Willamette Week writes about a new network of rural independent hospitals in Oregon dubbed the Cascades Rural High Value Network to pool resources for recruiting specialists, buying equipment and building out value-based payment models emphasizing healthy outcomes. The story notes existing partnerships between OHSU and Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls and OHSU and Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria.

Softwave Medical Ltd., announces clinical trial results from new electromuscular stimulation technology quoting lead author Kiya Movassaghi, M.D.

Drug Topics interviews Marcel Curlin, M.D., about the erosion of the country’s vaccine advisory structure. He says, “We no longer have one unified guidance structure and so clinicians and patients alike are having to look at different sources of information for clear guidance, so we get a fragmentation of the message.”

Black Doctor reports on recent OHSU-led research that highlights caregivers interactions with children when they’re very young can protect against the negative effects of inflammation driving symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder later in life. Hanna Gustafsson, Ph.D., says, “Brain development doesn’t stop when a child is born; it continues throughout life and can be molded by children’s experiences, their family relationships and their community.”

Shereef Elnahal, M.D., is interviewed by KOIN-TV’s Eye on NW Politics a year into his tenure as president of OHSU. Regarding proposed federal funding cuts in research, he says, “Despite all the threats we’ve seen, our scientists continue to knock it out of the park. They’re doing work that nobody else in the country -- or in the world, in some cases -- are doing and we’re being rewarded for that.” On patient care, he says, “We’re growing, and we’re growing because patients are demanding more of our care.”

In promising new clinical results for an interventional drug targeting a common heart condition known as non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, lead investigator Ahmad Masri, M.D., says, “Every way, shape, or form you look at this, there was a benefit that was derived from aficamten in a disease that has no treatments available”

Continued coverage of a new OHSU-led study about Oregon psilocybin services, Todd Korthuis, M.D., is quoted by The Astorian: “Oregon has always been a pioneer state and once again we are ahead of the curve.”

In a KOIN-TV story about risks of brain trauma from contact sports, Dylan Rogers, D.O., says parents and young athletes should balance the risks of playing sports like football against the benefits: “It comes down to having a conversation with each individual and making that decision for what’s best for them and for their kid.”

In a STAT News story about promising new clinical results for an interventional drug targeting a common heart condition known as non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, lead investigator Ahmad Masri, M.D., says, “Every way, shape, or form you look at this, there was a benefit that was derived from aficamten in a disease that has no treatments available.”

OHSU and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon reach a new agreement that will keep OHSU in network for Regence commercial members. In an OHSU News story, Shereef Elnahal, M.D., says, “OHSU believes that all Oregonians should have access to the best care possible."