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Oregon Health & Science University at night. | OHSU/CHRISTINE TORRES HICKS

OHSU, Aetna may cut ties, potentially affecting thousands of seniors

University says insurer has been slow to raise pre-pandemic rates, threatening provider reimbursements

Oct 24, 2023
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PeaceHealth workers picket on Oct. 11, 2023. | COURTESY OREGON FEDERATION OF NURSES AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Surge in health care walkouts continues with PeaceHealth strike Monday

Health care workers in Oregon and southwest Washington are walking out more than ever, citing pay as well as staffing problems that may be hard to cure

Oct 24, 2023
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PICSEA/UNSPLASH

For children exposed to alcohol before birth, services are in short supply

Washington state leads the nation on research into fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, but has only one clinic offering specialized care for the condition

Oct 24, 2023

ASHLEY WALKER/UNSPLASH

Many women can’t access miscarriage drug because it’s also used for abortions

Mifepristone remains widely unavailable to patients experiencing pregnancy loss — even in states that do not otherwise restrict abortion

Oct 24, 2023

AREK SOCHA/PIXABAY

Quick genetic test offers hope for sick, undiagnosed kids. But few insurers offer to pay.

Few hospitalized babies with an undiagnosed illness undergo whole-genome sequencing — a diagnostic tool that allows scientists to quickly identify genetic disorders and guide clinicians’ treatment decisions

Oct 24, 2023

MARKUS SPISKE/CREATIVE COMMONS

Tiny, rural hospitals feel the pinch as Medicare Advantage plans grow

Medicare Advantage plans have become dubious payers for many large and small hospitals, which report the insurers are often slow to pay or don’t pay

Oct 24, 2023

SHUTTERSTOCK

WA hospitals sue state Department of Health over expanded charity care requirements

The hospitals say a new interpretation of state law will hit them with unmanageable costs and result in delays in care for Washington residents

Oct 19, 2023

burned-out building surrounded by forest

The remains of the clinic after the Holiday Farm Fire. | DAISY CRUZ/ORCHID HEALTH

Rural Lane County clinic to be rebuilt following wildfire

Project is a partnership between Orchid Health and a local nonprofit called McKenzie Valley Wellness

Oct 19, 2023

In this video screenshot, Tony Klein was deposed in November 2019 as part of civil litigation involving 10 women incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, who accused him of sexual abuse. | VIDEO SCREENSHOT/PLAINTIFF DEPOSITION/MICHELLE BURROWS/OPB

Former Oregon prison nurse receives 30-year sentence for abusing women in custody

Federal prosecutors say the case against Tony Klein is the largest of its kind the U.S. Department of Justice has prosecuted, both in terms of the number of victims and charges

Oct 19, 2023