WASHINGTON – Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced Monday the first in what’s expected to be more long long lists of Oregon projects funded through the half-dozen final fiscal 2024 spending bills Congress passed late last week and President Biden quickly signed into law, to avoid a government shutdown.
They include $1.142 million for St. Charles Health System and OHSU to help establish a psychiatry residency program to improve psychiatric and behavioral health services in Central Oregon.
“As Central Oregon has seen a surge in population growth the past decade, this program will help meet the need for increased services involving mental health, which has put a strain on the region’s only hospital system,” the announcement said.
St. Charles Public Information Officer Alandra Johnson said, “We are grateful for the support from Oregon’s senators and the federal government to bolster funding for behavioral health needs, which continue to grow in Central Oregon. We are working on a variety of behavioral health initiatives, with the hopes of increasing access in our community.”
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