By the numbers
Dental access
Pregnancy outreach and legal support
Pharmacy outreach
30%
Increase in adults receiving care through CareOregon Dental*
*2022-2024, rounded
152
Number of pregnant Healthier Oregon Program members referred to free legal services
6,283
Medicare members contacted by pharmacy staff to support medication adherence
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Building hope: Latino Network makes space for community
CareOregon continued its support of the Latino Network’s mission of uplifting Latine youth, families and communities. Multiyear investments helped lay the groundwork for the new La Plaza Esperanza Building on the CareOregon Boys & Girls Club’s Rockwood Campus. In 2024, Latino Network made significant progress toward completing this project, which opened in 2025 and features space for community gatherings and a culturally specific preschool. The preschool will nurture early learning experiences and train outside educators on how to deliver curated programming. These initiatives aim to serve a vibrant community. About 50,000 Latine residents live within just five miles of the campus.
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Reducing the Black maternal mortality gap: The Dr. Nathalie Johnson Scholarship
In July 2024, CareOregon announced the first recipients of the Dr. Nathalie Johnson Scholarship. This scholarship supports medical students in Oregon with financial need, who come from a historically underrepresented background and who have demonstrated interest in promoting health equity by reducing the Black maternal mortality gap. The first two recipients, Kenny Regis and Malik Seals, are students at OHSU School of Medicine. The scholarship honors Nathalie McDowell Johnson, MD, one of Oregon’s leading breast cancer surgeons and a tireless advocate for health equity. She also served on CareOregon’s Board of Directors for over a decade.
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Breaking barriers: CareOregon helps Cascade AIDS Project open new clinic
In 2024, CareOregon celebrated the opening of Cascade AIDS Project’s second Prism Health location. In the heart of Portland’s historically Black community, the expansion has significantly increased access to gender-affirming care and other essential health services for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. CareOregon’s investment supported renovation, construction and staffing costs, enabling Prism Health to better handle its growing waitlists. Since 2017, about 1,200 CareOregon members have received primary care at Prism Health, and the new Morris clinic has successfully served an increasing number of CareOregon members.
A healthier, stronger Oregon: 30 years of making a difference
For 30 years, CareOregon has been at the heart of Oregon communities, working to break barriers in health care, housing, behavioral health and workforce development. In every corner of the state, we have partnered with local organizations to make health care work for absolutely everyone.
Our story began in 1994 with the belief that health care should reflect the needs of the people it serves. That belief still drives us today. In 2024, we celebrated a milestone—30 years of service.
What began as a small Medicaid-focused organization has grown into a statewide leader in health transformation.
Strengthening behavioral health
In its 30 years, CareOregon has expanded access to mental health services and partnered with community organizations that work to ensure more Oregonians access to timely, equitable behavioral health care. CareOregon has responded to Oregon’s critical shortage of mental health and substance use services by investing millions to expand treatment capacity, improve infrastructure and grow the behavioral health workforce.
Building the health care workforce
Health equity starts with a workforce that reflects and understands the communities it serves. CareOregon has invested in training programs, scholarships and partnerships with community-based organizations to grow a culturally responsive network of health care providers. These investments help open doors to meaningful careers and better care outcomes for our members.
Housing is health
CareOregon has long understood the link between housing and health. From early partnerships to current investments, the organization continues to support projects that provide stable homes with built-in care access. These efforts reflect a universal truth that without a place to live, it’s nearly impossible to manage your health.
Employees are our heart
The heart of CareOregon is its people. Employees have spent decades serving members with care and dedication, regularly volunteering in their communities. Whether organizing food drives or mentoring youth, staff members bring the mission to life in ways that reach far beyond clinical care.
Similarly, our Connect to Care team meets members where they are—literally. By being present at health fairs, shelters and community events, team members support individuals directly. They help people enroll in plans, schedule appointments and access basic needs, helping make sure no one is left out of the health care they deserve.
In the past 30 years, CareOregon has driven change by putting members first and partnering with communities to deliver care. Health equity remains our foundation and always will. Looking ahead, we will continue to adapt and invest in what works. Together with our members, partners and employees, we will shape the next 30 years of health care in Oregon.
Focusing on the housing-health connection
In 2024, Oregon continued to grapple with one of the nation’s worst housing crises, and CareOregon continued to partner on solutions. We celebrated new projects to address the broad spectrum of housing needs and made investments to support community-driven initiatives. Our housing work reflects our 30-year commitment to improving the health and well-being of our members and wider communities.
Housing continues to be one of our members’ biggest challenges, and the housing-health connection is well-established. Studies show links between housing instability and birth outcomes, primary care involvement, emergency department use, mental health and more.
From hotel to home
In August 2024, Columbia Pacific CCO (part of the CareOregon family) celebrated the grand opening of Hawk’s Eye Apartments, one of our most innovative housing initiatives. We converted a former motel in Clatsop County into a mix of workforce housing for clinical and community partners and permanent supportive housing managed by Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare. The 55-unit community was 87% occupied as of July 2025. For one tenant, Hawk’s Eye represents his first stable housing in more than a decade.
“The project has had a positive impact,” said Pam Cooper, