Latest news with #OregonHealthAuthority
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health advisory issued for Newport's Nye Beach on Oregon Coast due to fecal bacteria
A health advisory has been issued for Newport's Nye Beach warning people to avoid contact with the water due to "unsafe levels of fecal bacteria," according to the Oregon Health Authority. Nye Beach is a popular spot in downtown Newport south of Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. "Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses," OHA said in a news release. "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, officials said. "Levels of fecal bacteria tend to be higher in these types of water sources," OHA said. Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters can come from both shore and inland sources including: Stormwater runoff Sewer overflows Failing septic systems Animal waste from livestock, pets and wildlife 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 Nye Beach, state officials encouraged other recreational activities on the beach and noted that they "pose no health risk even during an advisory," OHA said. For the most recent information on advisories, go to the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program website at or call 971-673-0482, or 877-290-6767 (toll-free). Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@ or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Health advisory issued for Newport's Nye Beach on Oregon Coast
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fecal bacteria health advisory lifted at Nye Beach on Oregon Coast
The Oregon Health Authority on July 9 lifted the health advisory for Nye Beach in Lincoln County. The health advisory was issued July 2 due to fecal bacteria in ocean waters. Follow-up tests taken by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality showed lower bacteria levels that no longer pose a higher-than-normal risk, according to the Oregon Health Authority. 'Officials recommend staying out of large pools on the beach that are frequented by birds, and runoff from those pools, because the water may contain increased bacteria from fecal matter,' OHA said. For more information, go to the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program website at call 971-673-0440, or call OHA toll-free information line at 877-290-6767. Mariah Johnston is an outdoors journalism intern at the Statesman Journal. Reach her at mjohnston@ This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Fecal bacteria health advisory lifted at Nye Beach on Oregon Coast
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Federal judge dings OHA, OSH over failure to quickly admit aid-and-assist patients
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Federal officials have penalized Oregon health leaders for 'failing to protect' members of the public. On Friday, Marion County reported that U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson hit the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon State Hospital with a 'contempt finding' after determining they had violated the U.S. Constitution. The two agencies will also be forced to pay fines. Secret indictment reveals more details about Gresham teacher suspected of child sex crimes Disability Rights of Oregon alleged the state failed to adhere to a permanent injunction from 2003 that requires OSH to admit defendants within seven days after authorities determine they are unfit to stand trial. DRO claimed several 'aid-and-assist patients' have been held in jail for up to 50 days, and at least two individuals died while waiting to be transported to the state hospital. Both the Salem psychiatric facility and the agency behind it have been under fire for years now. Earlier in March, OHA announced the Joint Commission preliminarily stripped the hospital of its accreditation after a to the health and safety of patients. OSH has also been placed in immediate jeopardy status several times. And according to DRO, Judge Nelson said the state has been 'persistently out of compliance' with the longstanding permanent injunction. County officials have highlighted the public health agency's 2024 report, which found it was in need of hundreds of new behavioral health treatment beds. Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs sickens dozens across 7 states 'Marion County applauds these fines designed to force Oregon State Hospital to finally get serious about providing the desperately needed mental health care that Oregon law requires and that is needed to protect public safety,' Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell said in a statement. KOIN 6 has reached out to OHA for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oregon lawmakers hold hearing on Medicaid cuts under Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill'
PORTLAND, Ore. () – As President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' makes its way through the Senate, Oregon lawmakers held a hearing on Tuesday, detailing the impact proposed Medicaid cuts under the bill could have on Oregon. Republicans' reconciliation bill includes at least $880 billion in spending cuts, largely to Medicaid, to cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax breaks, as reported by , noting Republicans are pushing for the spending cuts to root out 'waste, fraud and abuse.' On Tuesday, the Oregon Senate Committee on Health Care held a with representatives from the Oregon Health Authority, health care clinics and health care consumers to learn more about what the cuts to Medicaid could mean for Oregon. FBI: Teen's plan for mass shooting at Washington state mall leads to arrest Emma Sandoe, the Medicaid director for the Oregon Health Authority, was among those who testified at the hearing. According to Sandoe, Congress is mostly addressing spending cuts to Medicaid by aiming to reduce the number of people enrolled in the program. The Oregon Health Plan — Oregon's Medicaid program — insures 1.4 million people in the state, or about 33% of the state's population, Sandoe said. Medicaid covers a variety of services for nearly half of all births in Oregon along with long-term health services and coverage for people with disabilities. Class action lawsuit accuses Grocery Outlet of deceptive pricing in Oregon stores Under the 'big, beautiful bill,' upwards of 100,000 Oregonians could lose Medicaid coverage, according to Sandoe, noting the bill could lead to at least $1 billion in Medicaid cuts to Oregon in the 2027-2029 biennium. Those payments support hospitals, clinics and health care providers. Medicaid cuts in the state would especially harm Oregonians and health care providers in rural counties, Sandoe said. 'For example, in Eastern Oregon, Malheur County for instance, 51% of the population is enrolled in Medicaid. So, providers in those counties rely heavily on Medicaid funding and if those providers aren't able to stay in business, not only does it impact the 51% of people that have Medicaid coverage, it also impacts the 49% of people that rely on other health insurance coverage to see those providers in that area,' Sandoe explained. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'When more people have coverage, it's not just good for the people who are enrolled, it is good for the whole system,' Sandoe told the committee. 