November 23, 2021 3:30 a.m.
Oregon has extended the term of approximately 1,000 crisis response and other medical personnel for understaffed hospitals throughout the state, which was set to expire on Monday.
A release from the Oregon Health Authority said the decision will ease staffing constraints among the state’s health care workforce, maintain adequate staffing through the end of the year, and support health care workers.
OHA said this fall, Oregon has spent more than $140 million to help health care workers.
The release said hospitals, clinic and other health care programs continue to grapple with the strains of a recent surge as the Delta variant rages among unvaccinated people. While new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are expected to decline in coming weeks and months, hospital beds remain in high demand across the state. State health experts remain cautious in the face of cases elsewhere in the nation, and the coming holidays, when many people will gather indoors.
Governor Brown has approved a contract extension with Jogan Staffing through mid-January 2022. It will cover pediatric and adult behavioral healthcare residential treatment programs, emergency staffing for hospitals with acute COVID-related needs, emergency medical services, long-term care facilities, vaccine hubs, homes for adults with intellectual developmental disabilities and other programs. To date, Oregon has spent more than $90 million to provide emergency staffing needs across the state.
Governor Brown also approved continued Oregon National Guard deployments to the understaffed hospital missions and the Oregon State Hospital through the end of December. Guard members who have been serving at the hospital have a two-week break through December 1st, but will return to serve until the end of the year.
A spokesperson for CHI Mercy Medical Center said the hospital still has some traveling staff from Jogan, and members of the Oregon National Guard helping at the facility.