Hospital Leadership Summit Remarks

Thank you, Becky, for the introduction. I’ve appreciated your commitment to maintaining a great working relationship with my office.

I also want to acknowledge the hard work and difficult task of Co-Chairs Lieber and Sanchez, who you heard from today, to make budget considerations to meet the many needs of our state. And while he is not in the room right now, I also want to thank Attorney General Dan Rayfield for his continued partnership as we work to understand federal changes and defend Oregon’s values.

Thank you for the opportunity to address this leadership gathering today. I want to start by reflecting on what we have here in Oregon, what we have all achieved together, to remind us of what we need to fight to protect.

In Oregon, the parents of all children in lower income families can have peace of mind knowing that their children have health insurance coverage. This is thanks to Medicaid expansion for kids and the continuation of the Cover All Kids program through Healthier Oregon. 

Nearly 97% of Oregonians have health insurance. That’s incredible. We saw sizable growth in the individual market due to enhanced subsidies through the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act. Almost 10,000 individuals joined the marketplace because of enhanced subsidies for modest-income Oregonians. And, in addition to Oregon’s safety net, we saw commercial coverage grow in rural Oregon over the past few years, including among older enrollees.

We have pursued every option we could to get to these successes. And that has provided more certainty and stability in our health care ecosystem than other states are experiencing.

In Oregon, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, we stepped up to increase access to reproductive and gender-affirming health care. We have now secured the most protective abortion policies in the country, as well as protecting the providers who perform these critical health services. As your Governor, I will continue to fight to protect the relationship between providers and patients to make the right medical choices for themselves and their families.

Many of our hospital and health system partners have contributed to these successes over the years - thank you. We have work to do to protect these coverage gains and ensure that coverage means access. The health of Oregonians and the health of our provider system will depend on ongoing partnership, especially now when there is uncertainty at the federal level.

But health is more than health care, as you know. It won’t surprise you that one of my top priorities this session continues to be housing production. 

Whether it’s the most extreme consequence of too many people experiencing unsheltered homelessness or the inability of your current workforce to have places to live that they can afford, we have to keep pushing to get more housing built.  

I know you know this is important. Let’s keep working together on this.

At your trustees meeting I mentioned the work of coastal hospitals, galvanizing to support the Coast Community Health Center to maintain critical network services. My office continues to engage with state and federal leaders, as well as Coast Community Health Center, on this issue. 

In Wheeler County, my office is working closely with system partners to identify ways to close short-term gaps in emergency transportation and support community-led conversations to identify longer-term solutions.

I want you to know that I will be partner with you in creative solutions to challenges that may arise in your community.

 

Another priority for me is strengthening our system of mental health and addiction care. Oregon must build on what is working – and strategically support a connected system that is holistic and person-centered so we can promote hope, healing, and recovery.

In 2021, the legislature approved nearly $1 billion to start transforming Oregon’s behavioral health system, recognizing the need for improved services, the impacts of the pandemic, and gaps in health equity. We know that Oregon needs 3,000 new adult residential mental health beds to fill the gap between available capacity and surging demand. 

Your health systems interact with people of different levels of acuity. People in behavioral health crises often end up at your door when there is nowhere else to go. Your fiscal stability will continue to be undermined until we fully develop the capacity that allows us to intervene and support people in crisis before they end up in the emergency room due to an addiction or mental illness. 

Of course, key to everything we’re doing in Oregon is maintaining the Oregon Health Plan. Thank you for supporting the provider assessment bill that’s making its way through the legislature. One chamber down, one to go.

When I was in D.C. last month, I spoke at a press conference with other governors talking about the need to protect Medicaid. We simply cannot go backwards on Medicaid coverage. 

I am actively engaged with other governors and with Attorney General Rayfield on tracking, analyzing, and responding to the constant wave of federal changes being discussed or dictated to states.

Through our shared efforts we have been successful in reversing the federal funding freeze that occurred in late January which briefly impacted OHA’s Medicaid payment systems, as well as preserving funding for life-saving medical research funded by the National Institutes of Health. 

 

As we learn more about federal changes that may affect Oregonians, I will look to partner with you as we develop recommendations and respond accordingly.

No matter what happens at the federal level, our work here together demonstrates a sustained commitment to access to and quality of care for Oregonians that means healthier days are ahead.

I know that Oregon’s economic stability depends on the people in this room. It’s not just me saying this – it’s highlighted by the hospital association’s recent economic impact study. 

So, I know how important the work you do is, in so many ways. Thank you for your leadership. I look forward to our continued partnership on the challenges and opportunities to come.

Thank you.