Every day, we heal bodies. Ease pain. Welcome new life. Bring the mysteries of science into crisp focus. Teach and challenge the next generation of health professionals. Turn the impossible into reality.
OHSU is Oregons only public academic health center. We are a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and southwest Washington. We are an institution of higher learning, with schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and public health and with a network of campuses and partners throughout Oregon. We are a national research hub, with thousands of scientists developing lifesaving therapies and deeper understanding. We are a statewide economic engine and Portlands largest employer. And as a public organization, we provide services for the most vulnerable Oregonians, and outreach to improve health in communities across the state.
Across our missions of healing, teaching and discovery, we unite some of the worlds brightest minds in a singular vision: to rethink everything. We are creators of precision cancer medicine. We are innovators of an education model that lets each student forge a unique path. We are the top-rated health care provider in Oregon.
We are also a community one of different colors, genders, orientations, cultures and interests. Each of us chose Oregons lush forests and sapphire rivers. Each of us chose OHSUs relentless pursuit of new ideas. Together we are working toward a cause bigger than any of us: to bring health and hope to all.
Oregon Health & Science University is where healing, teaching and discovery come together. We advancescience in the lab, translateour findings into the latest treatments for patients, andtrainworld-class providers.
OHSU is also Portland's largest employer and a statewideeconomic powerhouse. Our operations include multiple campuses, adult and childrens hospitals, and clinics across Oregon. We also have state-of-the-art research facilities, including the 320,000-square-foot Knight Cancer Research Building.
OHSUs independent foundation, the OHSU Foundation, has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to support OHSU missions. It also oversees the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who take part in community fundraising and events to benefit OHSU.
OHSUs focus on healing, teaching and discovery combined with our deep history in Oregon is unique. We are the states only academichealth center and one of the only universities in the U.S. devoted exclusivelyto educating doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and public health professionals. We not only treat the most complex health needs in the region,we make discoveries that save lives and train leaders to address the societalissues that impede health.
As part of its multifaceted public mission, OHSU strives for excellence in education, research and scholarship, clinical practice and community service. Through its dynamic interdisciplinary environment, OHSU stimulates the spirit of inquiry, initiativeand cooperation among students, faculty and staff.
Transparency is thefoundation on which trust grows and develops, and as such is essential to everything we do including collaboration, a cornerstone of OHSU strategy. Transparency builds credibility and, over time, a sense of institutional integrity by creating clarity around key facts in many areas from clinical outcomes tofinancial and other performance data. This can be uncomfortable becausetransparency can also reveal areas of vulnerability, but it is necessary to inspire public trust, to meet the needs of those we serve, and to fulfill ourmissions. There is no trust without transparency.
The first goal of OHSU 2025 Plancaptures the centrality of diversity to OHSU values and strategy:'Building a diverse, equitable environment where all can thrive and excel.'Patients should be able to see providers who understand and can meet their diverse needs providerswho appreciate and respect differences, whether ethnic background, race, language, religion, abilities, sexual orientation or culture. Students learnbest in a diverse educational environment, from mentors with varied backgroundsand experiences, and are thus better equipped to treat the increasingly diversepatient population. In the research mission, diversity promotes creativity.Innovation happens when you bring together people with a wide variety ofbackgrounds and ideas. Embracing diversity is the right thing to do, and thesmart thing to do as well.
As Oregons onlycomprehensive academic health center, OHSU is and should be the standard-bearerfor quality. We are looked to by the community and by extension the nationand the world to establish the benchmarks for quality and to model behaviorthat adheres to those standards. Our commitment to quality extends throughoutthe institution. We embrace the pursuit of quality in the broadest possiblesense a commitment to excellence in our mission areas and integrity in ourbehavior.
As a mission-based organization with a vision to improve the health and well-being of Oregonians, OHSU exists to serve others. To be effective, we need to be approachable and accommodating we must offer comfort and reassurance and uphold the confidence of those we serve. This is true of internal clients, collaborators and stakeholders as well as patients, external partners, community leaders and the general public. We must always remember that the people we serve do not experience OHSU as an institution, but as a person whether in a patient ward, on a physician consult line, through research collaboration or navigating our complex campus. OHSUs reputation is made and remade, every day, one encounter at a time.