Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and Legacy Health have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to combine. The move aims to establish a comprehensive healthcare system that will provide high-quality essential healthcare services to patients across Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond.

Legacy Health will become part of OHSU in a major shift at two of the region's largest health care systems.

Oregon Health & Science University and Legacy Health will soon merge into one healthcare system, according to an announcement from OHSU on Wednesday.

Continued coverage of research led by Kathy Grant, Ph.D., that finds a form of gene therapy currently used to treat Parkinson’s disease may dramatically reduce alcohol use among chronic heavy drinkers.

A study published in the journal BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health finds that a menstrual disc holds up to twice as much period blood as a tampon or a pad. Lead author Bethany Samuelson Bannow, M.D., says of the study, “We have noticed that a lot of folks — particularly those with heavy periods — are moving toward cups and discs, and we realized we don’t really have a good metric to diagnose heavy bleeding utilizing those methods, as all the currently available methods are dependent on pads and tampons.”

The OHSU School of Medicine welcomed its 150 newest M.D. students Aug. 11 at the annual White Coat Ceremony, of which David Jacoby, M.D., says: “This watershed moment signifies the honor and the responsibility inherent in becoming our next generation of physicians, at a time when access to health care and the advancement of medicine and science has been proven paramount to our ability to thrive as a society.”

A first-known study led by Bethany Samuelson Bannow, M.D., finds many menstrual products had a much lower or higher liquid capacity than advertised when real blood was used instead of a saline solution more commonly employed in the product development process. The results suggest that doctors may be underdiagnosing heavy menstrual bleeding, which can be a sign of certain medical conditions.

Back-to-school season will soon be in full swing, and ahead of National Back-to-School Prep Day, Paria Zarrinnegar, M.D., advises: "Parents can help prepare their kids proactively for the big change. Give them space to talk about their worries and share their feelings, including any anxiety they might have, validate their worries, and listen to them. Then help them see the potential for joy as the new year starts."

In a story about an artificial intelligence algorithm that can help diagnose hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Ahmad Masri, M.D., describes how new medications for the heart condition provide patients with more treatment options: “In the old days, you would just look a patient in the eye and tell them the only option at this point in time is surgery.”

A new global study finds COVID-19 disease may cause change in menstrual cycle length; the small, temporary changes are similar to those experienced after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. “As the prevalence of COVID-19 has increased, the public has reported a range of menstrual cycle changes, including longer length of cycle. Knowing this was a widespread concern, our team — along with other reproductive health experts across the globe — made this research a top priority,” says Alison Edelman, M.D., a lead author of the study.