Oregon still searching for new psychiatric hospitals leader

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The Oregon Health Authority hasn’t found a new superintendent for the state’s psychiatric hospitals after starting its search almost two years ago.
 
The Register-Guard reported Monday that the superintendent is a top state government position, leading Oregon’s two psychiatric hospitals: the 610-bed facility in Salem and the 174-bed facility in Junction City.
 
Those hospitals employ 1,900 people and have a combined annual budget of $275 million.
 
Former superintendent Greg Roberts retired April 1 and delayed his retirement three months after the initial recruitment process sputtered in 2016.
 
Authority officials say they will increase the starting salary for a successful candidate, but they declined to specify by how much.
 
The most recently chosen candidate leveraged the health authority’s interest into a pay raise to stay at their current job.
 
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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com