OHSU treats the world's first documented case of toxic leukoencephalopathy caused by illicit fentanyl inhalation. Chris Eden, M.D., says, “We know very well the classic opiate side effects: respiratory depression, loss of consciousness, disorientation. But we don’t classically think of it causing possibly irreversible brain damage and affecting the brain, as it did in this case.”

University of Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning wins $5,000 in a charity golf tournament benefiting the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.

University of Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning wins $5,000 in a charity golf tournament benefiting the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.

University of Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning wins $5,000 in a charity golf tournament benefiting the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.

University of Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning wins $5,000 in a charity golf tournament benefiting the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.

University of Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning wins $5,000 in a charity golf tournament benefiting the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.

Yareli Cornejo Torres speaks with PCC News about her experience in the BUILD EXITO Program — a collaboration between PCC, Portland State University and OHSU for underrepresented students with an interest in biomedical, public health and social science research careers — and her career as a social worker at OHSU.

A new study from OHSU finds that the number of health care professionals able to write a prescription for buprenorphine, a key medication to treat addiction, quadrupled at community health clinics from 2016 to 2021. Daniel Hartung, Pharm.D., says, “There’s still a lot of work to be done. But it’s a step in the right direction when more providers have the capacity to write prescriptions to treat patients who want to be treated.”

KDRV-TV in Medford covers an international nursing student exchange between students from Guanajuato, Mexico, and the School of Nursing Ashland campus. The University of Guanajuato students will spend three weeks in Ashland, and the OHSU nursing students will visit Mexico. Alfredo Lara, University of Guanajuato faculty member, says, “I think this is a wonderful experience for the students ... . They have this opportunity to see how people work here,” and how OHSU teaches nursing.

Across the Pacific Northwest, Native nations and Native-led organizations are working to combat the opioid crisis, offering addiction treatment programs to support their citizens, other Indigenous people and the broader community. The Grande Ronde tribe's Great Circle Recovery mobile medication unit is one example. Todd Korthuis, M.D., says, “In general, most addiction treatment in the U.S. and in Indian Country is hard to come by and high barrier. What an innovative and exciting model [Great Circle Recovery] is that is reaching people who would otherwise not be served. Both tribal members and others in the community.”