The Estacada News shares the story of a Corbett, Oregon, woman who attended a free mobile mammography van when it came to her church last year. She says, “I really didn’t think I needed that appointment. But breast cancer affects one out of eight women and if I had waited, it might have been too late.” This year the van -- operated by Hillsboro Medical Center, an OHSU Health Partner -- will visit the same church in Sandy, Oregon, offering mammography appointments.

In a The Guardian article about online influencers claiming high-stress hormones cause puffy cheeks, Maria Fleseriu, M.D., an expert on Cushing’s syndrome, symptoms of which include a rounded face and weight gain, says: “Cushing’s syndrome is rare," estimating there are four to five cases of endogenous Cushing’s per million people per year worldwide.

Nature covers how AI could be used to optimize physicians' work and provide more time to interact with patients. Bill Hersh, M.D., says, “We’ve known for a decade now that [recording notes] for electronic health records slows physicians down. New LLM technology can listen in on a physician -- patient encounter and generate the note -- speeding up this process.”

Business Insider covers the worsening physician shortage that's hitting rural communities, mentioning OHSU’s Rural Track Program that aims to alleviate the shortage in three Central Oregon counties.

Politico Pro covers recent failed efforts to step up regulation of increasing investment in health care organizations by private equity firms, which use debt to acquire hospital chains with a goal of short-term profits and limited accountability. Jane Zhu, M.D., says there is significant evidence that private equity acquisitions drive up prices but inconclusive data on the impact on quality of care and patient outcomes.

Technology Networks covers new research from OHSU that for the first time definitively revealed the existence of a brain waste-clearing system in people through imaging of five OHSU neurosurgery patients. Lead author Erin Yamamoto, M.D., says, “This study builds scientific support for exploring avenues to maintain or enhance this system to forestall neurodegenerative conditions that may be caused or exacerbated by a poorly functioning glymphatic system.”

After a serious fall on a hike, the owner of a popular Southeast Portland food cart called Mama Chow’s Kitchen receives care in OHSU’s intensive care unit.

After a serious fall on a hike, the owner of a popular Southeast Portland food cart called Mama Chow’s Kitchen receives care in OHSU’s intensive care unit.

After a serious fall on a hike, the owner of a popular Southeast Portland food cart called Mama Chow’s Kitchen receives care in OHSU’s intensive care unit.

After a serious fall on a hike, the owner of a popular Southeast Portland food cart called Mama Chow’s Kitchen receives care in OHSU’s intensive care unit.