Tag HEALTH CARE
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Marion County Health ends reproductive services at clinic following steep decline in visits
The Marion County Health and Human Services headquarters in Salem (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Marion County residents won’t be able to get birth control or pregnancy tests from the county health department any longer. The move is part of shifting the focus of public health away…
As confirmed cases of the coronavirus hit the U.S., Marion County says it’s ready
Gov. Kate Brown convened a Coronavirus Response Team Friday so Oregon can prepare in the event the virus makes it to the state.(Oregon Capital Bureau) Oregon public health officials are monitoring dozens of people who have recently traveled to China for symptoms of coronavirus and…