Health
Oregon National Guard member accused of sexual harassment while deployed at OHSU
UPDATED: Friday, Oct. 22 at 5:25 p.m. A member of the Oregon National Guard is under investigation following allegations of sexual harassment of staff at Oregon Health & Science University. A spokesman for the guard, Major Chris Clyne, told the Oregon Capital Chronicle that the man was accused of sexually harassing more than one staff […]
New lawsuit seeks injunction against Covid-19 vaccine mandate
Gov. Kate Brown is facing yet another lawsuit seeking to end her Covid-19 vaccine mandate. Lawyers for five corrections officers filed the case in Baker County Circuit Court on Wednesday. Four of the plaintiffs work at Powder River Correctional Facility, a minimum security 128-bed prison in Baker City, and the fifth, who lives in Idaho, works […]
Urban hospitals in Oregon lose hundreds of employees over mandate but largely adjust
Oregon’s urban hospitals have lost hundreds of employees and some have consolidated services over the state’s vaccine mandate but they’re continuing to admit patients, perform necessary surgeries and conduct lab tests, they reported on Monday. Rural hospitals, which play a bigger role in their communities, have dealt with the mandate by largely accepting claims from […]
Federal judge rejects last-ditch effort to block Oregon Covid vaccine mandate
A federal judge on Monday struck down a last-minute attempt to block Oregon’s vaccination mandate for teachers, health care workers and state employees, while another heard arguments in a similar case. Most people working in health care or education and executive branch employees had until the end of the day Monday to prove they’ve been […]
Dire warnings about the vaccine mandate unlikely to play out in Oregon
Rural officials have warned for more than a month that the vaccine mandate would put some Oregonians at risk as employees resigned or were fired. That mandate took hold Monday, covering tens of thousands of state employees, health care workers and school staff. Not long after Gov. Kate Brown imposed that mandate in August, Baker […]
Oregon’s vaccine mandate is likely to cause longer waits for health care
Health care workers in Oregon, who were among the first to be vaccinated against Covid-19, have some of the highest vaccination rates ahead of the mandate taking effect Monday. Dentists are out in front: 98% are inoculated. Medical doctors, psychologists and physical therapists all have rates above 90%. But chiropractors are near the bottom: Only […]
State approves 60-bed psychiatric hospital in Wilsonville – with caveats
The Portland-area could get another psychiatric hospital. The Oregon Health Authority on Friday announced its thumbs up to the proposal but it scaled it down and attached conditions. It said nearly half the beds at the new Wilsonville hospital must be reserved for mentally ill people who pose a danger to themselves and who are […]
Many adult foster homes likely to opt for religious exemptions to Covid-19 vaccine
UPDATED: This story has been updated with outbreak data After the state announced a vaccine mandate affecting thousands, dozens of owners of adult foster homes caring for seniors and people with disabilities warned that they would be forced out of business. They told officials at the state Department of Human Services Department in emails obtained […]
Overwhelming majority of Kaiser Permanente union members vote to strike
An overwhelming majority of nurses, physician assistants, lab specialists and others have voted to strike at Kaiser Permanente. Nine out of 10 Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals participated in the days-long vote, with 96% endorsing a walkout. Shane Burley, spokesman for the union, called the endorsement unprecedented. “I’ve never seen a strike authorization […]
Judge rejects Oregon state troopers’ Covid vaccine mandate lawsuit
Oregon state troopers who refuse to get vaccinated for Covid failed in their initial attempt to block an Oct. 18 vaccination deadline after a state judge ruled against them late Thursday. Nearly three dozen troopers, along with the Oregon Fraternal Order of Police and a union representing Klamath County firefighters, sued Gov. Kate Brown over […]
Oregon nursing group, resigned to mandate, wants ‘bold’ action to address staffing shortages
With the Covid-19 vaccine mandate looming, the Oregon Nurses Association stepped into the fray on Thursday, calling on the state to take “bold” action to give relief to nurses strained by exhausting shifts relief and to train a new corps. In a news conference, association officials called on hospitals to allow nurses to take true […]
Oregon Health Authority advises employers to be flexible in enforcing Oct. 18 vaccine mandate
The Oregon Health Authority has advised the state and employers of health care staff, educators and others facing the Oct. 18 vaccine mandate not to fire employees over the deadline. “Everybody doesn’t need to turn into a pumpkin on the 18th,” said Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority. “But they can’t be in […]