(1) The Oregon Health Authority shall approve continuing education opportunities relating to cultural competency.

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(2) The authority shall develop a list of continuing education opportunities relating to cultural competency and make the list available to each board, as defined in ORS § 676.850.

(3) The continuing education opportunities may include, but need not be limited to:

(a) Courses delivered either in person or electronically;

(b) Experiential learning such as cultural or linguistic immersion;

(c) Service learning; or

(d) Specially designed cultural experiences.

(4) The continuing education opportunities must teach attitudes, knowledge and skills that enable a health care professional to care effectively for patients from diverse cultures, groups and communities, including but not limited to:

(a) Applying linguistic skills to communicate effectively with patients from diverse cultures, groups and communities;

(b) Using cultural information to establish therapeutic relationships; and

(c) Eliciting, understanding and applying cultural and ethnic data in the process of clinical care.

(5) The authority may accept gifts, grants or contributions from any public or private source for the purpose of carrying out this section. Moneys received by the authority under this subsection shall be deposited into the Oregon Health Authority Fund established by ORS § 413.101.

(6) The authority may contract with or award grant funding to a public or private entity to develop the list of or offer approved continuing education opportunities relating to cultural competency. The authority is not subject to the requirements of ORS chapters 279A, 279B and 279C with respect to contracts entered into under this subsection. [2013 c.240 § 2]

See note under 413.430.

(Temporary provisions relating to advisory committee to be convened to provide guidance on establishing, funding and operating pilot program to improve health outcomes of Oregonians impacted by racism)

Sections 1 and 6 (1), chapter 48, Oregon Laws 2022, provide:

(1) As used in this section:

(a) ‘Communities of color’ means members of the following racial or ethnic communities:

(A) American Indian;

(B) Alaska Native;

(C) Hispanic or Latino;

(D) Asian;

(E) Native Hawaiian;

(F) Pacific Islander;

(G) Black or African American;

(H) Middle Eastern;

(I) North African;

(J) Mixed race; or

(K) Other racial or ethnic minorities.

(b) ‘Priority populations’ means groups that disproportionately experience avoidable illness, death or other poor health or social outcomes attributable directly or indirectly to racism, including:

(A) Communities of color;

(B) Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes and the descendants of the members of the tribes;

(C) Immigrants;

(D) Refugees;

(E) Migrant and seasonal farmworkers;

(F) Low-income individuals and families;

(G) Persons with disabilities; and

(H) Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer or who question their sexual or gender identity.

(2)(a) The Oregon Health Authority shall convene an advisory committee to provide guidance on establishing, funding and operating a pilot program to improve the health outcomes of Oregonians impacted by racism by providing grants to one or more entities to operate two culturally and linguistically specific mobile health units in this state.

(b) The membership of the advisory committee shall consist of:

(A) Individuals from priority populations; and

(B) Public health and health care professionals or other experts.

(c) At least 51 percent of the members of the advisory committee with decision-making authority must be members of priority populations.

(d) Eligibility requirements for grants must align with the health equity framework of the authority’s 2020-2024 State Health Improvement Plan, Healthier Together Oregon.

(3) Based on the guidance of the advisory committee convened under subsection (2) of this section, the authority shall administer the pilot program, providing grants only to entities that:

(a) Demonstrate the ability to serve priority populations;

(b) Demonstrate the ability to conduct meaningful community engagement; and

(c) Have previously established relationships with one or more priority populations.

(4) Pilot mobile health units funded by grants described in subsection (3) of this section must engage in an assessment of the populations served by race, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity to inform the potential expansion of the pilot program statewide.

(5) The authority shall study the feasibility of expanding mobile health units throughout this state. In conducting the study, the authority shall engage providers of health care, members of coordinated care organizations, medical assistance recipients and other community members from priority populations. The study shall include:

(a) An environmental scan of Oregon;

(b) A needs assessment of the collective needs of underserved areas of this state;

(c) The identification and development of regional parameters where mobile health units will operate;

(d) The identification and development of a culturally and linguistically specific mobile health unit model staffed by health professionals who reflect the priority populations served;

(e) An analysis of services to be provided by mobile health units;

(f) The identification of opportunities to leverage matching federal funds;

(g) An analysis of staff and resources needed for statewide mobile health units;

(h) A financial analysis; and

(i) How to ensure the authority’s goals for equity and inclusion are met.

(6) The authority shall provide an interim report to the Legislative Assembly, in the manner provided in ORS § 192.245, no later than December 31, 2025, and a final report no later than June 30, 2026, on the implementation of the pilot program described in subsection (2) of this section and the findings of the study described in subsection (5) of this section. The final report shall include recommendations for implementing a statewide mobile health unit pilot program. [2022 c.48 § 1]

(1) Section 1, chapter 48, Oregon Laws 2022, is repealed on January 2, 2027. [2022 c.48 § 6(1); 2023 c.422 § 2(1)]

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