At the heart of our communities are hospitals, where dedicated health care workers shape lives and futures every single day. From performing life-changing surgery for a young girl with an extremely rare congenital anomaly at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) to delivering infants at a new patient tower at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, our hospitals are committed to building a strong and healthy Oregon for all.
The Hospital Association of Oregon exists so hospitals like OHSU and Asante Rogue have the resources they need to provide high-quality care every day. This month, we’re proudly celebrating 90 years of being the collective voice of Oregon’s community hospitals. Though I’ve only been here for a fraction of that time, I can speak of the important role our organization plays in supporting hospitals so that they can support their communities.
At this moment, when hospitals are still struggling with challenges that date back to the pandemic, our work is as important as ever. Our 90th anniversary is both a moment to celebrate our accomplishments and an opportunity to reflect on the work ahead of us to stabilize these community pillars and protect access to care.
Our hospitals continue to face difficult odds as the costs to deliver patient care grow faster than what insurance pays them. Our health care workforce needs ongoing support and investment. And both patients’ and hospitals’ frustrations are mounting with insurance companies’ complex processes and delayed payments for necessary care. We’re casting a light on these challenges and are committed to collaborative problem-solving to address them in the 2025 legislative session.
At the hospital association, we’re proud of our 90-year history. But our work on behalf of hospitals and their patients is never finished. We will continue to tirelessly advocate to ensure “all Oregonians have excellent, dependable hospitals in their communities today, tomorrow, and for decades to come” isn’t just our mission statement—it’s our legacy.
