April 7, 2025 (Tualatin, Ore.) - Oregon Health and Science University’s (OHSU) acquisition of Legacy Health has widespread support from community leaders, including the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), who are invested in creating a stronger and more vibrant healthcare system in Oregon. ONA represents thousands of frontline healthcare professionals at both OHSU and Legacy Health, who perform critical jobs that make these hospitals work. ONA strongly supports this acquisition because it will drastically increase our ability to recruit and retain more frontline caregivers while increasing access to high-quality care for Oregonians.

While ONA is disappointed by the advisory vote of the Oregon Health Authority's (OHA) community review board, which opted not to support the acquisition, we remain confident that this deal will be finalized.

Oregonians face agonizing delays in accessing needed care due to lack of capacity at OHSU, while Legacy has beds that are going unstaffed. OHSU’s $1 billion investment will address this critical challenge by hiring staff and modernizing outdated facilities. As a result, we believe patients will be more likely to see improved health outcomes if the transaction is approved. Patients will experience shorter wait times for care, healthcare workers will gain access to better training, and the system will improve language access and generate substantial resources to advance health equity, ultimately improving our community health. The system will create more opportunities for clinician collaboration and a seamless process for access to patient care records that will improve coordination and health outcomes. 

In addition, as a public institution, OHSU's transparency, at a time when patients are becoming more and more distrusting of our healthcare system, will extend to the new, integrated system, ensuring accountability and building public trust.

OHSU’s acquisition of Legacy Health is a win for patients, a win for frontline healthcare workers, and a win for all Oregonians. We look forward to the continuation of the Health Care Market Oversight process and for the acquisition to be approved.