Oregon’s public health system

The Oregon Health Division (OHD), within the Department of Human Services, provides resources, technical assistance, and consultation in a wide variety of areas, including medical, epidemiological, and technical support. Local governments directly operate the 33 county public health departments and one multi-county health department, with or without a local board of health. In three counties, the local government contracts with private health clinics to perform public health clinical services, and one county has no health department.

NWCPHP activities in Oregon

• NWCPHP staff participated in a Tribal Preparedness conference, September 15-16, 2005, for Washington, Idaho and Oregon tribes.
• NWCPHP co-sponsored and recruited University of Washington faculty to teach at the Public Health Training Institute (February 23-25, 2005) and the Annual Oregon Public Health Conference (February 21-23, 2006).
• NWCPHP staff provided iLinc Web Conferencing Technical Support and Training for state and local public health agencies, 2004-2005.
• NWCPHP participated in and presented at the Northwest Public Health Leadership Institute, held in Portland, October 10-13, 2004.

Oregon contacts

Catherine Southern
Public Health Educator
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program
Oregon Department of Human Services

Joy Weyer
Training & Education Specialist
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program
Oregon Department of Human Services

Lynda Muriera
Training & Exercise Manager
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program
Oregon Department of Human Services

Other Oregon links

Oregon Department of Human Services: Public Health Division

Oregon County Health Departments

News and Notices for Public Health

Oregon in brief

Oregon has about 3.4 million people. Portland is the largest city with a total metropolitan area of over 1 million. The 2000 US Census classified 21.3% of Oregon’s population as rural and 42.3% as non-urbanized. About 19,000 American Indians are registered in the state’s 11 tribal nations. The state is divided by the Cascade mountain range into two distinct geographic and cultural entities, creating unique challenges in planning for and implementing public health and emergency preparedness programs.