Just when patient safety problems at Oregon State Hospital seemed to be fading from public view, new signs of a storm are brewing.
Friday, the Marion County District Attorney announced that a grand jury would examine the conditions and management of the state-run psychiatric hospital in Salem. This put it essentially back where it was a year ago, when Lookout Eugene-Springfield began reporting on safety concerns that preceded the death of 25-year-old Lane County resident Kenneth Hass in March 2025.
We don’t know what prompted Marion County’s new grand jury inquiry — whether it relates to known safety problems or if the district attorney is investigating new allegations. But given the hospital’s “culture of complacency” that slowed executives’ previous response to mounting challenges, we do know this investigation needs maximum transparency…