About FlashAlert on Twitter:
FlashAlert utilizes the free service Twitter to distribute emergency text messages. While you are welcome to register your cell phone text message address directly into the FlashAlert system, we recommend that you simply "follow" the FlashAlert account for Oregon Health Authority by clicking on the link below and logging in to (or creating) your free Twitter account. Twitter sends messages out exceptionally fast thanks to arrangements they have made with the cell phone companies.
Click here to add Oregon Health Authority to your Twitter account or create one.
@OHAOregon
September 29, 2023
Media contact: Afiq Hisham, 971-273-3374, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
Public comment on proposed beach locations welcome through October 13.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program (OBMP) invites public comment on a list of proposed beaches to monitor for health risks in 2024 and 2025.
The list was created based on established criteria such as high recreational use, nearby pollution hazards, previously measured high bacteria levels and public input.
OBMP is a multi-agency effort with Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to monitor the waters along Oregon's coastline for the presence of fecal bacteria and report elevated levels to the public. Through this program, DEQ regularly samples marine water and freshwater at 20 beaches along Oregon’s 360 miles of coastline between May and September. To protect public health, OHA issues advisories at beaches where bacteria levels are high.
This year, DEQ used the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) environmental justice screening tool to assess the potential for the OBMP efforts to benefit vulnerable and underserved populations. With this in mind, OBMP is also asking for the public to comment on the extent to which information generated from the proposed beach monitoring would serve vulnerable and underserved communities.
OHA and DEQ routinely reevaluate beaches and sampling locations to direct available resources most effectively toward public health protection. The proposed list includes some of the most frequently visited beaches in Oregon, beaches where the program has previously found bacteria present, or beaches for which local partners and the public have requested monitoring due to potential pollution concerns. Based on OBMP’s evaluation criteria and preliminary environmental justice screening, OHA and DEQ propose sampling the following beaches for the 2024/2025 monitoring season:
Clatsop County
Coos County
Curry County
Lane County
Lincoln County
Tillamook County
Note: Beaches marked with ‘*’ refer to those with potential environmental justice communities that may be likely to recreate at the beach.
To add beaches to the list and continue to operate within available OBMP resources, DEQ would need to reduce sampling locations at other beaches. If locations are removed from the list, it would be only locations where historical data show low risk. The three beaches proposed for addition to OBMP, which are included in the list above, are:
OBMP will accept public comments and suggestions on the proposed 2024/2025 beaches through Oct. 13. Contact OBMP by email at Beach.Health@oha.oregon.gov or call 971-673-0400 to submit input.
For more information about OBMP, visit the program website at http://www.healthoregon.org/beach or call 971-673-0440, or call OHA toll-free information line at 877-290-6767.
###
September 28, 2023
Media Contact: Afiq Hisham, 971-273-3374, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has lifted the recreational use health advisory issued for Ross Island Lagoon in Multnomah County. As of today, there are no other advisories in place for the Willamette River.
OHA first issued the advisory for Ross Island Lagoon on Aug. 9.
Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of cyanotoxins in the Ross Island Lagoon are below recreational guideline values for people.
OHA advises recreational visitors to continually be alert to signs of cyanobacteria blooms. This is because blooms can develop and disappear on any water body at any time when bloom conditions are favorable. Be aware that only a fraction of waterbodies in Oregon are monitored for blooms and toxins, so it’s important for people to become familiar with signs of a bloom, exposures and symptoms by visiting OHA’s Cyanobacteria Harmful Algae Bloom website at http://www.healthoregon.org/hab.
When recreating, people and especially small children and pets should avoid areas where the water is foamy, scummy, thick like paint, pea-green or blue-green, or if thick brownish-red mats are visible or bright green clumps are suspended in the water. If you see these signs, avoid activities that cause you to swallow water or inhale droplets, such as swimming or high-speed water activities, and keep pets out of the area.
Cyanotoxins can still exist in clear water. When a bloom dies, toxins released may reach into clear water around the bloom. Blooms can be pushed into other areas, leaving behind the toxins released. There also are species of cyanobacteria that anchor themselves at the bottom of a water body, live in the sediment, or can grow on aquatic plants and release toxins into clear water.
