Nurses, physicians, housekeepers, administrative staff, hospital aides, social workers, pharmacists, technicians, therapists, warehouse workers, housekeepers and other positions, totaling up to about 200 new jobs, are being recruited locally and nationally in connection with the new Oregon Health & Science University Peter O. Kohler Pavilion, which opens in June.

New jobs are being created at OHSU due to its growth and expansion to meet the demand for OHSU's patient care services. The recruitment campaign will run through the summer to address the jobs needed in late summer or early fall when more inpatient floors are occupied. Not all of the new jobs will be located in the new Kohler Pavilion.

"We take great pride in hiring top-notch, qualified people who are committed to making a difference in the lives of our patients, enabling OHSU to change lives and in doing so - change the world. Our nurses and doctors are the most visible members of our team, but we put equal value in allied positions like therapists, techs and support staff that make it possible for us to deliver comprehensive, quality, patient-centered health care. We like the fact that we are creating jobs in Oregon," said Priscilla Andres, OHSU Human Resources director.

Advertising for these positions begins Sunday on local television, in newspapers, and on TriMet buses, as well as in national professional health journals, online employment sources.

A public open house of the 335,000-square-foot, 11-story, state-of-the-art Kohler Pavilion has been scheduled for Sunday, June 4, from 1 to 5 p.m. The building will be ready for patients June 27. Kohler Pavilion adds much-needed space for hospital and outpatient services. The building will include: the OHSU Center for Women's Health; eight operating rooms, with space for four future operating rooms, OHSU Cancer Institute Center for Hematologic Malignancies, as well as a new radiation medicine suite. When complete the Kohler Pavilion will add a net total of 120 medical, surgical and intensive care beds to OHSU's capacity. The Portland Arial Tram, expected to be complete by fall 2006, will connect the building's ninth floor with OHSU Center for Health & Healing building on South Waterfront. That building is expected to be complete in fall 2006.

OHSU employees are being offered incentives of up to $3,000 for referring applicants for certain positions and an additional bonus for referring diverse applicants to specified positions.
 
The expansion, which began in spring 2003, has generated approximately 2,000 construction jobs. OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital has just begun a new construction project to increase the number of children's beds, which will create new job opportunities in children's services. OHSU expansion to the South Waterfront is expected to add 4,500 jobs during the next 20 years.

OHSU is the city's largest employer and the state's fourth largest with 11,500 employees. Patient care visits have increased from 245,000 annually in 1988 to 737,600 in 2004. Annual research award dollars have grown from $40.5 million in 1988 to $274 million in fiscal year 2005.

More information on OHSU employee recruitment is available at:http://www.ohsu.edu/kohlerpavilion/careers.cfm