Oregon Health & Science University
Encyclopedia
Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is a public university
in Oregon
with a main campus, including two hospital
s, in Portland
and a smaller campus in Hillsboro
. It was formed in 1974 as the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center, combining state dentistry
, medicine
, and nursing
programs into a single center.
It was renamed Oregon Health Sciences University in 1981 and took its current name in 2001, as part of a merger with the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology (OGI) in Hillsboro. In addition, the university has several partnership programs including a joint PharmD Pharmacy
program with Oregon State University
.
, is home to the university's medical school as well as two associated hospitals. The Oregon Health & Science University Hospital
is a Level I trauma center and general hospital; Doernbecher Children's Hospital
is a children's hospital
which specializes in pediatric medicine and care of children with long-term illness. The university maintains a number of outpatient primary care facilities including the Physician's Pavilion at the Marquam Hill campus as well as throughout the Portland metropolitan area
.
A third hospital, the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center is located next to the OHSU campus; this hospital is run by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
and is outside the auspices of OHSU. A 1992 pedestrian bridge
connecting OHSU Hospital and the VA Medical Center is the longest suspended pedestrian skybridge
in North America, with a length of 660 feet (201.2 m).
Additionally, the Portland Shriners Hospital for Children
is located on the OHSU campus.
The University also has a campus in Hillsboro, at the site of the former OGI. This campus specializes in graduate-level science and engineering education, and is located in the heart of Oregon's Silicon Forest
. Since 1998, the university has controlled the Oregon National Primate Research Center
, located adjacent to OGI in Hillsboro.
With the Marquam Hill campus running out of room for expansion, beginning in 2003 OHSU announced plans to expand into the South Waterfront District
, formerly known as the North Macadam District. The expansion area is along the Willamette River
in the South Portland neighborhood to the east of Marquam Hill and south of the city center
. The newly-constructed Center for Health & Healing
earned LEED Platinum certification in February 2007, becoming the largest health care center in the U.S. to achieve that status. As existing surface streets were deemed insufficient to connect the two campuses, the new Portland Aerial Tram
was built as the primary link between them and opened December 1, 2006. Controversy surrounded the costs of the tram, which nearly quadrupled from initial estimates. Construction of the tram was funded largely by OHSU ($40 million, 70%), with contributions from the city of Portland ($8.5 million, 15%) and developers and landowners in the South Portland neighborhood.
On January 8, 2008, OHSU announced that it will establish a research institute
at the Florida Center for Innovation at Tradition in the Tradition community, Port St. Lucie, Florida
. The institute eventually will employ 200 workers. Institute scientists will study infectious diseases of the elderly, AIDS
and other infectious diseases and viruses. OHSU will work out of the adjacent Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies
until its own center is completed. A $117.9 million financial incentive
package from the state of Florida secured OHSU’s commitment.
, Doctor of Philosophy
, Master of Science
, Master of Physician Assistant Studies, and Master of Public Health
. In 2011, the US News and World Report ranked OHSU amongst the top medical schools in the country, placing the school 3rd overall in Primary Care Rankings and 36th in Research Rankings. In addition, the publication ranked the school 2nd in Family Medicine and 5th in Rural Medicine specialties. As the only medical school in Oregon
, OHSU is committed to meeting the health care needs of the state with typically 70% of the students from in-state. Admissions is highly competitive, with the school receiving over 4,500 applications and interviewing approximately 550 applicants for 115 seats. The average GPA of the entering class is 3.63 with a median MCAT score of 31. In addition, the Physician Assistant program was most recently ranked 6th by US News and World Report'".
The university can trace its roots back to the 1860s when the predecessor Willamette University School of Medicine was started in Salem
. Willamette University and the University of Oregon
merged their medical programs in 1913, creating the University of Oregon schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing. This lasted until 1974 when the state mandated the combination of those three schools into one freestanding University, independent of the University of Oregon. Its primary campus was established in 1917 by the donation of 20 acres (8.1 ha) from the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company and 88 acres (35.6 ha) from the family that owned the now-defunct Oregon Journal
. The land had originally been bought sight-unseen for the purpose of building a railroad yard. The area being on a hill, however, made this impossible.
In 2006, the animal rights group PETA
incited some controversy over OHSU research involving sheep. The research, which is being conducted in conjunction with Oregon State University
is designed to understand the biological mechanisms involved in sexual partner preference. These experiments are being funded through public grants through the year 2008.
