News & Stories for Oregonians
Funding opportunities and shifts in public perception pay off in Southwest Oregon, making SUD treatment and recovery more possible than ever. << See slide show above. >> On a cool cloudy day in March 2024, Casey Lowery sprinted nearly four miles to get to Bay Area First Step—a recovery and treatment center in Coos Bay, […]
For one Oregon family living outside of Roseburg, life as they knew it took a tumultuous turn when their 20-year-old son began experiencing symptoms of early psychosis. (To protect the family’s privacy, this article will refer to the parent as “Michelle.”) “I felt totally blindsided,” Michelle said. “We didn’t know what it was or how […]
Medicare fraud has been around as long as Medicare has, since 1965, and it is one of the most rampant forms of financial fraud in the United States. Medicare loses an estimated $60 billion each year due to fraud, errors and abuse. When bad actors take advantage of Medicare beneficiaries by stealing their Medicare number or signing […]
When Carli Cox picks up the phone, she never knows who will be on the other end, but she knows why she’s answering. As a Crisis Intervention Specialist for the Senior Loneliness Line, Cox is one of the voices providing support to older people in Oregon facing behavioral health challenges, including loneliness. “The Senior Loneliness […]
Wildfire season has arrived, and the risk in Oregon continues to rise. For too many, these natural and sometimes human-caused disasters pose an annual crisis, threatening homes and properties that are far from the fires, especially in rural communities. Red hot embers can travel many miles and land on a rooftop covered in dry pine […]
When 44-year-old volunteer Cayetana “Caye” Gomez de Soler arrived at an emergency shelter for Harney County residents flooded out of their homes earlier this month, she was immediately gratified, if not a little stunned. “The people staying there instantly came over to say, ‘Hi,’ thanking us for being there,” Caye said. “And I was like, […]
Did you know that babies born in Oregon are tested for more than 45 developmental disorders within two days of birth? Moments after a baby enters this world, a few drops of blood are taken from its tiny heel and sent to a laboratory for testing—namely, the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL) in Hillsboro. […]
Oregon State Hospital (OSH) staff has relaunched a popular concert series for patients to build community and unravel unhealthy behaviors that, for some, can be tied to listening to or playing music. It’s important to normalize community gatherings and experiences that patients may be exposed to when they return to their own communities, said Jesse […]
Eating disorders affect nearly 29 million people in the United States, with 95% being ages 12-25. Yet too many myths and not enough resources make it one of the least talked about and understood mental and physical health problems out there. For example, you may not know that: OHA’s Child and Family Behavioral Health division […]
