They Say it Can't Be Done: Universal Health Care in Oregon

Many Oregonians can’t depend on receiving timely, affordable health care. The Oregon Legislature’s House Health Care Committee just released a report from legislators, industry representatives, physicians, and a few critics, all attempting to find a way toward accessible, affordable healthcare for everyone in Oregon. Can we achieve universal care? Do we want universal care?

State representative Andrea Salinas (D) and former state representative Rich Vial (R) join Oregon Nursing Association director Martin Taylor to discuss what they’ve learned while serving on of the “Universal Access to Health Care” Work Group and what they think Oregon can do next. This discussion will be moderated by Vanetta Abdellatif, director of Multnomah County’s Integrated Clinical Services.

Light refreshments will be served after the program.

Panelists

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Andrea Salinas lives in Lake Oswego and represents District 38 in the Oregon House of Representatives. She serves on the House Health Care, Transportation, and Agriculture and Natural Resources committees. Salinas is the daughter of an immigrant from Mexico. Prior to joining the legislature, she worked for Senator Harry Reid, Representatives Pete Stark and Darlene Hooley, and was Oregon vice president of Strategies 360, a political consulting firm.

Martin Taylor joined the Oregon Nurses Association as its CEO in 2017. He previous served as an executive director of public affairs with CareOregon for nine years, developing Oregon’s coordinated care organization model. As ONA’s former director of health policy and government relations, he facilitated passage of the country’s first statewide nurse staffing law based on patient acuity.

Rich Vial lives in Hillsboro and is the former representative of District 26 in the Oregon House of Representatives. He served on the interim House Health Care, Carbon Reduction, and Judiciary committees. He is also Chair of the Washington County Planning Commission and previously served as Chair of the Groner School District Board and the Washington County Fair Board. He has been a land use attorney in Oregon for 30 years.

Moderator

Vanetta Abdellatif is director of Integrated Clinical Services for Multnomah County. She oversees the County’s 25 health centers including 12 student health centers, eight primary care clinics, seven pharmacies, six dental sites, a central laboratory, and an HIV clinic. The system serves more than 70,000 residents each year and is one of the nation’s largest federally qualified health centers.  

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