PeaceHealth announced on Aug. 22 that it began the process of closing PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center University District (University District) on Hilyard St and E 13th Ave in Eugene because it is “underutilized” – which will not just affect Eugene residents, but Springfield and South Lane County as well.[Read More…]
Health and Wellness
Pandemic in periphery
After three years of historic illness and changes, last week rang in the end of the federal public health emergency for COVID-19. As a result, Oregon’s pandemic measures will undergo similar changes. Ending the public health emergency comes as COVID-19 weekly cases and hospitalizations are down drastically from previous years.[Read More…]
Living with MS: ‘Even the broken and damaged can be beautiful’
I have observed that life has felt heavy for many people throughout our community. I am reminded of Sisyphus — the mythological character forced to roll a boulder up a hill day after day after day. We all carry the weight of our boulders as we trudge through rainy[Read More…]
Dozens of PeaceHealth beds closing, nurses laid off
Today, PeaceHealth executives announced they would be closing dozens of hospital beds at RiverBend in Springfield and University District in Eugene. An entire medical unit at RiverBend will also be shut down. PeaceHealth executives are “canceling or declining to renew” contracts for 36 full time travel nurses at Sacred Heart[Read More…]
Nurses rally over staffing
SPRINGFIELD – Hospital workers rallied on the sidewalk outside Springfield’s Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend late Monday afternoon. Fifty came out — and braved the drizzly weather — to protest short staffing and low wages. Marching to a steady drumbeat, picketing caregivers marched with signs and chanted, “The people,[Read More…]
Grove clinic gets funding
COTTAGE GROVE — Last week, rural healthcare advocates celebrated a big win in Cottage Grove — reaching their funding goals for the Federally Qualified South Lane Health Center. The project has been in the works for 16 years and marks a diverse collaboration of federal, state, county and local government[Read More…]
Masks off in health care settings April 3
The Oregon Health Authority is lifting the last major mask mandate designed to fight the spread of COVID-19 — the one covering doctor’s offices and other health care settings. Health regulators announced earlier this month that the mask requirement for workers, patients and visitors to health care settings such as[Read More…]
Jasper Mountain sets scene for healing, growth
JASPER – Everyone experiences hardship. And while adults might feel prepared to grapple with the sadness, anger, or denial that follows a life-changing event, for children, the grief and trauma that follows is nothing short of overwhelming, leaving them without the means to express and process their challenges. That’s where[Read More…]
PeaceHealth RiverBend set to expand
SPRINGFIELD — PeaceHealth is broadening its reach, joining with Lifepoint Health to build and operate a new inpatient rehabilitation facility in Springfield. For Alicia Beymer, chief administrative officer for both the Springfield and Cottage Grove PeaceHealth operations, identifying community needs was easy – but addressing it came with challenges. “We’re[Read More…]
‘Kraken’ variant emerges
Respiratory virus prevention steps such as masking and avoiding gatherings helped limit RSV, COVID-19, and influenza transmission over the holidays, but health officials say Oregon isn’t out of the woods yet. The latest COVID-19 variant, unofficially nicknamed the “kraken,” has the potential to be widespread in the state, compounding challenges[Read More…]