For health information or to report an illness, contact OHA at 971-673-0482.
September 28, 2023
Media contacts: Afiq Hisham, 971-273-3374, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Health Authority (OHA) today lifted a public health advisory for contact with ocean water at Tolovana State Park, located in Clatsop County.
The health authority issued the advisory Sept. 26, after water samples showed higher-than-normal levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters.
Results from follow-up tests taken by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) showed lower bacteria levels. Contact with the ocean water no longer poses a higher-than-normal risk. Officials recommend staying out of large pools on the beach that are frequented by birds, and avoiding runoff from those pools, because the water may contain increased bacteria from fecal matter.
Since 2003, state officials have used a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to monitor popular Oregon beaches and make timely reports to the public about elevated levels of fecal bacteria. State agencies participating in this program are OHA, DEQ and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
For more information, visit the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program website at http://www.healthoregon.org/beach or call 971-673-0440, or call OHA toll-free information line at 877-290-6767.
###
Sept. 27, 2023
Media contact: Timothy Heider, 971-599-0459, timothy.heider@oha.oregon.gov
SALEM, Ore. — Measure 110 providers reported continued increases in the number of clients served statewide in all seven network service areas, according to new program reports filed with Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
Overdose prevention and peer support services accounted for the largest client gains in the quarterly reporting and over all three quarters. Substance use treatment providers reported 41 percent more clients in quarterly gains and 104 percent over the first three quarters.
The latest reporting encompasses activity from Jan. 1 through March 31, 2023 — the third quarterly reporting period since the Measure 110 networks were established.
Among the highlights:
“It’s encouraging to see the reported client gains by Measure 110 service providers. It’s another sign that the statewide networks are taking hold and more people are getting treatment along with critically needed services and supports,” said OHA Behavioral Health Director Ebony Clarke.
Behavioral Health Resource Network (BHRN) providers report the number of clients they serve, and the number of encounters they have with their clients as a measure of overall engagement. Some clients may receive multiple services within a network or within multiple service networks.
OHA has developed a comprehensive Measure 110 data reporting dashboard that includes quarterly data, expenditures, key demographic information, and aggregated narrative summaries for the 42 statewide service networks.
Also starting this reporting period, the dashboard will contain stories of how Measure 110 is working to save lives, support people in recovery, stabilize youth and families and help people find housing and employment.
The third quarter reporting shows that investments are trending away from the emphasis on capital expenditures and toward sustained treatment and recovery services.
The largest expenditures continued to be housing services at more than $8.7 million in the third quarter, representing the historic investment the Oversight and Accountability Council has made in building new recovery housing across the state.
Preliminary data also showed more client engagement among communities of color. Over the three quarters the number of people seeking substance use treatment increased by 126 percent for people identifying as Hispanic/Latino, Latina or Latinx, 49 percent for people identifying as Black/African American and 180 percent for people identifying as American Indian/Alaskan Native.
The Measure 110 program continues to refine service data collection for communities of color and other disproportionately affected communities, as the networks transition toward implementing Race Ethnicity and Language Disability (REALD) standards in their data collection.
More than one-third of the providers credited Measure 110 funding for enabling them to expand services and decrease wait times for accessing treatment, while nearly 40 percent cited staff retention and recruiting as an ongoing challenge.
One provider cited an example of decreased wait times: “Our transitional home was opened, and we had immediate placement of one family, including a mother and her infant.”
The deadline for the next round of reporting is Oct. 2 for expenditure data and Oct.16 for operational and will cover the time between April through June 30, 2023.
Background: In November 2020, Oregon voters passed Measure 110, the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act of 2020, which became effective Dec. 4, 2020, to better serve people actively using substances or diagnosed with a substance use disorder. In July 2021, the legislature passed SB 755, which amended the act and made it more feasible to implement.
