Kotek has appointed a new behavioral health director, Ebony Clarke, who will deal more directly with those problems. I appreciate the integrity of your leadership and all the support youve given me and the staff at OHA, Allen wrote. Oregon officials outline plan to speed up snail's pace of COVID-19 Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. He oversees 4,770 employees and multiple programs, including Medicaid, which covers one in three Oregonians through the Oregon Health Plan. He has been working while officially retired and drawing his pension, according to The Lund Report. Rachael Banks, MPA is the Director of OHA's Public Health Division. Kristine Kautz, Oregon Health Authority's deputy director, has been employed by the state of Oregon for 33 years. The agency also needs to bolster the states mental health services. How you know The interim director of the Oregon Health Authority, James Schroeder, will step down after less than 10 weeks on the job, Gov. The two have been in contact more frequently in recent weeks as it became clear that Schroeder would succeed him, at least on an interim basis. ORS 413.570 - Pain Management Commission - OregonLaws Overseeing such a large agency with a range of programs, from childrens mental health to public health to the Oregon State Hospital and Medicaid means long days. "We know almost nothing about Omicron," Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority told the Oregon Health Policy Board on Tuesday. Learn how, An official website of the State of Oregon, An official website of the State of Oregon , Other Health System Reform Related Topics, Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records, Residential and Outpatient Behavioral Health, Other License and Certificate Related Topics, OHA ADA Policy and Request for Modification. Oregon Capital Chronicle focuses on deep and useful reporting on Oregon state government, politics and policy. The departure came as a surprise to Capitol observers who deal with health care issues. The resignations come a little over a week after the election of Tina Kotek as Oregon's new governor. OHA awarded $5 million in planning grants of up to $50,000 to 104 community mental health programs, tribes, Regional Health Equity Coalitions, and community partners. Fitts said hes optimistic that Schroeder will be able to bring needed change to the health authority. Oregon Health Authority Director Pat Allen stands in an elevator as the doors close in the Oregon Capitol. The commission shall: (a) Develop pain management recommendations; (b) However, I have decided I will not pursue the permanent director position. In the release, Kotek said Schroeder had helped the agency move towards prioritizing behavioral health, bringing in new leaders and moving towards expanded Medicaid benefits and an audit of members, all of which are agency priorities. Drop us a line. Website Feedback. He set an agency goal of achieving equity by 2030. Tina Kotek's administration as the permanent Medicaid director at the Oregon Health Authority. I appreciate the integrity of your leadership and all the support youve given me and the staff at OHA, Allen wrote. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. The health authority is one of the biggest agencies in Oregon in terms of budget more than $17 billion a year in the current budget cycle and it has 4,770 employees. The two are not related. Allen pointed, in particular, to Oregons high vaccination rates for communities hit hard by the pandemic: 81% among the states Latino population and 95% for people who identify as Black, African American or African immigrant. TTY: 711, AddressOffice of the State Public Health Director800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 930Portland, OR 97232, Hours of She managed the tobacco policy program while it implemented Oregon's smokefree workplace law to over 80,000 businesses. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, "Oregon Heath Authority 2021-23 Ways and Means Reference Documents Index", "What is the Oregon Health Authority (OHA)? The Legislature has allocated $1 billion to create behavioral health and addiction treatment and social service networks, but Fitts said the behavioral health system continues to languish. PDF OHA 3905 Oregon Advance Directive for Health Care "I want to thank Interim Director Schroeder for jumping in on day one of this administration to lead the incredibly important work of the Oregon Health Authority," Kotek said in the release. Oregon Health Authority director, behavioral health director are Allen said the department was a mess when he took over. 2021-2023 Oregon Health Authority Equity Advancement Plan (Draft)* Dr. Noe received his PhD in Public Affairs (Public Policy and Management with a strong emphasis in organizational development and design) from the University of Colorado Denver. Allen noted that Medicaid coverage had expanded under his leadership and that now nearly 95% of Oregonians have health insurance. She helped develop Multnomah County's first disparity-focused Community Health Improvement Plan and led a unit that enacted culturally specific strategies in the African American/Black, Latinx/Hispanic, Native American/American Indian, Pacific Islander and immigrant/refugee communities. Your browser is out-of-date! When you asked me to lead the agency in September 2017, OHA was in crisis, Allen said in his letter. (a) The Public Health Benefit Purchasers Committee shall include individuals who purchase health care for the following: (A) The Public Employees' Benefit Board. My family is the center of my life and I recognize the demands of this role are not compatible with the focus I want to give to them.. Through social Hospital-level care provided by OSH includes 24-hour, on-site nursing, psychiatric and other credentialed professional staff, treatment planning, pharmacy, laboratory, food and nutritional services, and vocational and educational services. She urged them to support him in the new role. Kirsten Aird, MPH is the Operations Director for the Oregon Public Health Division. Director's Office OHA.DirectorsOffice@odhsoha.oregon.gov. And its often the part that gets left behind because because the rest of the problem is so urgent.. Only share sensitive information on official, secure websites. Allen acknowledged, however, that challenges remain in behavioral health. Outgoing health authority director suggests Oregon needs to expand Ebony Clarke. For the past two years, hes led Health Share, which insures 426,000 Medicaid patients in the Portland area. Tina Kotek announced Friday. Kristine Kautz, Oregon Health Authority's deputy director, has been employed by the state of Oregon for 33 years. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Gonzaga University and her Masters of Public Administration from Portland State University. Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen Submits Resignation I think we need a visionary and we need somebody to have the courage to be above board and talk about these issues., GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX, by Lynne Terry, Oregon Capital Chronicle December 13, 2022. Website Feedback. Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. He also has a Masters in Education from the University of Southern California. Before taking the position of Administrator, Andr managed the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) where he oversaw implementation of significant portions of Oregons regulatory scheme for marijuana legalization. Besides the membership audit, another Medicaid change is in the works: Starting next year, the free health insurance will offer temporary housing benefits to those who are medically eligible, extend Medicaid coverage to children up to the age of six, offer two-year coverage for adults and provide nutrition assistance. She has worked to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, hepatitis C and drug overdoses, and provided injury prevention education to families in populations unfairly impacted by health inequities. the text. Ben Botkin covers justice, health and social services issues for the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Andrea Cooper, the governors chief of staff, told OHA employees in an email the governors office would announce a new interim director and engage staff members in the search for a permanent leader. Oregon Health Authority officers and employees 413.036. As Center Administrator, Andr oversees crucial programs that leverage public healths licensing and regulatory tools to protect the health of all Oregonians. Allen said its human nature to focus on the immediate crisis but that can mean that health inequities continue to dog the state. A lock icon ( ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. This page is not available in other languages. National rankings, like the organization Mental Health America, have consistently ranked Oregon as having one of the highest rates of mental health disease and lowest rates of access to treatment. Prior to his arrival in Oregon in November 2015, Andr served as executive director of the Florida Board of Medicine. (Courtesy of Gov.-elect Tina Koteks office). His accomplishments at OHA include managing OHAs procurement process for Coordinated Care Organizations, as well as multiple critical roles during the pandemic. Dana has more than 23 years of experience with Medicaid at OHA and the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS). Improving access to mental health and addiction services remains a top priority for my administration, and Im looking forward to bringing on a permanent director who will lead the agency in carrying that work forward, Kotek said. Steve and his team have delivered on the creation of Behavioral Health Resource Networks and distribution of nearly $300 million in funding promised by Ballot Measure 110.. vaccinated, nearly the rate of white Oregonians (82%). This includes extensive interactions with a range of state and local agencies and organizations, many of them outside the health care community. Rachael Banks, MPA is the Director of OHA's Public Health Division. Persons authorized to represent parties in contested cases Introduction The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is a state government agency with a single overarching strategic goal: eliminate health inequities in Oregon by 2030. And since 2013, hes served as medical officer in the Oregon Air National Guard, according to his LinkedIn page. It has known security flaws and may not display all features of this and other websites. (B) The agency is responsible for most of the states health care programs, including behavioral health, public health and Medicaid, which covers one in three Oregonians. Dr. Rafia will replace the organization's first director, Bruce Austin, who left the position in 2020 after five years to work as a clinical director for Capitol Dental Care. Brown, state and U.S. lawmakers in Oregon widely condemn, SPECIAL REPORT: Oregon fails to turn page on reading, A default on the U.S. debt would be far worse than a. Allen officially retired in May, according to a report by The Lund Report, but returned to work, collecting the same salary plus retirement benefits. Gov. Announcement After careful consideration, and in light of budget reductions, we have decided to end the Oregon Provider Directory (OPD) program. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Before that, Allen led the Department of Consumer and Business Services for six years. Grant recipients were asked to conduct research to identify community needs, asses the feasibility and sustainability of potential projects, and other planning activities necessary to increase residential facility and housing . For any director of OHA, that part is harder. Botkin has won multiple awards for his investigative and enterprise reporting, including on education, state budgets and criminal justice. Thats a big cultural change that took a long time to begin to get to.. He also has served as an assistant general counsel supervising a team of attorneys and as a biological scientist and government operations consultant for the Florida Department of Health. Susan Otter Director of Health Information Technology & Analytics Infrastructure at Oregon Health Authority Portland, Oregon, United States 1K followers 500+ connections Join to view. (how to identify a Oregon.gov website) Oregon Health Authority : Oregon Health Authority : State of Oregon Dolly began her career at Napa State as a clinical dietician, and also served as administrative resident, assistant hospital administrator, and hospital administrator. Schroeder was Koteks choice to take the place of former OHA Director Patrick Allen, who led the agency through the tumultuous early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 2008 to February 2011 she served on the Oregon Employees Federal Credit Union Board of Directors. Before joining the county, Ebony worked as a Service Director of Child and Family Services at Lifeworks NW. While we have made great strides to improve our behavioral health system, we have a long way to go and the pandemic has made that path longer and much more difficult, Allen said in his email. And so, when OregonLaws displays An official website of the State of Oregon . (Courtesy of Gov.-elect Tina Koteks office), UPDATED on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 at 12:50 p.m. with added information. Rachael Banks, MPAis the Director of OHA's Public Health Division. The director of the Oregon Health Authority, Patrick Allen, has. Interim Chief Financial Officer. The federal government will give Oregon $1 billion for the expanded benefits, which will start next January. In his time leading the agency, it's been praised for a COVID-19 public health response that may have saved lives, and criticized for failing to provide Oregonians adequate access to health care for mental illness and treatment for addiction. New to Oregon Health Planweb page. Steve Allen, the health authoritys behavioral health director, will leave the same day. Lynne Terry has more than 30 years of journalism experience, including a recent stint as editor of The Lund Report, a highly regarded health news site. I have been honored to shepherd the agency during this time of transition, Schroeder wrote in a resignation letter dated Thursday. Caras prior public health experience includes work in chronic disease prevention, health system transformation, adolescent health and HIV/STI prevention for injection drug users and justice-involved women. Oregon Health Authority director 413.034. The Oregon Advance Directive for Health Care form and Your Guide to the Oregon Advance Directive are available on the Oregon Health Authority's website. He did not give a reason for stepping down. James brings over 20 years of management, leadership and health care delivery experience and a deep respect for the work of the OHA, Kotek said.