Oregon
Oregon State Hospital plans changes to prevent deaths like one in April
The Oregon State Hospital in Salem is overseen by the Oregon Health Authority.
Michael Romanos / Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon State Hospital plans to train medical staff to immediately check the vital signs of new patients and respond to life-threatening emergencies with adequate equipment.
The changes are part of the hospital’s proposed plan of correction to fix violations that federal inspectors flagged when they investigated the circumstances surrounding the April 18 death of Skye Baskin, 27. Hospital staff failed to immediately check the vitals of Baskin after he arrived from the Douglas County Jail on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He was declared dead 69 minutes after his arrival, records show.
The state hospital submitted the plan, released to the Capital Chronicle through a public records request, on Friday to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Oregon Health Authority, which runs the state’s secure psychiatric facility in Salem, is waiting for the federal agency to approve the plan.
The hospital’s proposal includes:
- Reviewing and updating protocols for admitting new patients to include screening them for potential medical emergencies.
- Tracking and organizing medical emergency equipment used for code-blue events when a patient’s life is in danger. Inspectors found the equipment was unorganized.
- Auditing medical equipment as well as regular code blue emergency drills for hospital staff to practice life-saving procedures.
Hospital officials told the federal agency they can correct the problems by July, the plan said.
The case is the latest in a string of incidents for Oregon State Hospital that have drawn scrutiny from federal regulators. Last year, a patient escaped from the state hospital in a van, driving it down a highway in a high-speed chase. In that case, the hospital updated its security policies to secure vehicle keys.
A man spent his final days in isolation in an Oregon jail. Why did he die?
Earlier this year, inspectors investigating a patient-on-patient assault found blind spots in the security camera system, which allowed the assault to unfold in which one patient lifted another up by the neck and shook them in the air. For 34 seconds, no one was aware of the attack.
Separately, Oregon State Police have confirmed they are investigating the death of a patient who died of a suspected fentanyl overdose.
Baskin’s death
The federal report on Baskin’s death found that rather than immediately checking his vital signs upon his arrival, hospital staff listened to Douglas County deputies tell them he routinely was unresponsive.
His eyes were closed when hospital staff snapped his photo as part of the intake procedure, records show. A nurse checked Baskin’s vital signs only after he was put in a wheelchair and wheeled to his room with his head hung down and body unresponsive.
The report said the hospital’s failure to immediately assess Baskin created an unsafe environment that “likely contributed” to his harm and death.
While Baskin was in jail, his defense attorney Angelina Hollingsworth told the court her client was unresponsive during a jail visit and asked for the misdemeanor charges to be dismissed because he was in jail for more than a month and no local programs were available to help him. Instead, the judge sent him to Oregon State Hospital, which treats defendants so they can aid in their defense.
Baskin spent about six weeks in the Douglas County Jail. Police arrested him after he was wandering along a highway in and out of traffic.
Oregon State Police are investigating the death, as they do for any unattended death at the state hospital.
Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and X.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Oregon Department of Human Services is asking for help finding a 2-year-old boy who is believed to be in danger.
Armani Andrews disappeared on June 17 and is thought to be with someone in the Portland area, officials said.
He’s about two feet tall with brown hair and brown eyes and African American/mixed race, ODHS said.
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Armani Andrews (file, courtesy Oregon Department of Human Services). -
Armani Andrews (file, courtesy Oregon Department of Human Services).
Locations around Portland that the child may have frequented include the Rose Haven shelter on Northwest Glisan Street, the Multnomah County Central Library on Southwest 10th Avenue and Southeast Portland between 82nd and 103rd avenues.
People who have any information about Andrews’ whereabouts are asked to call 911.
Every year, there are always a few recruiting races that are anything but normal. Twists and turns should be expected on the recruiting trail, but you can still always count on a surprise or two.
The Oregon Ducks have already landed four commitments along the offensive line in the 2027 recruiting cycle, most recently scoring three-star Lex Mailangi. The Ducks are still pushing for one more, however, and it’s the biggest of them all.