On October 29, 2008, OHSU announced its largest philanthropic gift to date: a $100 million gift from Nike
co-founder Phil Knight
and his wife Penny Knight. The gift went to the OHSU Cancer Institute, renaming it the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
with a main campus, including two hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s, in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and a smaller campus in Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
. It was formed in 1974 as the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center, combining state dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
, medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, and nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
programs into a single center.
It was renamed Oregon Health Sciences University in 1981 and took its current name in 2001, as part of a merger with the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology (OGI) in Hillsboro. In addition, the university has several partnership programs including a joint PharmD Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
program with Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
.
Campuses
The main campus, located on Marquam Hill (colloquially known as "Pill Hill") in the southwest neighborhood of HomesteadHomestead, Portland, Oregon
Homestead is a Southwest Portland, Oregon neighborhood in the city's West Hills. The neighborhood is home to Marquam Nature Park , which offers urban hiking in the form of the Marquam Trail, which one can follow to Downtown. The neighborhood also features a scenic boulevard, SW Terwilliger Blvd....
, is home to the university's medical school as well as two associated hospitals. The Oregon Health & Science University Hospital
Oregon Health & Science University Hospital
Oregon Health & Science University Hospital is a Level I trauma center and teaching hospital in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of Oregon Health & Science University , the facility has 534 beds. Located on OHSU's Marquim Hill campus south of Downtown Portland, the hospital is adjacent...
is a Level I trauma center and general hospital; Doernbecher Children's Hospital
Doernbecher Children's Hospital
Doernbecher Children's Hospital is a children's hospital located in Portland, Oregon, and associated with Oregon Health & Science University.The first full-service children's hospital in the Pacific Northwest, Doernbecher provides full-spectrum pediatric care. The hospital opened in 1926 on...
is a children's hospital
Children's hospital
A children's hospital is a hospital which offers its services exclusively to children . The number of children's hospitals proliferated in the 20th century, as pediatric medical and surgical specialties separated from internal medicine and adult surgical specialties...
which specializes in pediatric medicine and care of children with long-term illness. The university maintains a number of outpatient primary care facilities including the Physician's Pavilion at the Marquam Hill campus as well as throughout the Portland metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
.
A third hospital, the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center is located next to the OHSU campus; this hospital is run by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
and is outside the auspices of OHSU. A 1992 pedestrian bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
connecting OHSU Hospital and the VA Medical Center is the longest suspended pedestrian skybridge
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
in North America, with a length of 660 feet (201.2 m).
Additionally, the Portland Shriners Hospital for Children
Portland Shriners Hospital
The Shriners Hospital for Children is a 29-bed, non-profit pediatric hospital located in Portland, Oregon. It specializes in orthopaedics, cleft lip, and palate disorders as part of the 22-hospital system belonging to the Shriners Hospitals for Children...
is located on the OHSU campus.
Silicon Forest
Silicon Forest is a nickname for the cluster of high-tech companies located in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Southwest Washington, and most frequently refers to the industrial corridor between Beaverton and Hillsboro in northwest Oregon.The name is similar to...
. Since 1998, the university has controlled the Oregon National Primate Research Center
Oregon National Primate Research Center
The Oregon National Primate Research Center is one of eight federally funded National Primate Research Centers in the United States and has been affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University since 1998. The center is located on of land west of Portland, Oregon, in Hillsboro...
, located adjacent to OGI in Hillsboro.
With the Marquam Hill campus running out of room for expansion, beginning in 2003 OHSU announced plans to expand into the South Waterfront District
South Waterfront
The South Waterfront is a high-rise district under construction on former brownfield industrial land in the South Portland neighborhood south of downtown Portland, Oregon, U.S. It is one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the United States...
, formerly known as the North Macadam District. The expansion area is along the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
in the South Portland neighborhood to the east of Marquam Hill and south of the city center
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
. The newly-constructed Center for Health & Healing
OHSU Center for Health & Healing
Oregon Health & Science University's Center for Health & Healing is a medical building in the South Waterfront district of Portand, Oregon. It is connected to the main OHSU campus by the Portland Aerial Tram.-History:...
earned LEED Platinum certification in February 2007, becoming the largest health care center in the U.S. to achieve that status. As existing surface streets were deemed insufficient to connect the two campuses, the new Portland Aerial Tram
Portland Aerial Tram
The Portland Aerial Tram is an aerial tramway in Portland, Oregon, carrying commuters between the city's South Waterfront district and the main Oregon Health & Science University campus, located in the Marquam Hill neighborhood. It is the second commuter aerial tramway in the United States...
was built as the primary link between them and opened December 1, 2006. Controversy surrounded the costs of the tram, which nearly quadrupled from initial estimates. Construction of the tram was funded largely by OHSU ($40 million, 70%), with contributions from the city of Portland ($8.5 million, 15%) and developers and landowners in the South Portland neighborhood.
