Want to learn more about Eugene’s emergency department work? Here’s your chance

State lawmakers from Lane County and recipients of “Innovation grants” aimed at reducing reliance on emergency services in the Eugene area will hold a public forum on the issue Monday evening.

Afterwards Eugene’s emergency room is closed Last year the Oregon Legislature responded: a bill This made it easier for out-of-state nurses to start working in Oregon, and allocated $1.3 million for an additional Eugene-Springfield ambulance and provided a $3.2 million “innovation fund” for organizations aiming to reduce emergency room use in Eugene.

These grant recipients have now been identified and include:

• City of Eugene and Peace Health. The duo plans to begin responding to “low acuity 9-1-1 calls” within three miles of PeaceHealth University District with a single EMS responder, which will facilitate transportation to University District Urgent Care and “relieve other Fire/EMS units (and) .” “It alleviates the need for transport to the Emergency Department.”

• White Bird Clinic, the Eugene-based nonprofit that operates CAHOOTS, plans to expand mobile crisis service capacity to take more patients directly and begin offering crisis intervention and in-house medical, mental health, dental and outside service referrals 24/7. .

• Lane County plans to begin offering mobile health services at local shelters and is offering transportation options for patients to the W 11th Rapid Access Community Health Center when needed.

• Eugene-based healthcare provider Cascade Medical Associates plans to expand telehealth services, especially during peak emergency room use hours, and acquire devices so patients can access those services from shared locations.

• BestMed, a regional healthcare provider, is increasing staff at Coburg Road Urgent Care and expanding hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

At the public event, grantees will present their plans and legislators will have “a conversation about the future of healthcare innovation in Lane County.”

“This event is designed as an opportunity for our community to come together and hear directly from organizations working to improve access to these vital services in Lane County,” Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, said in the announcement. “We want to provide clarity and transparency about the progress that House Bill 4136 seeks to achieve and how it will benefit the overall health and well-being of Lane County.”

The event will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at Harris Hall in the Lane County Public Service building, 125 E. 8.^This Ave. Lane County will provide free parking between E.7 and 7 in the employee parking lot on Pearl St.^This and E.8^This streets. For special accommodation requests, please email Jason Davis at [email protected].

Alan Torres is responsible for local government on behalf of Register-Guard. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or at X. @alanfyetorres.

This article was first published in Register-Guard: Grantees aiming to reduce use of Eugene emergency room to hold forum