People who provide drug treatment and recovery services and advocates for criminal justice reform wrote Measure 110 in response to the high rate of drug addiction and overdoses in Oregon, and the disproportionate impact of those outcomes on Oregon’s communities of color.
Their goal was to establish a more equitable health-based and effective approach to substance use disorder.
###
September 27, 2023
Media contacts:
Erica Heartquist, Oregon Health Authority, Erica.J.Heartquist@oha.oregon.gov, 503-871-8843
Jake Sunderland, Oregon Department of Human Services, Jake.Sunderland@odhs.oregon.gov, 503-877-0170
SALEM, Ore. – The latest renewal data continues to show that more than 7 out of 10 Oregonians are keeping their Oregon Health Plan (OHP) or other Medicaid benefits. So far, around 1 in 8 people’s benefits are ending.
Compared with other states, Oregon has the third lowest benefit closure rate in the nation among completed renewals. Learn more about the steps Oregon is taking to expand access to health coverage.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government allowed states to keep people on Medicaid and did not require annual eligibility renewals. This ended when the public health emergency ended, and Oregon is currently making sure everyone on OHP is still eligible.
Everyone who has OHP or other Medicaid-funded services and supports will receive a renewal notice by mid-2024. The notice will explain whether the member needs to provide additional information or take action to keep their coverage.
Oregon can process many renewals automatically. Some members need to provide additional information so that we can determine if they are still eligible. Additional information requested from members may include documents such as paystubs or a renewal packet they are asked to review, sign and return.
Between April and September 21, 2023, 807,765 people have come up for renewal. This represents 55.3% of all the OHP and Medicaid members whose eligibility will be reviewed.
In September, renewal letters were sent to an additional 142,934 people.
If you need to sign up for Medicare for the first time, contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) at 800-772-1213 to enroll by phone or find a local office. You can also enroll in Medicare online at ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up
Renewal notices are going out through mid-2024. If you have OHP or other Medicaid benefits, check your mail often for a letter from the state of Oregon. When receiving a letter, you should do what it asks right away to protect your benefits.
The large number of OHP renewals, along with renewals of long-term services and supports, may cause greater wait times, delays, and possible interruptions to people’s OHP benefits. OHP members are encouraged to respond as quickly as possible after they receive a request for information to avoid any possible delays. The fastest way members can provide an update is by going to benefits.oregon.gov and logging into their ONE online account.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) are committed to transparency and will continue to send monthly information about medical coverage among Oregonians as the agencies continue to track the state's progress in renewing eligibility for medical programs.To learn more about the marketplace, visit OregonHealthCare.gov or call 833-699-6850 (toll-free, all relay calls accepted).To sign up for Medicare, call the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 or go to ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up
September 27, 2023
Media contact: Afiq Hisham, 971-273-3374, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
What: Oregon’s Health Licensing Office (HLO), Board of Cosmetology (COS) and Board of Certified Advanced Estheticians (CAE) are currently seeking public comment about proposed rule changes related to esthetics and advanced esthetic devices, including cross-over devices and prohibited devices.
The public comment period allows external experts, individuals, entities, advocates, and communities likely to be affected by rule changes to have their voices heard by HLO, COS and CAE during the rulemaking process.
When: Sept. 1 – Oct. 9 at noon.
Background: In 2021, the Legislature passed HB 2970, changing the scope of practice for estheticians and advanced estheticians relating to the use of certain devices. The Legislature also charged both COS and CAE to work together on defining the term “device” within both the esthetics and advanced esthetics profession.
Under HLO, the following boards filed proposed rules with the Oregon Secretary of State, both of which are published in September’s Oregon Bulletin:
How to comment: Reach out to Samie Patnode at Samie.Patnode@oha.oregon.gov or Carrie Edwards at Carrie.Edwards@oha.oregon.gov. Comments can also be submitted via regular mail to:
Health Licensing Office, Attn: Samie Patnode, 1430 Tandem Ave. NE, Suite 180, Salem, OR 97301-2192
Sept. 27, 2023
Media contact: Timothy Heider, 971-599-0459,
SALEM, Ore. —More than 1,000 new residential and supportive housing units and beds are expected to come available by July 2025, filling a critical need in communities throughout the state, according to Oregon Health Authority (OHA) estimates.