'People covered are able to treat disease earlier, and providers are able to be paid for the health care services they deliver. This keeps providers in business for everyone.' During Sandoe's presentation to the health care committee, she explained several changes the federal bill would make, including adding new work requirements. The bill proposes requiring states to verify 80 hours of work activities per month for Medicaid applications and renewals twice per year. This would be required for people ages 19-64 in the Medicaid expansion group starting December 31, 2026. For Oregon, this means up to 462,000 Oregonians — many of whom work — could face additional red tape to keep their health care coverage, according to Sandoe, adding that 100,000-200,000 Oregonians could lose Medicaid coverage because of challenges demonstrating that they meet the work requirements. Tillamook opens first owned-and-operated facility outside of Oregon Additionally, the bill would require copays. This would be a change for Oregon, which has not charged copays since 2017, Sandoe explained, noting, 'copays of any dollar amount can be detrimental for Medicaid patients, preventing patients from getting needed medical care or consistent access to their prescription drugs.' The 'big, beautiful bill' also proposes stripping Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood clinics. According to Sandoe, this could lead to clinic closures in Oregon, noting tens of thousands of people could lose access to birth control, cancer screenings and abortion care provided by Planned Parenthood. The bill would also prohibit Medicaid funds from covering some healthcare services. National Geographic names Oregon Coast train ride among 'dreamiest' for stargazing Today, Oregon law requires the Oregon Health Plan and private health insurance plans to cover medically necessary gender-affirming care. However, the federal proposal would ban Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for people of all ages and private insurers would no longer be required to cover this type of care – putting access to gender-affirming care at risk for more than 7,000 Oregonians, according to Sandoe. The OHA Medicare director warns these cuts to Medicaid could end up costing taxpayers more in the end. 'When we have instances that providers go out of business or — for example, (federally qualified health centers) or other providers that provide primary care services — then we're not able to do what we do really well in Oregon which is to ensure that we're treating the person early in their health care conditions before it becomes at a stage of needing higher costs and ultimately when a person is sick, they end up using the health care system in some capacity and having that higher cost does cost everyone more if it's uncompensated care.' Drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison after largest meth bust in Oregon history Following the hearing, Committee Chair Deb Patterson (D-Salem) released a statement, saying, 'More than 1.4 million Oregonians have Oregon Health Plan coverage funded by Medicaid, and it's clear from the testimony today that slashing the program will have serious impacts on that population and well beyond. Patterson added, 'Our rural hospitals and clinics will lose funding, decreased staffing could make appointments harder to get, and people who are forced to delay care will face worse health outcomes.' The proposed budget bill passed the House on May 22 and is now being considered in the Senate. President Trump said he wants the bill passed by July 4. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New Ruling Moves Oregon Closer to Legal In-Home Psilocybin Use
A lawsuit seeking the development of in-home psilocybin services for individuals with disabilities in Oregon will continue after a U.S. district court denied a motion to dismiss on May 30. The case could set an important precedent for future drug laws and accessibility for all Americans, including those with disabilities. In 2020, 56 percent of Oregonians voted in favor of the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act (Measure 109), which directed the Oregon Health Authority to license and regulate psilocybin products and services for individuals aged 21 and older. While a handful of cities in the U.S. had previously decriminalized psilocybin, Oregon was the first state to both decriminalize and create a legal regulatory framework for its supervised use. After two years of rule drafting, the OHA began accepting applications in 2023 for licensed psilocybin service centers, which are regulated facilities where psilocybin can be administered. Rather than focus on selling a product, service centers are geared toward health and wellness and are designed to offer support before, during, and after psilocybin use by licensed service facilitators. This model opened up psilocybin use for most Oregon residents but makes accessing psilocybin services impossible for individuals unable to leave home because of a disability. To fix this oversight in the law, four practitioners licensed by the state to guide people through psilocybin experiences have alleged that the current OHA process fails to reasonably accommodate those with disabilities as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Cusker et al v. OHA was filed after the OHA denied the plaintiffs' request for a process to be developed for in-home psilocybin services to people with disabilities who are unable to visit service centers. In response to the request, state attorneys argued that "there is no legal pathway to make accommodations for psilocybin to be consumed outside of a licensed service center" and that Measure 109 "would need to be amended for accommodations to be permitted." Although the measure only allows the use of psilocybin under facilitator supervision at a service center—which has to comply with specific location requirements, including stipulations prohibiting a center from being located within "the limits of an incorporated city or town" or in areas "zoned exclusively for residential use"—others believe the OHA has the authority and flexibility needed to interpret the language consistent with ADA requirements. But the OHA has declined to address the issue through rule making. The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon since the claim revolves around the OHA violating the ADA, a federal law. While psilocybin was decriminalized and legally regulated under Oregon law, it remains classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The OHA filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the federal court lacked jurisdiction to decide the case because plaintiffs were asking the court to violate both state and federal law. The federal court would have to order the OHA to break federal law if it required the agency to produce, possess, or administer a Schedule I drug. The OHA also argued that the court would have to order a violation of Oregon's Controlled Substances Act if it required the agency to dispense psilocybin outside of a service center. Ultimately, the court denied the OHA's motion to dismiss, relying on case law involving a non-ADA-compliant marijuana dispensary. In Smith v. 116 S Market LLC (2020), Michael Smith, who is paraplegic, encountered difficulty accessing a dispensary due to a lack of accessible parking spaces, uneven ground between the parking lot and entry, and a noncompliant ramp. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Smith, granting him $4,000 in statutory damages for each encounter, under the rationale that the decision did not force the dispensary owner to distribute a Schedule I drug but merely required ADA compliance—which does not violate federal law. By adopting this reasoning, Cusker will be able to move forward. The post New Ruling Moves Oregon Closer to Legal In-Home Psilocybin Use appeared first on
