BALA’s Next Shift
Portland-based BALA Footwear rocketed to almost immediate success in the early months of the pandemic. But a dispute between founders and its marketing team alienated its core customers, and now the startup is pivoting.
Health Care
Care Scare
The shortage of direct-care workers and CNAs is going from bad to worse. How will Oregon find the labor needed to care for an aging population?
Electeds Affirm Right to Abortion in Oregon
$1 million grant to increase abortion access will be released immediately; Planned Parenthood confirms it is working to establish Ontario clinic.
Providence St. Vincent Reaches Tentative Agreement with Nurses’ Union
Negotiations at Providence Milwaukie and Willamette Falls continue, and more union activity is also planned.
Nurses at 2 More Providence Hospitals Vote to Strike
Union says the strike is a response to ‘illegal unfair labor practices’; Providence calls the strike vote ‘premature’
PeaceHealth Providers File for Union Recognition
A group of 15 doctors and other providers at Eugene-area clinics say unionization is their best path to address staff shortages and burnout.
A Niche Market Mushrooms
Treating mental health conditions is a key component of the future of legal psilocybin services in Oregon. But businesses hoping to enter the marketplace are pressing state regulators to allow creative offerings, too.
Kaiser Strike Vote Highlights Healthcare Burnout
Union health care workers, who plan to strike Nov. 15, say the HMO won’t budge on staffing, two-tier pay
Delta Variant Highlights Urban-Rural Health Divide
Small-scale collaborations replace mass-vaccination sites as the fight against COVID-19 goes rural.
The Vet Emergency
The pandemic worsened working conditions for veterinarians, who have been pushed to the brink with increased workloads. But COVID-19 is also forcing employers to address the mental-health crisis afflicting the profession.