House Bill 2002 would expand insurance coverage for medically necessary gender-affirming care. Christina Milano, M.D., medical director of the OHSU Transgender Health Program, says that ensuring transgender Oregonians are able to access health care in a safe environment can impact their overall health.

The Lund Report published a story citing testimony from Beech Burns, M.D., describing how the lack of services in rural communities impacts families with children struggling with thoughts of self-harm: If doctors decide the child doesn’t need to be hospitalized “they are discharged the same day back to their community, with the family left to determine how to arrange transportation home and how they will pay for the ambulance fee and cost of the emergency department visit.

Becker's Hospital Review reports on the governor's $80 million budget for behavioral health, including $1.5 million to OHSU to coordinate the availability of behavioral health residential beds statewide.

A study published in JAMA Network Open and co-led by M.D./Ph.D. student Sarina Chaiken finds that from 2011 to 2018, neonatal Down syndrome diagnoses increased more in states that banned abortion at 20 weeks’ gestation compared with states without such bans.

David Bearden is named dean of the OSU College of Pharamacy and is credited with enhancing "OSU’s College of Pharmacy’s connections with Oregon Health & Science University’s academic and clinical pharmacy units," which include a jointly-conferred doctorate of pharmacy degree program from OSU and OHSU, and OSU pharmacy’s programs offered at the Robertson Collaborative Life Sciences Building in Portland.

During a presentation at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, Eric Simpson, M.D., M.C.R., reports results from a phase III study that found the monoclonal antibody dupilumab improved symptoms for trial participants with hand and foot atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema. Simpson says: “We are pleased to see such strong results in patients that experience intense itch and painful skin lesions on such critical areas of the body."

Sancy Leachman, M.D., Ph.D., says germline testing might be warranted after a patient has had three melanomas or has a family history of three first- and second-degree relatives having melanoma.

Alexandra Levin, M.P.H., was among the 165 fourth-year OHSU M.D. students who matched with residency programs on March 17. Levin, who was matched with the joint OHSU-Sky Lakes Cascades East Family Medicine Residency Program in Klamath Falls, says: “I’m thrilled to be going to a program that fits me so well and will train me to be a true, full-spectrum rural family physician. I’m feeling elation, joy, and excitement.”

An OHSU patient's car was stolen while she was recovering from surgery.

An OPB story discusses the alarming rates of depression, anxiety and suicidality, as well as increased demand for mental health care, in Oregon’s rural and coastal communities. Ajit Jetmalani, M.D., says: “People feel like things are completely chaotic and there’s no plan, but there really is a plan.”