Oregon Public Broadcasting

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PROTECTIVE GLOVES AND EQUIPMENT ARE SEEN AT LEGACY'S GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL IN NORTHWEST PORTLAND./ALAN SYLVESTRE /OPB

Overwhelmed Portland hospitals enter crisis standards of care

Struggling to treat a surge of patients, Portland metro-area hospitals have adopted standards that allow reduced staffing and more triaging.

Dec 10, 2022

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LULIIA BONDARENKO/PIXABAY

Oregon Workers, Employers Will Soon Pay Into State’s New Paid Leave Program

Oregonians should see deductions from their paychecks in January. Paid leave benefits are scheduled to roll out in September.

Dec 8, 2022

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OHSU Hospital on Marquam Hill. | LYNNE TERRY/THE LUND REPORT

Oregon’s Hospitals Are Struggling With Weeks To Go In Respiratory Illness Season

Emergency rooms across the state are overflowing and in some cases parents are seeking hospital care when it’s not needed — but there may be relief on the horizon.

Dec 6, 2022

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OHSU HOSPITAL/COURTESY PHOTO VIA OPB

OHSU Shifts To Emergency Mode Amid Rise In Serious Pediatric Cases

OHSU says it has no more pediatric ICU beds available and is formally shifting to what’s known as crisis standards of care mode.

Nov 22, 2022

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PIXABAY

Multnomah County Report: Replace Gas Appliances To Reduce Health, Climate Change Impacts

Health officials say gas stoves release harmful chemicals that get trapped indoors — even when the stove is not in use.

Nov 15, 2022

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SHUTTERSTOCK

Kids’ COVID-19 Booster Shots Hard To Find In Oregon

More boosters are available in pharmacies than at pediatricians’ offices, but the priority is to get kids their first series of shots.

Nov 15, 2022

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Inside Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland. | LYNNE TERRY/THE LUND REPORT

Oregon Governor Issues Order To Help Hospitals Address Rising Pediatric Cases Of RSV

Hospitals are gaining flexibility to staff beds for children and allow them to draw on a pool of nurse and doctor volunteers.

Nov 15, 2022

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In this file photo from 2017, a young girl receives a flu vaccine. An increase in hospitalizations for RSV has prompted the Oregon Health Authority to send out an alert to hospitals and doctors statewide/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. | OPB

Increase In RSV Has Oregon Officials Worried About ICU Beds For Children

Usually mild, RSV is a viral infection that can be dangerous for young children and older adults.

Nov 12, 2022

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FIREARM INJURIES IN OREGON NEARLY DOUBLED FROM 2019 TO 2021, ACCORDING TO DATA COLLECTED FROM EMERGENCY ROOMS IN HOSPITALS ACROSS THE STATE. TWO FIREARMS, THE RUGER MINI-14 (TOP) AND THE AR-15, ARE SHOWN IN THIS OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING FILE PHOTO./JONATHAN LEVINSON/OPB

Oregon Emergency Room Data Shows Firearm Injuries Are Now Twice As Common

New research from Oregon Health & Science University shows a 90% increase in firearm injuries since 2019.

Oct 22, 2022

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SHELBY BOYD TAKES MEDICATION AT HER HOME IN LAKE OSWEGO, AUG. 11, 2022. BOYD, WHO HAD COVID-19 IN JANUARY 2021, IS STILL ENDURING BLACKOUTS, BRAIN FOG AND FATIGUE DUE TO LONG COVID-19./KRISTYNA WENTZ-GRAFF/OPB

Lost Wages And Debt: The Economic Blow Of Long COVID-19 In Oregon

More than 200,000 Oregonians have likely experienced long COVID-19, causing significant health issues and financial pain.

Oct 18, 2022