Nurses staff a mobile vaccine clinic in Salem (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) More scholarship money and perhaps tax credits would help stem Oregon’s nursing shortage, according to nursing students and deans of Oregon nursing schools. In an one-hour online discussion on Wednesday, they told U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, that having[Read More…]
Tag: HEALTH CARE
Oregon medical providers rely on diminishing number of out-of-state nurses, study finds
A Salem Health nurse at a monoclonal antibody treatment center. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Thousands of patients in rural areas of the state might not get high quality medical care in the future if the number of out-of-state nurses practicing in Oregon continues to fall, according to a new study. The[Read More…]
Lawmakers propose plan to expand access to primary health care, including visits to therapists
An empty waiting room at a Salem medical clinic(Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Oregon lawmakers are considering a proposal that aims to expand access to primary health care for thousands of Oregonians. House Bill 4083 would require insurers selling individual and group plans on the federal health insurance marketplace by 2024 to offer[Read More…]
Patients responding well to treatment following first cases of drug-resistant yeast in Oregon
Salem Hospital (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) One of the Salem Hospital patients infected with a strain of drug-resistant yeast is responding well to treatment, and two others have shown no signs of infection despite testing positive for the fungus, health officials said. Salem Health and the Oregon Health Authority on Tuesday[Read More…]
Uncategorized Oregon health officials urge boosters, say Omicron surge will see thousands hospitalized by February
A nurse cares for a Covid patient in the intensive care unit at Salem Hospital on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) State health officials warned Friday the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is expected to put thousands of Oregonians in the hospital by February – more than double[Read More…]
State audit finds $1.6 million in likely inappropriate Medicaid payments related to hospital stays
(Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) A state audit of Medicaid payments by the Oregon Health Authority found that $1.6 million was likely spent on services that were not allowed while patients were in the hospital. The audit was narrow: The Secretary of State’s office studied payments related to 25 people[Read More…]
Oregonians faced dozens of price increases for drugs last year
Oregonians got clobbered again last year with drug price increases (Wikimedia Commons) Drug prices rose again last year for dozens of drugs in Oregon, and nearly 200 new higher-priced drugs hit the market. Those are two highlights from Oregon’s latest drug price transparency report, which will be released next week.[Read More…]
As Delta surge wanes, Salem Hospital is busier than ever
Dr. Marty Johnson, pulmonologist and ICU medical director, speaks with reporters at Salem Health on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) For the first time in weeks, Dr. Marty Johnson feels like he’s doing the work he was trained to do. The pulmonologist, who serves as medical director of[Read More…]
Uncategorized More people in Salem struggled with thoughts of suicide during pandemic
A mental health awareness sign along 17th Street in Salem on Dec. 1 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) The crisis hotline serving Marion and Polk counties saw a significant increase in calls from people considering suicide in 2020. From 2019 to 2020, the number of calls to the local hotline related to[Read More…]
Uncategorized Covid made health care more complicated. Two grants will help vulnerable communities in Salem navigate it
Tricia Ratliff, who runs youth services for the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, explains how the house chore board works. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Two community groups in Salem will be able to provide more access to health care for their clients, thanks to a grant from Salem Health announced this[Read More…]
