July 11, 2014 OHA Director's messages on the web
To: All OHA employees
From: Suzanne Hoffman, Interim Director

Memorial honors patients of Oregon State Hospital

"All in Oregon owe these saints for their suffering. … The hard lessons of the past have provided a brighter future for all Oregonians who suffer with mental illness."
~Oregon State Senate President Peter Courtney

The images and memories are both powerful and profound.

I hope everyone at OHA at some point can visit the new memorial at the Oregon State Hospital. It remembers and honors people who passed away while living or working at the Oregon State Hospital and other institutions between 1913 and 1971 and also people who had been moved from a cemetery on the hospital grounds early last century. Their cremated remains were unclaimed and forgotten for decades.

The memorial, created through a partnership among Lead Pencil Studio, the Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon State Hospital Replacement Project, reminds us how society used to often literally cast aside and forget people with mental illness.

It is also a touchstone and testament to the dedication of state leadership – especially Sen. Peter Courtney – as well as partners, families, and Oregon State Hospital staff to ensure that people in Oregon today are treated with dignity and respect.

Today at Oregon State Hospital, treatment is designed so patients can recover from their illness and return to life in the community. We’ve created six new “treatment malls” that offer patients 20 hours of active treatment a week. We’ve created a peer recovery department where people with lived experience with mental illness mentor patients and guide staff. And we’ve established a continuous improvement process so we can keep moving toward our vision of a hospital that inspires hope, promotes safety and supports recovery for all.

We continue to transform the hospital inside and out. We continue to invest in and support the dedicated staff of the hospital, ensuring they have the skills and training they need to be successful, be safe and work collaboratively with patients toward recovery.

However, helping people in their community with earlier interventions and local support is just as important as the hospital. No matter how good the care is at any hospital, people live more fully in their local communities. Next week I will share more about the new behavioral health strategic plan, a work in progress with generous input from local community members around the state.

The story told by the memorial is tragic, but out of this tragedy came significant improvements in the lives of thousands of Oregonians who struggle with mental illness. It’s up to us to finish what was started and make sure their stories have a happier ending.

Suzanne Hoffman signature
OHA on the web