Friends and Neighbors,

It’s hard to believe we are already through October, and it is time to celebrate Halloween this weekend! If you plan to hand out candy or have a loved one who will be trick-or-treating, please wear a COVID-safe face covering and check out these tips for a fun and healthy holiday weekend. To read more about safely trick-or-treating, visit Oregon Vaccine News. 

State of Reform Conference

This past Tuesday, I had the honor of presenting at the State of Reform Conference’s Legislative Keynote Panel. My fellow legislators and I discussed the state of Oregon’s healthcare system, and our goals to unify and strengthen our system and support our healthcare workers. 

During the 2021 session, the House Healthcare Committee saw over 150 bills referred to our committee and prioritized legislation based on equity and public health. At the conference, I was able to highlight a few bills:

• HB 3352 - Cover All People, which expanded eligibility to adults who would qualify for Medicaid if not for their immigration status.  Important community members who have been on the frontlines of this pandemic especially in our agriculture, manufacturing and HC workforce . They deserve healthcare. 

• HB 2508 - Expanding coverage of, and reimbursement for, telehealth services promoting equitable and safe access to care including mental healthcare. 

• HB 3159 - Requiring health care providers and insurers to collect data on race, ethnicity, preferred spoken and written languages, disability status, sexual orientation and gender identity, if the patient is willing to provide it. During Covid 19- The inequities in our healthcare system have been laid bare. We know with granular data for specific marginalized or underserved communities, we can proactively combat bias’s deeply affecting the health of Oregonians. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven without a doubt that significant investments must be made in our healthcare system to support both the public and our healthcare workers. As I said on Tuesday, “We have to start treating them like the professionals they are and pay them what they deserve.”

I look forward to continuing meaningful conversations as we continue the march towards transformative health policy in our 2022 session. 

Smokeless Tobacco Testimony

Next Tuesday, the Washington County Commission will be holding their final vote on Ordinance 878,  banning the sale of smokeless tobacco products to individuals under 21. 

I care about this issue deeply, not just as a state representative, but as a family nurse practitioner. I’m tired of seeing my patients – too often the working poor who were targeted by big tobacco in their youth – die premature and painful deaths because of the impacts of tobacco. This weighs on me every day. And it also ultimately weighs on the state – currently the Oregon Health Plan spends millions a year just treating tobacco related illnesses. Big-tobacco industry, meanwhile, is profiting at unprecedented rates.  We must NOT continue to allow tobacco and vape shops to sell to those under 21.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to testify in favor of the ordinance at last week’s commission meeting and am beyond thankful for the continued work of this commission.

You can attend next week’s meeting and sign up to give public comment on the Washington County website here.  

Oregon Reaches Vaccine Milestone!

Earlier this week, the Oregon Health Authority announced that 80% of Oregonians 18 years and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Oregon currently ranks twelfth in the nation for the percentage of residents who are fully protected from COVID-19. 

The COVID-19 vaccine remains the safest, most effective way to protect yourself and your community from the COVID-19 virus. I am so proud of Oregon for reaching this milestone, and grateful to our community for investing in public health and safety. While 80% is not enough for Oregon to reach the threshold for "herd immunity," it does get us that much closer. 

If you have questions about receiving your first dose or a booster shot, I encourage you to make an appointment with your primary care provider. You can also look for local clinics and vaccination events by visiting www.vaccines.gov. Thank you for doing your part to create a safer, healthier Oregon. 

COVID Updates
 

Note: Due to an unexpected technical glitch, Opera, the COVID-19 case database, was down from 6 p.m. on Oct. 22 through 9 p.m. Oct. 23. As a result, daily case counts for those days were lower than expected. That disruption accounts for Oct. 26th’s higher case tally, which rises as local public health authorities work through that backlog of cases.

COVID-19 Hospitalizations:

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon as of 10/28 is 554, which is 12 more than Wednesday. There are 126 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is one fewer than Wednesday.

There are 45 available adult ICU beds out of 692 total (7% availability) and 247 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,144 (6% availability).

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms. 

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Yesterday, OHA reported that 20,275 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Oct. 26. Of this total, 10,364 were administered on Oct. 26: 1,091 were initial doses; 825 were second doses and 8,403 were third doses and booster doses. The remaining 9,911 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Oct. 26.

Oregon has now administered 3,252,076 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,952,169 doses of Moderna and 225,440 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of yesterday, 2,804,267 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,589,267 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

Cases and deaths

For all the latest data on COVID-19 in Oregon, visit OHA's data dashboards.

For more information, visit healthoregon.org/coronavirus.

Urgent Need for Blood:

The U.S. is currently experiencing an emergency blood shortage. Donating blood is an easy and effective way to help patients and their families across the state. 

The Red Cross is currently running a promotion for blood donors to receive a $5 e-gift card for their donation. They host blood drives in the community frequently and you can use their webtool to find a drive near you.

Additionally, here are a few drives with open appointments in the district in the next few weeks:

• West Linn Lutheran Church

20390 Willamette Drive

West Linn, OR 97068

Saturday, November 13, 2021 08:00 AM - 01:30 PM

• New Life Church West Linn

1984 McKillican Street

West Linn, OR 97068

Saturday, November 20, 2021 09:30 AM - 03:30 PM

• Tualatin Stake Center

22284 SW Grahams Ferry Road

Tualatin, OR 97062

Saturday, December 4, 2021 09:00 AM - 02:00 PM

Local Halloween Events 

Looking for a fun way to celebrate this weekend? Here are a couple of events across the district!

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Tualatin Together Presents: Wicked Wellness Costume Fun Run!

Participants are encouraged to dress in their Halloween Harvest finest. There will be a costume contest for individual and group awards, judged by age group for creativity, cuteness, funniest and scariest. Over 40 prizes will be awarded including a category for any four-legged friends joining in the fun. 

The cost to participate is $10 per person with a maximum $40 per family. All proceeds will be used to fund Tualatin Together youth activities such as Gratitude Pumpkin, Dressed to Dream, family and youth only connection events such as pizza & paint nights and more. Register TODAY by clicking here. 

BOO DRIVE THRU EVENT  

It's back by popular demand!  Attend the second annual award nominated Boo Drive Thru!  Witness haunted lights and spooky frights from the warmth of your car.  Guests are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes, decorate their car and bring hot cider as they travel through the event.  Participation is free and open to the public.  This is not a haunted house, nothing jumps out to scare and festive characters are not gory.  The beautifully carved community jack-o-lanterns are the highlight of the event.  This is a fun, free night for the whole family!

Vehicle traffic flow will be continuous through the entire event. No vehicle stopping at any time is allowed.  Due to safety, people cannot walk onto the event site and participants must remain in the vehicle at all times.  Pets are allowed inside vehicles.  Allow for up to an hour wait time during peak event times.  Restrooms are not available once inside the event. 

Willamette Park 1100 12th Street, Bernert Landing Boat Ramp.

Friday, October 29th 6:30pm-8:30pm

Saturday, October 30th 6:30pm-8:30pm

On Sunday, October 31st, the King City Recreation Department will hold its 4th Annual Trunk or Treat event from 4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds Expo Lawn. The event is free for children ages 2 – 12.

Trunk or Treat is a safe, family-friendly event where businesses, organizations, and community members decorate the trunks of their cars for Halloween and pass out candy. There is still time to sign up to help. In addition, sponsors are needed to help purchase supplies, prizes and publicity, and will be recognized in advertising and social media.