Once completed, OHA expects the new projects to increase the state’s behavioral health housing capacity by about 20 percent.
The emerging capacity springs from more than $220 million in behavioral health investments made by the 2021 Oregon Legislature. OHA has distributed these funds to housing providers over the past two years to bolster residential treatment capacity throughout the state.
“We are seeing the results of this investment bearing fruit,” said OHA Behavioral Health Director Ebony Clarke. “These investments are a giant step toward closing the residential housing gap and will add much-needed capacity during a time of great need.”
OHA is creating a comprehensive and robust dashboard providing details of the investments by county and by program, along with an estimated occupancy timeline. The dashboard is scheduled to go live this fall.
According to the dashboard approximately $100 million grants awarded in 2021 to Oregon counties will yield 712 new units and beds. Another $123 million awarded to social service providers will boost capacity by 382. An additional 42 youth residential beds are also in development.
Timelines for such projects can typically take years to complete due to logistical considerations. The calculations include development costs such as purchasing real estate, facility renovations, not operating revenues.
There have been three completed projects to date.
The dashboard shows a total capacity in all forms of residential housing of 4,908 beds and supportive housing units and a cumulative cost of more than $316 million. The largest total is in supportive housing, followed by rental assistance. More than 1,000 beds are classified as supportive housing.
The dashboard content does not yet include housing supports and services funded through Measure 110.
To date, Measure 110 providers have funded 38 supportive and transitional housing projects and have created 188 new service units and beds. Most are single-family residences or renovations that were converted into supportive housing.
OHA is currently conducting a study to determine residential mental health and substance use treatment capacity throughout the state, identify gaps and guide investments. OHA expects to complete the study by the end of the year. It will inform the state’s five-year plan to expand behavioral health treatment in Oregon.
###
Sept. 26, 2023
Media contacts: Amber Shoebridge, 503-931-9586
amber.shoebridge@oha.oregon.gov
SALEM, Ore. – Fourteen families from across the country and Canada attended Oregon State Hospital’s (OSH) cremains memorial ceremony Tuesday to claim the ashes of relatives who died at the hospital or other state institutions between 1914 and 1973 and remained unclaimed – until now.
“For some of you, you may have never met or heard of the relative you are welcoming back into your family today. Thank you for opening your hearts to them,” said OSH Superintendent Dolly Matteucci at the ceremony.
David Gilliland and his cousin Rick Ewen traveled from Saskatchewan to attend the ceremony to claim the ashes of their great aunt, Mary Ann “Minnie” Gilliland Smart, who was an OSH patient from 1930 until her death in 1934.
“It’s about honoring Minnie’s memory. It seems like the right thing to do. We decided early on because there was a repatriation opportunity that we would want to bring her home,” Gilliland said.
In the past 10 years, OSH staff and volunteers have helped reunite families with the cremains of 1,052 of the 3,500 people whose ashes are in the custody of OSH. Meanwhile, efforts continue to identify the closest living relatives of those whose ashes have not been claimed.
This year, the number of remains claimed by families grew by 76. During the ceremony, the 76 names were read aloud one by one.
For some, the reasons why family in the past could not or would not claim the remains is unknown. The reasons could be loss of contact information, the inability to afford travel or burial expenses, or the stigma of mental illness at a time when sun stroke could lead to admission to OSH as easily as syphilis or morphine addiction, Matteucci said.
“What has not changed is the dedication of the staff across Oregon State Hospital to inspire hope to people at the most difficult time in their lives, promote safety and support their recovery,” she said. “What has also not changed is the resilience of those we serve and their ability to progress and recover, and our shared goal of an individual’s return to their community.”
David Baden, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) interim director, spoke of learning from the past as OHA looks towards the future. “We can and will do right by the people in our care across the behavioral health continuum. We must do everything in our power to ensure individuals with mental illness are no longer cast aside due to stigma, lack of services or support,” he said.
