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Yamhill County HHS outlines electronic health record rollout, behavioral-health contract changes and housing risks
Summary
Health & Human Services Director Lindsay Manfurn told commissioners the county expects to implement a new electronic health record system in 2026, must submit a behavioral health plan by Oct. 1 under changing state contracts, and is watching frozen Section 8 vouchers that threaten occupancy at 163 county-supported housing units.
Lindsay Manfurn, director of Yamhill County Health and Human Services, briefed the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 11 on the departments multi-year projects, contract negotiations with the Oregon Health Authority and immediate risks to county-run housing programs.
Lede: Manfurn said the county is implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system and expects full implementation in 2026, but cautioned that the process is lengthy and that staffing and funding uncertainties could complicate the timeline.
Nut graf: The department faces three near-term operational items: (1) a yearlong EHR implementation and training run beginning next spring; (2) a behavioral-health contract reorganization that consolidates multiple funding streams into a single contract bucket (requiring a draft plan and budget submission to OHA by Oct. 1); and (3) housing-program strain caused by a freeze on Section 8 vouchers that could reduce occupancy of about 163 units the county operates.
Major points from Manfurns update
- EHR implementation: The county has completed vendor selection and is building templates and workflows with consultants. Manfurn said the rollout is about a year away from full implementation, with phased training beginning in spring 2026. The EHR also handles billing; the prior vendor stopped support and the county has been operating a fragile, self-managed platform.
- Behavioral-health contract changes: The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is consolidating many previously separate contract funding elements into a single financial bucket for community behavioral-health services. Manfurn said the consolidation does not increase or decrease total funding but provides counties more flexibility to meet statutory requirements. The current contract has been extended through December to allow counties and OHA more time to agree on contract language. Manfurn said a draft behavioral-health plan and budget are due Oct. 1 and will likely receive edits from OHA.
- Staffing: Manfurn reported improved recruitment and a leveling in most staff areas but noted continuing vacancies in two areas: in-house crisis staff who do intakes and assessments, and some supervisory/management positions. She said county leadership is working on recruitment strategies for those critical roles.
- Housing and vouchers: The county operates roughly 163 housing units (crisis, respite, transitional and permanent supported housing), many of which rely on Section 8 vouchers. Manfurn said a current voucher freeze has made it hard to fill vacancies and could strain the countys master-lease payments to property owners. She said staff are monitoring the Housing Authority of Yamhill County and will refill vouchers as they become available.
- Budget and federal/state funding: Manfurn said recent partial federal public-health awards have come in over the past six months and that a final award arrived last week, which she said gives greater short-term certainty. However, she warned that changes to Medicaid eligibility and CCO membership could reduce county funding in calendar year 2027 because county funding is often on a per-member-per-month basis with the local coordinated care organization; county staff have built several models to anticipate impacts.
Questions and clarifications
Commissioners asked for follow-up on specific agenda items (noted as items I9 and I13) to confirm whether program funding is contingent on OHA awards and whether certain funds for dependent children in recovery homes were removed from the state contract; Manfurn said the department is using fund balance to avoid service disruption this fiscal year but will need to account for those changes when building the next budget.
What the board asked for next: Manfurn said staff will proceed with the EHR implementation plan, finalize the Oct. 1 draft behavioral-health plan and budget for OHA, and monitor voucher availability with the housing authority. Commissioners asked staff to keep the board informed as negotiations with OHA continue and as CCO contract negotiations begin for the January 1 contract year.
Speakers in this summary are limited to those named in the meeting transcript.
