Local media report on the rise of measles cases and public exposure announcements in Oregon, and offer insight from OHSU experts on infection risk and prevention measures.

OHSU’s new Vista Pavilion, entirely dedicated to treating people with cancer, opens for patients April 7. Shereef Elnahal, M.D., says, “Today marks a milestone for OHSU and for Oregon as Vista Pavilion greatly expands the state’s overall inpatient hospital capacity. This expansion will enable people to get their care close to home, instead of traveling to Seattle or the Bay Area for complex specialty care.”

Becker’s Hospital Review reports leadership changes since Dec. 19, 2025, including Joel Helmke being named CEO of the Knight Cancer Group.

Health Central highlights the value of Vitamin B12 in promoting DNA production, as well as cellular division and turnover. It’s especially important for people with diabetes affected by peripheral neuropathy. Diane Stadler, Ph.D., says, “If you don’t have enough B12, then you don’t have that same level of cellular turnover, which is required to maintain [nerve cell] health.”

A new study of more than 39,000 low-income adults at community health centers finds that patients with diabetes who lost health insurance had worse blood sugar control and required more intensive medications than those who remained insured, with researchers warning the findings are especially concerning as millions of Americans face potential Medicaid losses and rising insurance premiums in 2026. Nathalie Huguet, Ph.D., says, “Our goal was to understand what happens after people with diabetes lose insurance. We already know they are more likely to churn out of coverage. This study shows that once they do, their health often gets worse.”

A new study of more than 39,000 low-income adults at community health centers finds that patients with diabetes who lost health insurance had worse blood sugar control and required more intensive medications than those who remained insured, with researchers warning the findings are especially concerning as millions of Americans face potential Medicaid losses and rising insurance premiums in 2026. Nathalie Huguet, Ph.D., says, “Our goal was to understand what happens after people with diabetes lose insurance. We already know they are more likely to churn out of coverage. This study shows that once they do, their health often gets worse.”

Experts advise that the best defenses against seasonal allergies include avoiding pollen exposure by keeping windows closed, wearing long sleeves and masks outdoors, showering and changing clothes after going outside, and using over-the-counter nasal sprays — while noting that climate change is making allergy seasons longer and more intense, and that remedies like local honey have been debunked. Shyam Joshi, M.D., explains why incorporating local honey into your diet — a popular social media remedy — does not work, noting that bees pollinate flowers that typically don't contain the airborne pollen responsible for allergy symptoms.

Peter Spencer, Ph.D., warns that so-called "false morel" mushrooms — lookalikes of the popular morel commonly foraged in the Pacific Northwest — contain a toxin called gyromitrin that, when consumed regularly over time, may lead to the fatal nerve disease ALS; he says: “The guidance for the false morel is to identify it and don’t touch it. You can be a little sick one day, get better, live your life for 20 years and then begin to feel muscle twitching in your arm.”

A new study of more than 39,000 low-income adults at community health centers finds that patients with diabetes who lost health insurance had worse blood sugar control and required more intensive medications than those who remained insured, with researchers warning the findings are especially concerning as millions of Americans face potential Medicaid losses and rising insurance premiums in 2026. Nathalie Huguet, Ph.D., says, “Our goal was to understand what happens after people with diabetes lose insurance. We already know they are more likely to churn out of coverage. This study shows that once they do, their health often gets worse.”

A Portland family’s six-week-old baby battles a rare heart defect and genetic disorder in intensive care at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital; Laura Miller-Smith, M.D. says: "Jack is an incredibly special baby. Jack, unfortunately, has two very complex and rare diagnoses."