Oregon DOC outlines health services overhaul, contracts Falcon for statewide review

The Oregon Department of Corrections on April 17 presented a multi-pronged plan to improve health care for adults in custody, including leadership changes, a contracted outside review, policy changes to speed specialty referrals and a planned electronic health record rollout this year.

Director Mike Rees, director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, told the Senate Committee on Judiciary that an outside investigation into personnel complaints produced sustained findings against the assistant director of health services and the chief of medicine. "I reviewed the investigative report, listened to or read individual interviews, and read all of the supporting documents," Rees said. He said he concurred with the findings, terminated the two leaders and appointed new interim leadership.

The changes came amid efforts to address backlogs in scheduling off‑site medical visits, staffing shortages and the absence of an electronic medical record. "The health and well-being of those in our custody and care is a top priority," Rees said. He also said the department hired Falcon Correctional and Community Services to conduct a comprehensive, top‑to‑bottom review of health services.

Heidi Stewart, deputy director of the Department of Corrections and interim assistant director for Health Services, described immediate operational steps taken since she assumed the interim role about five months ago. Stewart said the department consolidated schedulers who arrange off‑site appointments into a single statewide section under a clinical supervisor, and that the DOC has added schedulers and transport staff. "We do not restrain women at the hospital when they're going through labor and delivery," Stewart said in response to a committee question about restraints at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.

Michael Seal, chief of medicine for the DOC, outlined plans to implement an electronic health record (EHR) to replace thick paper charts and to shorten delays in specialty care. Seal said the department is piloting the EHR at Coffee Creek and the Oregon State Penitentiary, with a scheduled go‑live at Coffee Creek in August 2025 and at OSP in September–October 2025; full deployment across remaining facilities is scheduled for November 2025. "An EHR is available; there are no lost charts when someone transfers to another facility," Seal said, listing benefits such as legibility, integration with pharmacy systems and electronic flags for clinicians.

Seal also described changes to the Therapeutics Level of Care (TLC) committee process. Effective March 1, providers may make a range of outside referrals and follow specialist recommendations without waiting for TLC approval, which the department said should shorten waits for preventive and specialty services such as mammograms, colonoscopies, hearing aids and sleep studies. Seal said TLC meetings have been revised so delegates can run meetings when the chief cannot attend, to prevent delays.

Robin Timmy, principal with Falcon Correctional and Community Services Inc., summarized the external review Falcon is conducting. Falcon was engaged in December 2024 to perform an initial triage and then a full assessment; Timmy said the team has reviewed extensive records, visited nearly every prison in the state and was on site at Coffee Creek the week of April 17. Falcon has deployed a staff survey that had 181 responses as of the committee hearing, representing more than 30% of the Health Services Division in under a week, Timmy said. Falcon's final draft report is contracted for delivery by June 30, 2025.

Committee members asked about persistent backlogs for off‑site specialty care and the budgetary and security implications of hospital escorts and overnight stays. Stewart and Seal said the department has seen a rise in off‑site care since January 2025 and reported a 25% increase in March 2025 compared with the 2024 monthly average. They said emergency transports are handled by security staff and that overtime in institutions is affected when individuals require prolonged hospital stays. The department said it has discussed, but not entered, formal partnerships with local law enforcement for hospital security; it has used parole and probation staff in some cases.

Rees, Stewart and Seal described recruitment and retention steps: a health‑services‑focused recruiter began work April 1; facility‑specific loan reimbursement opportunities have been applied for; job postings were revised; and temporary agency providers remain in use during recruitment and the EHR transition. Seal listed recent hires that he said were in process: one MD scheduled to start July 1 at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution and one nurse practitioner scheduled to start May 1 at Coffee Creek.

Falcon and DOC described other areas of work and concern: developing a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program, clarifying administrative reporting lines and separating clinical from administrative functions, expanding on‑site specialties and telehealth options, and conducting a staffing analysis six to 12 months after full EHR implementation. Falcon identified Coffee Creek and Oregon State Penitentiary as sites warranting additional attention and praised the work of DOC dental and central pharmacy operations.

The committee did not take formal legislative action at the hearing; members said they expect follow‑up once Falcon completes its report. Rees and staff said they will provide additional cost and utilization data (for example, costs tied to off‑site care and hospital escorts) upon request. The committee chair said the committee will revisit the issue in the next legislative interim to review Falcon's findings and DOC's progress.

Although the department described measurable steps and an implementation timeline, witnesses acknowledged work remains to clear backlogs and achieve better cross‑discipline care coordination; speakers repeatedly said the EHR and CQI program are central to that work. "We should all expect that additional resources will be needed in the future to implement change and improve health care," Robin Timmy said.

Ending: The committee concluded after members indicated they would seek a progress update following Falcon's June 30 report and after the department provides additional operational and cost data requested by senators.