 -- Sick Oregonians without health insurance regularly receive bills for two to three times what Medicare or private insurers are willing to pay to cover treatment, newly released medical billing data appears to indicate.
Sept. 4, 2012 – With Medicare poised next month to give bonuses and penalties to hospitals based on how they ranked in quality standards, a number of health policy experts are questioning whether the amounts of money at stake are large enough to make a difference.
November 10, 2011 -- It took Jennifer Wieczorek, a 2008 graduate of Linfield College's nursing program, a year and a half to find a job using her degree – and she was the last person in her cohort to do so.
While in school, Wierczorek had a verbal agreement with Legacy Good Samaritan that she’d work there as an operating room nurse upon graduation. But it took longer than expected to pass her board certification exams, and by the time she did, Legacy didn't have a position for her anymore.
June 2, 2010 --Unwilling to accept defeat, Columbia Health District is once again attempting to convince state officials that there’s a need for a 12-bed hospital in St. Helens. But the process is ripe with contention.
Residents who’ve opposed the hospital in the past are likely to raise the same concerns – questioning whether the hospital can sustain itself financially and meet the needs of the community – at a public hearing later this month.