Until 1973, OSH operated a crematorium and became the custodian of the unclaimed cremains of nearly 3,500 people who died while living or working at OSH, Oregon State Tuberculosis Hospital, Mid-Columbia Hospital, Dammasch State Hospital, Deaconess Hospital, Oregon State Penitentiary and Fairview Training Center. In 2014, the hospital dedicated a memorial and began holding an annual ceremony to remember those whose remains are now housed in the memorial’s columbarium. During the pandemic, the event continued virtually. The service returned to an in-person ceremony on Tuesday.
A current OSH patient shared remarks about their positive experiences receiving care at OSH during the ceremony event which also featured music performed by OSH music therapists and a prayer by the hospital’s chaplain.
After the ceremony, family members in attendance claimed their relatives’ ashes. Those unable to attend will receive their cremains, along with a rubbing of their relative’s name from the columbarium wall and the original copper canister that interred their ashes.
People can visit OSH’s online cremains directory to research whether they have a family member among the unclaimed cremains.
###
September 26, 2023
Media contacts: Afiq Hisham, 971-273-3374,
PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
High bacteria levels prompt OHA recommendation to avoid water contact
PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is issuing a public health advisory today for unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters at Tolovana State Park in Clatsop County. People should avoid direct contact with the water in this area until the advisory is lifted.
Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children, elderly and those with a compromised immune system should use extra caution as they are more vulnerable to illness from waterborne bacteria.
Visitors should avoid wading in nearby creeks, pools of water on the beach, or in discolored water, and stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean. Levels of fecal bacteria tend to be higher in these types of water sources.
Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters can come from both shore and inland sources including:
Even if there is no advisory in effect, avoid swimming in the ocean within 48 hours after a rainstorm.
Ocean waters will be re-tested after an advisory is issued. Once bacteria levels are at a safe level, OHA will notify the public that the advisory is lifted.
While this advisory is in effect at Tolovana State Park, state officials continue to encourage other recreational activities (flying kites, picnicking, playing on the beach, walking, etc.) on this beach because they pose no health risk even during an advisory.
For the most recent information on advisories, visit the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program website at http://www.healthoregon.org/beach or call 971-673-0482, or 877-290-6767 (toll-free).
September 25, 2023
Contact: Afiq Hisham, 971-273-3374, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
PORTLAND, Ore.—Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has again updated the recreational use health advisory for the Willamette River in Multnomah County to now cover only Ross Island Lagoon.
OHA first issued the advisory for Willamette Cove on July 28.
Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of cyanotoxins in the Willamette Cove area of the Willamette River are below recreational guideline values for people.
OHA advises recreational visitors to continually be alert to signs of cyanobacteria blooms. This is because blooms can develop and disappear on any water body at any time when bloom conditions are favorable. Be aware that only a fraction of waterbodies in Oregon are monitored for blooms and toxins, so it’s important for people to become familiar with signs of a bloom, exposures and symptoms by visiting OHA’s Cyanobacteria Harmful Algae Bloom website at http://www.healthoregon.org/hab.
When recreating, people and especially small children and pets should avoid areas where the water is foamy, scummy, thick like paint, pea-green or blue-green, or if thick brownish-red mats are visible or bright green clumps are suspended in the water. If you see these signs, avoid activities that cause you to swallow water or inhale droplets, such as swimming or high-speed water activities, and keep pets out of the area.
Cyanotoxins can still exist in clear water. When a bloom dies, toxins released may reach into clear water around the bloom. Blooms can be pushed into other areas, leaving behind the toxins released. There also are species of cyanobacteria that anchor themselves at the bottom of a water body, live in the sediment, or can grow on aquatic plants and release toxins into clear water.
For health information or to report an illness, contact OHA at 971-673-0482.
September 22, 2023
Media contacts: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139,
PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon Health Authority (OHA) today issued a recreational use health advisory today for Lake Ewauna due to the presence of a cyanobacteria bloom and cyanotoxins above recreational use values for human exposure. The lake is in Klamath County.
