Spring Summer 2018

www.ohca.com Spring/Summer 2018 The Oregon Caregiver 21 PROFILE Workforce issues are front and center for many providers in the state, especially those in rural areas. What can Oregon do moving forward to address these issues? The first thing we need to do is start thinking about professional development and career growth for people in positions that might seem like entry level positions. We need to treat everyone like professionals. We should assume that everyone wants to do a good job and to be trained well. I also think we need to pay people more. I’d like to see us connect more with high school students, students at technical schools, and other places to get people into these jobs. We need to prioritize fixing scheduling issues to make working these jobs easier for people with kids and other responsibilities. What does the future of healthcare and Medicaid funding look like? The people of Oregon demonstrated overwhelmingly in the vote on Measure 101 that we believe everyone should have access to affordable healthcare. We are going to struggle with the federal side of this, but it does seem like the national opinion on the Affordable Care Act is that it is a good thing and that major changes to it aren’t a good thing. You just completed your 7th legislative session as a state senator. How has your perspective changed along the way? I quickly started looking at things through a different lens, which is broader than it was before. Through experience you get better at figuring out who you need to talk with to get things done and get information. I also learned—more than I realized before—the importance of integrity and truthfulness and who to best count on to get valid information. I’ve always tried not to make assumptions about people, and I try even harder now. My appreciation for our agency directors has also grown. We have really good people working for the state on the executive branch side. What issues are you looking to address in the 2019 legislative session? We are already starting to have conversations about Medicaid provider taxes, except for the nursing facility provider tax which we already took care of this session. Prescription drugs are going to be a big issue. I’m on task forces for kids’ welfare, kids’ mental health, the opioid epidemic, and I’m sure more that I’ll add before the next session. Ultimately, I feel that our priorities should reflect our values as a state. 