Clinical Mission: Advancing Excellence, Innovation, and Equity

The Department of Medicine is the largest clinical department in the OHSU School of Medicine, delivering a broad spectrum of inpatient, ambulatory, specialty, and primary care services across Marquam Hill, the South Waterfront, and throughout the Portland metro area and greater Oregon.



Last year alone, our faculty and clinical teams supported over 250,000 outpatient visits and discharged more than 7,500 patients from inpatient services. Over the past five years, clinic visits have grown by 118%, and we have doubled the number of distinct patients served offering both in-person and telehealth services—a compelling reflection of our mission-driven commitment to accessible, high-quality care for all.

A Mission Rooted in Impact

At the heart of our clinical mission is a vision of excellence, innovation, and equity. We are advancing integrated care models that:

• Improve coordination across multidisciplinary teams and care settings
• Enhance the patient and family experience
• Reduce disparities in access and health outcomes

Our providers are embedded throughout all major OHSU clinical sites and serve at partner hospitals across the region, including Hillsboro Medical Center, Adventist Health Portland and the VA Portland Health Care System. Many faculty also lead or participate in community-based practices and support our Native American communities, bringing the strengths of academic medicine to local populations across Oregon.

Quality and Patient Safety

Our quality infrastructure is built to achieve four core aims:

1. Deliver safe, effective, timely, and patient-centered care
2. Promote continuous improvement through shared learning
3. Use aligned data systems to monitor and benchmark performance
4. Support clinical innovation and accountability across care settings

Our Quality Community of Practice leads both the development of future quality leaders and the design of actionable data streams to track specialty-specific metrics aligned with departmental and institutional priorities.

Respect for All

We are steadfast in our commitment to fostering a clinical environment where all individuals—patients, clinicians, and staff—are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.



Our workflows are aligned with institutional policies to address bias, discrimination, and disruptive behavior swiftly and thoughtfully. Team members are supported through clear reporting pathways and timely leadership follow-up to ensure concerns are addressed and resolved appropriately. These efforts reflect our broader dedication to equitable, inclusive care for every member of our community.

Building for the Future

We continue to invest in the people, processes, and systems that will sustain our mission. This includes:

• Data-driven improvement and shared learning across divisions
• Innovative care models, including virtual care and population health strategies
• A culture of accountability, clinical integration, and continuous improvement

To strengthen clinical leadership, we have launched the ELEVATE professional development curriculum—a program designed to equip our medical directors and practice leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to sustain and expand excellence in care delivery.

Looking Ahead

We remain committed to transforming care—patient by patient, program by program—with a continued focus on:

• Expanding access to care for historically underserved populations
• Embedding equity and quality into every aspect of care delivery
• Leading through innovation, compassion, and collaboration

Thank you for visiting. We invite you to explore how the Department of Medicine is improving health outcomes, advancing new care models, and leading the future of medicine across Oregon and beyond.