Health Care

By Tracy Severson, R.D., L.D. As we settle into winter here in the Pacific Northwest, a common complaint I hear from my patients is the lack of appealing fresh produce this time of year. Are you letting the gray, chilly days serve as an excuse not to eat your five-a-day? If so, keep reading! There are plenty of ways to boost your produce intake until spring arrives with its fresh crop of fruits & veggies. … Read More

By Brian Druker, M.D. Early on in my career, I promised cancer patients and their families that I would do everything I could to find new ways to treat and prevent this complex and deadly disease. That promise shapes my priorities, and because of it, I am compelled to act when I see a gap between our actions and our knowledge. Skin cancer remains a highly preventable form of the disease that impacts a disproportionate … Read More

By Miles Ellenby, M.D. In a matter of a few years, telemedicine has made it possible for OHSU stroke neurologists, pediatric and neonatal intensive care physicians, genetics specialists, psychiatrists and other medical experts to treat patients almost anywhere in the state without leaving Portland. Indeed, the OHSU Telemedicine Network has expanded its offerings to the point that patients in a dozen communities have access to our services minutes after they arrive in their local emergency … Read More

By Wendy Bjornson, M.P.H. Editor’s note: This is the second in a short series of posts on resolutions. We selected resolutions to feature based on comments left by our Facebook fans in December. Every year at this time I hear from people who want to quit smoking and wonder what might work the best for them. What a good question! In general, the best approach is to get some help from the stop smoking experts … Read More

By Tracy Severson, R.D., L.D. Editor’s note: This is the first in a short series of posts on resolutions. We selected resolutions to feature based on comments left by our Facebook fans in December. ‘Tis the season for making New Year’s resolutions—are you one of the millions of Americans resolving to lose weight or eat better in 2013? Generic resolutions without a game plan are much more likely to fall by the wayside before the … Read More

Written by Wayne Clark, M.D. Last October, a 74-year-old woman was brought to the Mercy Medical Center emergency department in Roseburg with stroke symptoms. Mercy Medical’s Brent Crabtree, M.D., called OHSU and requested a telemedicine consultation. Minutes later, an OHSU stroke neurologist was examining the patient using a two-way audio-video robot that had been wheeled to her bedside. The exam showed the patient had suffered a stroke. Working with Crabtree, OHSU’s Hormozd Borzorgchami, M.D., prescribed … Read More

Written by Roger Chou, M.D. About 20 percent of patients with HIV infection (equaling about 250,000 persons in the United States) are not aware that they are infected. This means that their immune systems are slowly breaking down over time and they are a source of infection to others.  A new draft statement by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), based on a scientific review performed at the Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center here … Read More

By John McConnell, Ph.D. Figuring out a way to control the growth in health care costs is one of the most critical challenges facing our generation. Health care costs are at the core of the long term debt questions for the federal government and recent budget shortfalls here in our own state. As a health economist, this is both daunting and exciting – and I think OHSU can play a significant role in finding answers. … Read More

Written by Mark Kemball The letter is yellowed and a little torn around the edges but the words still stand out as freshly as the day they were written. At the top is an address in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, and the date – August 15, 1915. It is addressed to “My Dear Nurse.” The final pages have been lost so we don’t know much about the writer, beyond the fact that he was a soldier, … Read More

As a runner and as the associate director of community engagement at OHSU, I couldn’t ask for a greater opportunity to share OHSU’s commitment to health and community than the half marathon announced last week by the creators of the iconic Hood to Coast Relay. It’s going to be a fantastic run on a beautiful course–and it’s going to help advance OHSU’s mission of teaching, healing and discovery. OHSU is going to join with the … Read More