On January 8, 2008, OHSU announced that it will establish a research institute
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
at the Florida Center for Innovation at Tradition in the Tradition community, Port St. Lucie, Florida
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Port St. Lucie is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The population of Port St. Lucie was 88,769 at the 2000 census but grew rapidly during the 2000s. In 2009 the State of Florida estimated the City's population at 155,251. Port St. Lucie forms part of a metropolitan area called...
. The institute eventually will employ 200 workers. Institute scientists will study infectious diseases of the elderly, AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and other infectious diseases and viruses. OHSU will work out of the adjacent Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies
Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies
The Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, also commonly referred to as TPIMS, is a non-profit biomedical research institute "dedicated to the discovery of causes, treatments and cures for a wide variety of diseases and afflictions including heart disease, cancer, AIDS, diabetes, multiple...
until its own center is completed. A $117.9 million financial incentive
Incentive
In economics and sociology, an incentive is any factor that enables or motivates a particular course of action, or counts as a reason for preferring one choice to the alternatives. It is an expectation that encourages people to behave in a certain way...
package from the state of Florida secured OHSU’s commitment.
School of Medicine
The OHSU School of Medicine confers a variety of degrees, including Doctor of MedicineDoctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
, Master of Physician Assistant Studies, and Master of Public Health
Master of Public Health
The Master of Public Health and the Doctor of Public Health are multi-disciplinary professional degrees awarded for studies in areas related to public health....
. In 2011, the US News and World Report ranked OHSU amongst the top medical schools in the country, placing the school 3rd overall in Primary Care Rankings and 36th in Research Rankings. In addition, the publication ranked the school 2nd in Family Medicine and 5th in Rural Medicine specialties. As the only medical school in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, OHSU is committed to meeting the health care needs of the state with typically 70% of the students from in-state. Admissions is highly competitive, with the school receiving over 4,500 applications and interviewing approximately 550 applicants for 115 seats. The average GPA of the entering class is 3.63 with a median MCAT score of 31. In addition, the Physician Assistant program was most recently ranked 6th by US News and World Report'".
School of Nursing
The School of Nursing at OHSU offers nursing programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. The graduate nursing program was most recently ranked 7th overall in the nation by the US News and World Report and 5th in the gerontology/geriatric specialty.History
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. Willamette University and the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
merged their medical programs in 1913, creating the University of Oregon schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing. This lasted until 1974 when the state mandated the combination of those three schools into one freestanding University, independent of the University of Oregon. Its primary campus was established in 1917 by the donation of 20 acres (8.1 ha) from the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company and 88 acres (35.6 ha) from the family that owned the now-defunct Oregon Journal
Oregon Journal
The Oregon Journal was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The Journal was founded in Portland by C. S. Jackson, the publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's East Oregonian newspaper, after a group of Portlanders convinced Jackson to help in the reorganization of the Portland...
. The land had originally been bought sight-unseen for the purpose of building a railroad yard. The area being on a hill, however, made this impossible.
In 2006, the animal rights group PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
incited some controversy over OHSU research involving sheep. The research, which is being conducted in conjunction with Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
is designed to understand the biological mechanisms involved in sexual partner preference. These experiments are being funded through public grants through the year 2008.
On October 29, 2008, OHSU announced its largest philanthropic gift to date: a $100 million gift from Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
co-founder Phil Knight
Phil Knight
Philip Hampson "Phil" Knight is an American business magnate. He is the co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc. He resigned as the company's chief executive officer in 2004, while retaining the position of chairman of the board...
and his wife Penny Knight. The gift went to the OHSU Cancer Institute, renaming it the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
See also
- Oregon Health Sciences University Emergency HeliportOregon Health Sciences University Emergency HeliportOregon Health & Science University Heliport is a private heliport located in Portland in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States at Oregon Health & Science University.-External links:*...