People should avoid swimming and high-speed water activities, such as water skiing or power boating, in areas of the lake where blooms are, as the major route of exposure is ingestion of water. Toxins are not absorbed through the skin. However, those with skin sensitivities may develop a puffy, red rash.
OHA encourages people to visit Lake Ewauna and enjoy activities such as catch-and-release fishing, hiking, biking, picnicking, bird watching, canoeing and kayaking. Boating is safe as long as speeds do not create excessive water spray. Sprays could lead to the risk of inhaling cyanotoxins.
Drinking water directly from areas of the lake affected by a bloom is especially dangerous. Toxins cannot be removed by boiling, filtering or treating water with camping-style filters. Contact local health department with questions about water available at nearby day use areas.
Not all private treatment systems are effective at removing cyanotoxins. OHA advises people to use an alternative water source if they do not use a well or public water system, and draw in-home water directly from an affected area.
Children and pets are at increased risk for exposure because of their size and level of activity. Dogs can get extremely ill and even die within minutes to hours of exposure to cyanotoxins by drinking the water, licking their fur, or eating the toxins from floating mats or dried crust along the shore. This is regardless of a recreational use health advisory in place.
Be aware that dogs can become ill and die from water intoxication after drinking excessive amounts of water while swimming or fetching objects for long periods of time. Intoxication is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain function resulting from an imbalance of electrolytes in the body. Water intoxication and heat stroke can cause similar symptoms as exposure to cyanotoxins.
Exposure to cyanotoxins can be serious and cause a range of symptoms. Symptoms may be similar to food poisoning such as stomach cramping, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms may also be more serious, such as numbness, tingling, dizziness and shortness of breath. These symptoms may require medical attention. Dogs can experience weakness, difficulty walking, seizures, lethargy, loss of appetite and more. Pet owners should seek veterinary treatment as quickly as possible if their dog exhibits any of those symptoms.
Fish caught from areas where cyanobacteria blooms are present may pose unknown health risks, so OHA recommends not eating fish from those sites. Anyone who decides to eat the fish should remove its fat, skin and organs before cooking or freezing. Toxins are more likely to collect in these tissues. Fillets should also be rinsed with clean water.
For health information or to report an illness, contact OHA at 971-673-0482.
NOTE: Due to a technical issue, this press release was not sent, Thursday, September 21st via FlashAlert.
September 21, 2023
Media Contact: Jonathan Modie, OHA, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
OHA, Kaiser physicians say new shots give hope for preventing another surge
PORTLAND, Ore. — As respiratory virus season gets under way, infectious disease experts are urging Oregonians to take advantage of newly available, updated vaccines to stave off another COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) wave that besieged hospitals last fall.
Paul Cieslak, M.D., of Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Katie Sharff, M.D., of Kaiser Permanente Northwest – speaking to reporters during a virtual media briefing today – say updated COVID-19 and flu shots and new RSV vaccines could help blunt the effect of a respiratory virus trifecta, when cases of all three viruses simultaneously increase, as happened in late 2022.
They also are reminding people that use of masks in health care settings where patients at highest risk of severe disease are cared for, such as nursing facilities and hospitals, is “strongly recommended.”
“The potential for another respiratory surge that swamps our hospitals and health care system still exists,” said Cieslak, OHA medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations. “Even before COVID-19, influenza and RSV could overwhelm hospitals in some regions of the state.”
The media briefing can be viewed in English at this link and in Spanish at this link.
Cieslak noted Oregon has seen a steady increase in COVID-19 test positivity since late spring – from 4.3% on May 27 to around 15% by Sept. 16 – and a doubling of COVID-19 hospitalizations since June 21, when the daily count was at 106. And while flu and RSV activity remains low, cases are expected to rise, as typical, during fall months, with students back in school, and people heading indoors to escape colder temperatures and gather during the holidays.
“Straining of hospital capacity will be an issue nationwide, and perhaps more so in Oregon, where we are additionally challenged by the fact that we have relatively few hospital beds per-capita,” Cieslak said.
