On this edition of Oregon On The Record, a discussion about the surprising and controversial decision by PeaceHealth to close its Sacred Heart University District Hospital.
In late August, PeaceHealth made the announcement that it would close most of its facility in downtown Eugene and transfer services to its Riverbend hospital in Springfield, effectively leaving the 3rd largest city in Oregon without a hospital.
The Mayor of Eugene, Lane County Public Health, nurses and many other constituencies have voiced their concern about what this might do to particularly vulnerable populations in Eugene, especially those who need emergency care and mental health crisis interventions.
The closure is scheduled to take place this coming December, and many groups and organizations are scrambling to try and figure out what health services might look like when most people would need to travel six miles away to Riverbend.
Voices on the program included:
- PeaceHealth Interim CEO and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. James McGovern
- Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis
- Director of Lane County Health and Human Services, Eve Gray
- PeaceHealth Nurse Corrine Johnson, and KLCC reporter Tiffany Eckert
And while legally, their isn’t much they can do, the Governor and Oregon Health Authority are looking into options to try and save a hospital that has served Eugene for many, many decades.
Note: PeaceHealth Medical Group clinics at University District, south Eugene, Woodfield Station, Barger, Santa Clara and Valley River are not affected by PeaceHealth’s plans to close the University District hospital. Also, PeaceHealth’s inpatient behavioral health unit will continue to operate at its University District location.
