The rate of infections will increase statewide through the beginning of December, according to the latest OHSU forecast.

In a story about Project Hope in Clackamas County, Todd Korthuis, M.D., says opioid use has reached crisis levels in Oregon: “We just haven’t seen anything like fentanyl in the past. It’s going to take all of us working together to respond.”

Katie Drago, M.D., tells KGW Healthier Together that OHSU has seen a sharp increase in ground-level falls over the past five years, and notes that for older adults, these falls can be life-changing or even deadly: “More people aging well. That’s wonderful. That means medicine has worked, but it means more people are living longer with chronic illness, with lots of medications and sometimes falls can be the canary in the coal mine."

Robert Orfaly, M.D., writes about workplace safety in light of national instances of gun violence.

As wildfire smoke caused unhealthy air quality, Shyam Joshi, M.D., gives advice on symptoms to look for and how to manage irritants: "When you come inside, wash your face, wash your hands, change clothing potentially to get any of those irritants and allergens off your body."

On OPB Think Out Loud, Elizabeth Waddell, Ph.D., discusses her team's report that found a nearly 50% gap in services for substance use disorder treatment, prevention, recovery and harm reduction in Oregon.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation holds the annual tram evacuation exercise, featuring the dramatic sight of a team using ropes and harnesses to lower four volunteers -- "passengers" -- 100 feet to the top floor of the OHSU Casey Eye Institute’s parking garage.

Evie Hobbs, M.D., discusses the importance of patients with breast cancer honestly reporting alcohol use: “Alcohol use can cause a state of chronic inflammation in the body. We know that inflammation can generally cause a greater risk of developing cancer — especially colon cancer, but also breast cancer.”

In an article on the risks and potential benefits of cannabis use for patients undergoing chemotherapy, Eric Roeland, M.D., says: “Before you start a conversation about use of cannabis, it’s important to figure out why you’re wanting to use it. What symptom are you targeting? What is the evidence available for the uses of medical cannabis in this setting? Sadly, the evidence across the board is really poor.”

Marcel Curlin, M.D., discusses ongoing COVID-19 reinfection, noting that reinfection is occurring at high rates, but illness is less severe: "I bet if we did a PCR test on every person every four days, we’d see a sky-high rate of reinfection."