Sharff, Kaiser’s chief of infectious disease, said the Southern Hemisphere, which epidemiologists monitor for flu activity to help predict the coming season, had an early flu season that significantly affected unvaccinated children.
“I think the pattern of COVID-19 is still uncertain. We’re not quite sure if COVID is considered a seasonal virus, as we see surges both during summer and winter months,” Sharff said. “The important thing is if we see an increase in all three viruses at the same time, that is when we could potentially see it crushing our currently strained health care system.”
Both physicians say vaccination is the best way for people to protect themselves and those around them from infection and reduce the risk of severe illness – particularly for vulnerable individuals like older adults, and those who are immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions – that could lead to hospitalization or death.
On Sept. 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend updated, COVID-19 monoclonal vaccines for the 2023–2024 respiratory virus season. They are designed to protect against circulating mutations of the virus, including the XBB-based Omicron XBB subvariants that account for more than 95% of cases.
The new COVID-19 vaccines, along with an updated version of the seasonal flu vaccine, are now available at some pharmacies and clinics, with more doses expected to arrive in Oregon over the next several weeks. A new RSV monoclonal antibody immunization for babies and toddlers called nirsevimab – known commercially as Beyfortus – will be released later this fall, and a new RSV vaccine for adults 60 and older is now available on the commercial market.
The vaccines for all three viruses have been extensively tested and are considered safe and effective.
In addition to recommending vaccinations, Cieslak explained that, for the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season, OHA is “strongly recommending” people wear masks in health care settings caring for patients at highest risk for severe disease. Recommendations for masking as a tool to protect those most at risk when respiratory virus transmission is high is not itself new guidance, but it remains relevant and important for this respiratory season.
The agency stressed that individuals most at risk for severe disease include those with compromised immune systems; with underlying health conditions; and who are 65 and older.
As a physician, parent and community member, Sharff said she’s discouraged to see a health care system like Oregon’s become overwhelmed during respiratory season, since it can lead to delayed care, canceled surgeries and long wait times in clinics and emergency departments.
“I urge all Oregonians to consider the tools available to them to prevent respiratory infections this season,” she said.
People can get the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines by contacting their health plan, health care provider, county public health clinic or federally qualified health center (FQHC). They can also search for a clinic by ZIP code by visiting vaccinefinder.org, or by calling 211 or visiting 211info.org.
###
September 15, 2023
Contact: Robb Cowie, robb.cowie@oha.oregon.gov, (503)421-7684
(Salem – September 15, 2023) Administrators at the Oregon State Hospital (OSH) announced that they have received ‘immediate jeopardy’ findings from a surveyor who was on site on behalf of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). State hospital administrators are taking steps to immediately address the specific findings in the report, which include making physical changes to secure transportation vehicles.
The surveyor cited issues related to the secure medical transport of patients, including patients who are currently involved in the criminal justice system or are under the supervision of the state Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB).
OSH Superintendent Dolly Matteucci said, “Our foremost priority is always the safety of patients, staff and the public. We appreciate the findings the investigator provided us this afternoon. We are taking steps right away to reduce the possibility that an unauthorized leave could occur during transport and potentially put themselves, staff or members of the community at risk.”
Under federal rules, OSH has 23 days to make approved changes to address the surveyor’s immediate jeopardy findings or be terminated from eligibility to receive federal Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement for services.
State hospital administrators will provide a corrective action plan for CMS review and approval early next week. If the plan receives preliminary approval, a surveyor will conduct another unannounced visit to review the hospital’s fidelity in implementing the corrective plan.
The Oregon State Hospital is a division of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). In Oregon, the state’s Health Regulation and Quality Improvement (HRQI) program conducts patient safety investigations on behalf of CMS. HRQI is a program of OHA’s Public Health Division. HRQI applies federal and state safety standards rigorously and consistently to all hospitals its surveyors investigate on behalf of federal regulators.
