Dorena
Dorena, OR · Health
lookouteugene-springfield.com
J.H. Baxter stormwater treatment system lapsed after president left prison
Earlier this year, J.H. Baxter & Co. in west Eugene stopped running its stormwater system that treats contamination before it flows out of the facility and into a canal that lines a residential area, according to a summary of a state-convened meeting recently made public. Water sampling and reporting also...
kezi.com
nbc16.com
New PeaceHealth Oregon Exec. makes plans to rebuild trust
PeaceHealth Oregon's new Chief Executive Heather Wall says better collaboration and access to care are what the community can expect to see with her in the role. "We're working really, really collaboratively with our physicians, our clinicians, our health system, our community partners to work to improve access to our community," Wall said.
lookouteugene-springfield.com
Blasting a butte: Oakridge residents take water, air concerns to commissioners, again
Sabrina Ratkowski drank Coca-Cola out of a glass bottle in uptown Oakridge as the sun slipped behind the mountains. At the golden hour, she watched the First Friday Art Walk festivities from a brewhouse patio. Musicians strummed instruments on the lawn of City Hall. The local theater group threw a...
klcc.org
State approves transitioning owner of McKenzie-Willamette hospital to nonprofit
The Oregon Health Authority announced Wednesday it has approved a proposal to transition the for-profit owner of Springfield’s McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center to a nonprofit organization. The proposed deal calls for the nonprofit Healthside Partners to acquire the for-profit Tennessee-based Quorum Health Corporation, which owns McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and several...
lookouteugene-springfield.com
State OKs transfer of McKenzie-Willamette hospital ownership to a nonprofit
The Oregon Health Authority approved, with conditions, a deal that would transfer ownership of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield from a for-profit company to a nonprofit. In June, Lookout Eugene-Springfield reported that the Tennessee-based, private-equity backed Quorum Health hoped a merger with nonprofit Healthside Partners would help the hospital prepare...
The Register-Guard
Eugene mom says gaps in crisis services failed her son before suicide
This story was updated because an earlier version contained a reference to Hourglass Community Crisis Center, which closed in 2024. Editor's note: The following story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, help is available by calling or texting 988 or chatting at 988lifeline.org . Eva Wilnau first discovered that her 19-year-old son had died by suicide from a Facebook post she saw early the morning of Aug. 12. The post featured images of police vehicles from the evening prior, blocking off part of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard outside Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The post's author wrote something along the lines of, "there's a cleanup crew at Autzen Stadium. Somebody took their life. Bless their family." "The second I saw it, I just knew," Wilnau told The Register-Guard. Two days before Blayz Caceres committed suicide, Wilnau said she and her husband called the Eugene Police Department to report red flags they were noticing in their son's behavior. Caceres had purchased a $4,000 semi-automatic rifle. He also started giving away his favorite possessions to friends and began making statements about how he had to protect his belongings or else they would get shattered.
Statesman Journal
Corvallis workers vote to strike Oct. 14 over pay, health care
The union representing workers for the City of Corvallis has filed a 10-day strike notice with the state and said it intends to strike starting Oct. 14. A final scheduled session with a state mediator is Oct. 8. The union, which is part of AFSCME Local 2975, represents about 246 employees in the city. That includes employees in public works, administration and other city departments. The strike notice followed declaration of an impasse in August and a 30-day cooling off period. It would be the first strike in city history. The city’s final offer includes a 6% cost of living increase in the first year and 3% cost of living increases in the second and third years. The union says among the items it is asking for are cost of living increase and increases in the percentage of contributions for health care premiums. “Corvallis has already become one of the most expensive places to live in the state, and many of our members are already struggling to make ends meet,” Evan Newton, a land use planner for the city and president of the union said in a press release. The union says its workforce has experienced 77% turnover in the
Ashland Daily Tidings
Grand Jury Finds Oregon State Hospital Bed Shortage Is Forcing Patients Out Before Treatment
A Marion County grand jury has said that Oregon State Hospital doesn’t have enough beds to meet the needs of patients needing hospitalization for psychiatric treatment, criminal restoration, or civil commitment. Grand Jury Finds Insufficient Capacity in Salem and Public-Safety Consequences. The grand jury spent about six months examining...
kezi.com
Springfield woman says Oregon care left her stuck with kidney bag
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — A Springfield woman says she has spent nine months trying to find a solution to a medical problem that left her dependent on a kidney drainage bag. Sara Bride Twohy, 76, has been living with a nephrostomy bag since Jan. 13, 2026 when she says a complete blockage in her ureter sent her to the hospital for emergency treatment.
thelundreport.org
McKenzie-Willamette hospital on the operating table
A New York private-equity company eager to divest itself of a chain of small, money-losing for-profit hospitals is proposing an unusual solution: spinning off the facilities into their own independent non-profit hospital system, including McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Oregon. The deal would benefit the private-equity firm — GoldenTree Asset Management...
klcc.org
Florence-area property owners to decide whether to renew Western Lane Ambulance levy
Voters in the Florence area will decide in November whether to renew an expiring levy for ambulance services. The Western Lane Ambulance District serves nearly 700 square miles, including all of coastal Lane County and many rural, inland areas. Rob Chance, the Fire and EMS Chief, said the levy rate...
eugeneweekly.com
McKenzie-Willamette Hospital on the Operating Table
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center is a big deal in Lane County. It’s the region’s second-largest hospital. Last year, it handled nearly 60,000 emergency department visits. With 932 workers, it’s a major employer. It pays $1.7 million in property taxes a year to Springfield, the county and other jurisdictions on its $160 million Mohawk Boulevard campus.
klcc.org
Samaritan plans $1.2 million pharmacy near its Newport hospital in January as other options disappear
This story was originally published on LincolnChronicle.org and is used with permission. The projected January opening of a Samaritan Health Services retail pharmacy in Newport will be a welcome development in a community left with fewer options after major pharmacy closures in 2025 and 2026. The new pharmacy will be...