Oregon Health Authority outlines key performance measures, seeks $100 million for behavioral health

On Feb. 20 the Joint Subcommittee on Human Services heard Oregon Health Authority officials present the agency’s key performance measures and outline proposed investments for the 2025–27 biennium, including a $100 million request to expand behavioral health residential treatment capacity.

The presentation, opened as an informational meeting on House Bill 5025, was led by Chris Kautz, deputy director for administration at the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and Sejal Hathi, OHA director. Kautz noted the agency has presented performance measures for “the last almost, quarter of a century” and described a transition of some measures to align with OHA’s strategic plan and Oregon Health Forward, the agency’s transparency, accountability and belonging initiative.

The measures highlighted included average mentally unhealthy days in the past 30 days among adults (a behavioral-health outcome tracked in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), mortality from drug overdose, severe maternal morbidity,…