Five-star offensive lineman Ismael Camara has taken several visits to Eugene, including one earlier in the spring. However, the Texas star canceled his tour of official visits to finish high school early and give Gilmer High School his best effort on the field in the fall.
Those plans changed quickly when he opted to take unofficial visits to SMU and Texas in June. After once appearing to push his recruitment to the fall and commit closer to early signing day, it’s clear that Camara is now open for business, and he could be moving quickly toward a decision.
When Camara left Eugene in the spring, the Ducks were perceived as a favorite in the race. However, after spending time away and connecting with programs in his home state of Texas, Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman believes Texas is now in the lead, and was told by one of Camara’s family members that a commitment could be coming soon.
While the Longhorns are in charge, SMU, LSU, Texas A&M and Oregon all still remain involved. While he has been able to tour the Texas programs this month, Camara has remained in touch with the Ducks over FaceTime.
“Just fantastic coaches and options all around,” Camara’s guardian, Todd Robison, told Rivals. “We are also in touch regularly with Tennessee, LSU, A&M, and Alabama. He also has had very well-attended FaceTime calls with the entire staff at Oregon. He feels the love for sure.”
The Ducks still appear to be in good standing with Camara, but the inability to get him on campus this month is a big setback. Even if Camara does commit over the summer, the Ducks will likely push hard to get him back to Eugene in the fall for another visit. Don’t expect Oregon to give up on this race until pen hits paper on signing day.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Editor’s note: In 2016, WW expanded its Cheap Eats guide to include a road trip. We identified nine diners, food trucks and one boat worth a pit stop when journeying through Oregon. Since then, a few things have changed: Two of our picks have closed, as noted below, and you don’t need to travel to Medford to find an In-N-Out Burger. But maybe you should!
This list first appeared in the March 23, 1016, edition of WW.
TAQUERIA GUERRERO
508 E 1ST ST., NEWBERG.
Half tienda, half taco spot, Guerrero serves its street tacos and huge mojado burrito ($8.95) with handmade tortillas that shame almost anything in Portland.
JOE’S DONUT SHOP
39230 PIONEER BLVD., SANDY.
This 40-year-old candy-striped dough den offers a ridiculously rich cronut—that’s a fried croissant—fast service, and always-fresh doughnuts. It’s arguably the best doughnut shop in the state.
THE DINER
2580 SE STRATUS AVE., MCMINNVILLE.
The Diner makes one of the state’s greatest sandwiches—a fried-chicken club in which each layer is seasoned and housemade, and the middle slice of bread is replaced by the satisfying crunch of fried chicken.
EASTWIND DRIVE IN
395 WANAPA ST., CASCADE LOCKS.
The Eastwind is where Cheryl Strayed first tasted civilization after ending her long, long walk. The soft-serve ice cream is good enough for you, too, motherfucker.
BOWPICKER FISH & CHIPS
1634 DUANE ST., ASTORIA.
At this 28-foot converted gillnet boat, there are always 12 old men waiting in line for beautifully fresh-caught, hand-battered albacore tuna served with a raft of fries. Join them.
LOCAL BOYZ HAWAIIAN CAFE
1425 NW MONROE AVE., CORVALLIS.
A sweet shoyu chicken plate lunch will fill you up until dinner tomorrow. But broke high-school kids will buy rice for $1.50 just so they can douse it in the magical ginger-garlic-shoyu sauce.
IN-N-OUT
1970 CRATER LAKE HIGHWAY, MEDFORD.
With an address that already sounds like a road trip, the magnificent double-double has punctured the state line. Even from as far away as Portland, it beckons.
NOW CLOSED:
FAT FREDDY’S
6320 PACIFIC AVE., PACIFIC CITY.
After a brief hiatus best forgotten, Pacific City’s beachfront home of towering burgers and equally towering Tillamook ice-cream milkshakes returned two years ago to the sound of hardening arteries.
CORNBREAD CAFE
1290 W 7TH AVE., EUGENE.
It’s arguably Eugene’s best restaurant, and it’s also a perfect fit for the town—a vegan version of an old-school diner, complete with barbecued seitan and outrageously good greens.
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