Oregon Public Broadcasting

THE OREGON STATE HOSPITAL IN SALEM./BRYAN M. VANCE/OPB

Judge Increases Fines, Pressure On Oregon State Hospital

Judge Nan Waller ordered the state to pay $2,500 per day, per person as long as two people wait in jail for admission to the hospital.

Oct 26, 2021

Portland City Hall. | CITY OF PORTLAND/OPB

Portland First In US To Provide Bereavement Leave Following An Abortion, Advocates Say

Last week, Portland City Council unanimously approved a policy to allow city employees to take paid time off after the procedure last week.

Oct 25, 2021

KRISTYNA WENTZ-GRAFF/OPB

Rural Oregon Agencies OK Vaccine Exemptions, Rather Than Fire Workers

Factors, including broadly-crafted religious exemption policies, appear to be blunting the impact of the mandate in counties with low vaccination rates.

Oct 19, 2021

AUG. 19, 2021: KARLA MAYORGA, RN, TENDS TO A PATIENT. EVERY PERSON WHO WAS IN THIS INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AT OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY IN PORTLAND WAS CRITICALLY ILL WITH COVID-19./KRISTYNA WENTZ-GRAFF/OPB

Oregon Health Authority Punts Question Of How To Ration Care In A Crisis

The state agency has repeatedly dodged questions from providers about which patients should be prioritized, instead offering general 'principles'

Oct 18, 2021

LYNNE TERRY/THE LUND REPORT

Portland To Create First-Responder Program For Low-Level Medical Calls

The Community Health, Assess and Treat Program, or CHAT, is expected to start mid-November with two pilot teams.

Oct 14, 2021

OREGON STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN SALEM, ORE., MAY 19, 2021./KRISTYNA WENTZ-GRAFF/OPB

As The Deadline Nears, Oregon Department Of Corrections Employees Are 50% Vaccinated

So far, the agency has approved exemptions for nearly 16% of its workforce, which corrections officials said were largely for religions reasons.

Oct 14, 2021

ANNALISA BIRT, LEFT, TALKS WITH GOV. KATE BROWN AT A DRIVE-THRU COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC AT PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, APRIL 9, 2021./KRISTYNA WENTZ-GRAFF/OPB

Unions Win Six Week COVID Vaccine Reprieve For Most Oregon Government Workers

Employees represented by SEIU Local 503 and AFSCME Council 75 who have received at least one dose of vaccine by Oct. 18 must now complete their immunization by Nov. 30.

Oct 14, 2021

GERD ALTMANN/PIXABAY

Oregon Passes 4,000 COVID-19-Related Deaths

After 20 more deaths were reported this weekend, the state reached another grim record in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oct 12, 2021

The Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals held a rally on Sept. 28 to urge support for what the union calls safe staffing. | TIM TRAUTMANN/OPB