Oregon bill would require hospitals to log unsafe devices, protect staff who report them

State Representative Travis Nelson on Thursday urged the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care to pass House Bill 2794, telling lawmakers the measure is designed “not an attack on hospitals ... it’s about protection.” The bill would require hospitals and long‑term care facilities to establish a clear process for staff to report faulty or dangerous equipment, keep those reports for five years and bar retaliation against workers who make internal or OHA complaints.

Nelson said the bill grew from a local patient‑safety incident in which a hospital system switched to a new intravenous catheter that, staff reported, led to IVs “coming apart,” vascular inflammation and other harms. “Almost immediately after the switch, providers…