Steering out of a pandemic that strained the delivery of health care and upended the world economy, Oregon Health & Science University’s Board of Directors approved a $3.88 billion operating budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
The budget prioritizes investments to drive the university’s public missions of serving the health and well-being needs of Oregonians, educating the future workforce and accelerating scientific discovery.
The board approved a tuition increase of no more than 2% and will extend the OHSU tuition promise where students pay their entering tuition rates without further increase for their expected length of study.
“How we manage the budget today impacts how we operate tomorrow and well into the future,” said OHSU President Danny Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., FACS. “And our ability to invest in our people, programs and places has a cascading effect on the health, education and research throughout the state of Oregon and beyond.”
Following a steep decline with the onset of the pandemic beginning in April of last year, monthly revenue from patient care recovered to pre-pandemic levels by October and stabilized this spring.
The budget anticipates hiring 1,200 new employees and generally reflects an investment in people as the university emerges from the pandemic when hiring, spending, travel and capital spending were largely placed on hold. As the state’s only academic health center, OHSU provides high-level specialized care for Oregonians throughout the state.
In addition to reflecting a commitment to shoring up the university’s workforce, the budget includes investments to support work to become a trauma-informed, multicultural, anti-racist institution. The budget also allocates funding for merit increases for eligible employees, and establishes a $5 million fund to support one-time costs, such as equipment purchases, professional development, and leadership or other targeted trainings for faculty members.