September 6, 2023
Media Contact: Amy Bacher, 503-405-5403, amy.bacher2@oha.oregon.gov
Rent assistance benefits will focus on preventing homelessness for individuals who are medically and economically vulnerable; timeline pending federal approval
SALEM, Ore. - Today, Oregon Health Authority (OHA), in collaboration with Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), announced proposed timelines to begin offering new Medicaid benefits that eligible Oregon Health Plan (OHP/Medicaid) members would receive under Oregon’s ground-breaking 1115 Medicaid waiver agreement with the federal government. If the federal government agrees to the proposal, eligible OHP members would start receiving benefits for climate-related supports in January 2024, housing insecurity in November 2024, and food insecurity in January 2025.
Oregon would be the first state in the nation to gain federal approval to offer six months of temporary rent assistance as a medically necessary Medicaid benefit. These benefits would first roll-out to people who are at risk of losing their current housing, beginning on Nov. 1, 2024, if the federal government approves the plan.
In lockstep with Governor Tina Kotek’s priority to reduce homelessness, state health officials have determined that the most immediate and effective way to implement Oregon’s new short-term Medicaid housing benefit is to help people who are medically and economically vulnerable avoid becoming homeless in the first place.
According to state housing experts, the rate of Oregonians losing housing is increasing faster than state and local programs can rehouse them, due to a critical statewide shortage in affordable housing. The short-term Medicaid rent assistance benefit will help prevent people from losing housing due to a health issue that disrupts their ability to stay current on their housing payments, or because they need to be connected to mental health or substance use services to maintain stable housing. This preventive approach should help slow the rate of growth in the homeless population.
State officials estimate approximately 125,000 OHP members currently meet the federal housing definition of “at risk for homelessness” and could be eligible for the short-term housing benefit if they have health and housing needs that would require up to six months of rent assistance or other housing supports. While assuring that these benefits help keep people housed, OHA will continue to have a strong focus on assisting OHP members that have a significant mental health or substance use disorder that exacerbates their housing insecurity.
OHA’s interim director Dave Baden said, “As a first step, we want to use these new and innovative Medicaid housing benefits to make sure that someone with a health problem stays in stable housing. We can’t let more people wind up on the streets, where their health issues will worsen and get harder to treat, making sustainable, long-term housing harder to find, especially given the lack of affordable housing across the state.”
Medically necessary temporary rent assistance and other housing supports would become available to other OHP members, including people who are already homeless, later in the state’s five-year waiver implementation. That date has not been specified as state health and housing officials continue to work with federal partners to address barriers to housing access and other questions.
Input from housing providers, coordinated care organizations (CCOs) and other community voices informed the state’s strategy to focus on preventing homelessness in this first phase.
Andrea Bell, director at OHCS, said, “Today’s actions build upon a longstanding commitment to addressing the social determinants of health in action. This historic rent assistance provision is a tangible pathway to deliver rent assistance as a health intervention. Housing and health barriers are connected. The solutions should be reflective of that reality.”
State officials also announced that climate-related supports for some OHP members will become available starting Jan. 1, 2024, if federal officials approve the proposed timelines. Under this benefit, eligible OHP members could qualify to receive air conditioners to help reduce health risks during extreme heat emergencies (if medically necessary) or air filters to protect from the respiratory effects of wildfire smoke.
Nutrition benefits, such as medically tailored meals, would become available starting Jan. 1, 2025.
Oregon’s five-year 1115 Medicaid waiver provides OHP coverage and more than $1 billion in federal funding to address the health-related social needs (HRSN) of people whose health is affected by the most pressing problems affecting Oregon communities, including homelessness, climate change and poverty. Under the state’s agreement with CMS, Oregon is required to begin making health-related social needs benefits available no later than Jan. 1, 2025.
1115 Medicaid waivers allow states flexibility to test new ways to deliver and pay for Medicaid benefits. A state must receive CMS approval to implement a waiver.
Medicaid provides health coverage to income-eligible people. Currently, more than 1.4 million Oregonians – or 1 in 3 state residents – are covered by OHP. Most people who qualify for Medicaid in Oregon are covered by OHP. Approximately nine in 10 OHP members have their care coordinated through one of 16 CCOs which operate in defined regions across the state.
###
