| About Us | |
| Mission Statement | |
Department of Human Services
Helping People to Become Independent, Healthy and Safe
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| Organization | |
| Annual Performance Measures The Office for Oregon Health Policy and Research (OHPR) is responsible for the development and analysis of health policy in Oregon and serves as the policymaking body for the Oregon Health Plan. The Office provides analysis, technical, and policy support to assist the Governor and the Legislature in setting health policy. It carries out specific tasks assigned by the Legislature and the Governor, provides reports and conducts analyses relating to health care costs, utilization, quality, and access. The Office for Oregon Health Policy and Research also carries out its responsibilities by providing staff support to statutorily established advisory bodies responsible for health care policy recommendations including: the Oregon Health Policy Commission, the Health Services Commission, the Health Resources Commission, the Advisory Committee on Physician Credentialing, the Medicaid Advisory Committee, and the Safety Net Advisory Council. It also coordinates the work of the Oregon Health Research and Evaluation Collaborative and the Oregon Prescription Drug Program. In addition, OHPR under Senate Bill 329 is providing staff support to the newly created Oregon Health Fund Board tasked with developing a broad health reform plan for Oregon by October 2008. For further information on the Office for Oregon Health Policy and Research contact the OHPR Administrator, Jeanene Smith MD, MPH at (503) 373-1625. OHPR Business Plan (doc) | |
| Programs | |
| The Oregon Health Policy Commission (HPC) enacted out of the 72nd Legislative session, this Commission is responsible for health policy and planning for the state. The Commission identifies and analyzes significant health care issues affecting the state and makes policy recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature and OHPR. For more information on this Commission, please contact Gretchen Morley MPA, OHPC Director at (503) 373-1641. The Health Services Commission (HSC) prioritizes health services and benefit categories for the Oregon Health Plan. The Health Services Commission created and maintains the Prioritized List of Healthcare Services, which ranks health services by efficacy and cost for Oregon's Medicaid program, the Oregon Health Plan. For more information on this Commission, please contact Darren Coffman, HSC Director at (503) 373-1616. The Health Resources Commission (HRC) established in 1991, this Commission conducts medical technology assessments to assure that Oregonians are not incurring health expenses for redundant or ineffective services. The Commission encourages the rational and appropriate allocation and use of medical technology in Oregon by informing and influencing health care decision makers through its analysis and dissemination of information concerning the effectiveness and cost of medical technologies and their impact on the health and health care of Oregonians. The Commission is focused on the Practitioner-managed Prescription Drug Plan, working with OHSU's Evidence-based Practice Center to review the medical literature to determine the effectiveness of certain groups of prescription drugs but also is evaluating evidence for medical technology assessments. For more information on this Commission, please contact David Pass, MD, HRC Director at (503) 373-0887. Advisory Committee on Physician Credentialing Information (ACPCI) develops minimum uniform credentialing information of physicians for Oregon's hospitals and health plans. For more information, please contact Dorothy Allen at (503) 373-1985. The Medicaid Advisory Committee (MAC) advises the Oregon Health Policy Commission, OHPR and the Department of Human Services on the operation of Oregon's Medicaid program, the Oregon Health Plan. For more information, please contact Heidi Allen at (503) 373-1608 or Ann Helmer (DMAP) at (503) 945-5769. The Oregon Health Research and Evaluation Collaborative (OHREC) is a statewide organization that includes health care researchers from Oregon's distinguished universities, state and county agencies, representatives of managed care organizations, hospital systems, mental health and substance abuse advocates and a variety of other stakeholders. OHREC produces and presents research focused on the impacts of policy changes to the Oregon Health Plan population. For more information on this collaborative, please contact Heidi Allen at (503) 373-1608. The Oregon Prescription Drug Program (OPDP) is a prescription drug purchasing pool authorized by the 2003 Oregon Legislature to help increase access to prescription drugs by the uninsured and lower costs for state and city governments to help them stay within budgeted goals. The OPDP will meet these goals by pooling prescription drug purchasing power, using evidence-based research to develop a preferred drug list of lowest cost drugs, negotiating competitive discounts with pharmacies and bringing transparent pharmacy benefit management services to groups. The OPDP hopes to unite Oregon's prescription drug purchasers to leverage the best prices on the most effective medicines. The OPDP went "live" on March 1, 2005 enrolling over 1,000 eligible Oregonians. For more information on OPDP or to get an application visit www.opdp.org or call OPDP at 1-(888) 411-OPDP or contact Missy Dolan, Administrator at (503) 373-1595. The Safety Net Advisory Council (SNAC) In order to promote understanding and support for safety net patients and providers in Oregon, the Governor's Office directed the Office for Oregon Health Plan Policy and Research in conjunction with the Department of Human Services, Health Systems Planning to convene and staff the Health Care Safety Net Advisory Council (SNAC). The SNAC will reflect the diversity of Oregon's health care safety net and meet at least quarterly. The SNAC will provide policy makers and the Oregon Health Policy Commission with specific policy recommendations for safety net providers in order to ensure the provision of needed services to vulnerable Oregonians. For more information, please contact Marian Blankenship (DHS-Health System Planning) 971-673-1322. The Health Care Acquired Infection Advisory Committee is a statutorily mandated committee to advise Oregon Health Policy and Research (OHPR) on the development of a health care acquired infections reporting program in Oregon. The program will require health care facilities to report health care acquired infection measures starting on January 1, 2009 for subsequent public reporting. The advisory committee will advise OHPR on what specific health care acquired infection measures that health care facilities must report and prescribe the form, manner and frequency of reports of health care acquired infection measures by health care facilities. For more information, please contact Sean Kolmer at (503) 373-1824 or Shawna Kennedy-Walters at (503) 373-1598. | |
