Oregon Public Broadcasting

Unvaccinated Boy Nearly Dies From Tetanus, Racking Up $800,000 Hospital Bill

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s revealed a 2017 case of tetanus in an unvaccinated child in Oregon.

It was the first pediatric case of tetanus in the state in more than 30 years.

By:

Meerah Powell

Briefly: Clark County Measles Outbreak Up To 62 Confirmed Cases

Updated Monday, Feb. 25, 2019: The outbreak in Clark County has grown to 65 confirmed cases and one suspect case. Another person in Multnomah County also became infected, though health authorities said it didn't immediately appear to be linked to the Clark County outbreak.

By:

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Governor's Plan To Plug Oregon Health Care Shortfall Faces Uncertainty

With little fanfare, a nearly $380 million package to help fund health care for low-income Oregonians cleared a legislative committee Friday morning with strong support from both parties.

By:

Dirk VanderHart

Amid Measles Outbreak, Oregon Lawmaker Readies Bill To End Vaccine Exemptions

As public health officials work to tamp down a measles outbreak in the Portland metro area, Oregon lawmakers are preparing to take up legislation that would increase the number of children vaccinated for the disease.

By:

Dirk VanderHart

Oregon Takes 1st Major Step Toward Legalizing Psychedelic Mushrooms

The Oregon Psilocybin Society hopes to get a measure on the ballot in 2020.

Oregon’s attorney general has approved language for a ballot measure to make psychedelic mushrooms legal.

The measure would reduce criminal penalties for the manufacture, delivery and possession of psilocybin — the hallucinogen contained in psychedelic mushrooms.

By:

Kristian Foden-Vencil

Report: Climate Change To Burden Oregon Health Systems

Oregon is likely to see more heat-related deaths, and extremes in weather could create more chronic health issues and lead to more stress, the report says.

Climate change is already having a tangible impact on the Pacific Northwest, and Oregon’s health care and social systems will likely bear a significant burden.

By:

Ericka Cruz Guevarra

Proposed Liquor Tax Tucked Away In Gov. Kate Brown's Budget

Brown did not ask for a tax on beer or wine in her budget but it does seek a 5 percent increase in the liquor markup -- now at 104 percent -- and a plan to double alcohol licensing fees.

As she finalized her budget proposal for the next two years, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown made no secret of the fact she’d push for higher tobacco taxes, which she believes should play a larger role in funding health care.

By:

Dirk VanderHart

Gov. Brown Budget Proposal Targets Health, Housing

The governor's budget includes $722 million in revenues -- including raising the tobacco tax and increasing taxes on hospitals and insurers -- to plug the $830 million funding gap in Medicaid and ensure health care has stable funding over the next six years.

Gov. Kate Brown unveiled a $23.6 billion budget proposal Wednesday that plugs holes in state health funding, seeks to gain ground in an ongoing housing crisis, expands access to voting and sets aside millions for challenging the policies of President Donald Trump.

By:

Dirk VanderHart

Briefly: Linfield College Pays $14.5 Million For New Home For Nursing Program

The new site is in Northeast Portland, the campus of the University of Western States, which specializes in chiropractic care. That university will be moving.

Linfield College is based in McMinnville, but for 35 years it's run a major part of its nursing program out of the space it leases at the Legacy Good Samaritan in Northwest Portland.

By:

Rob Manning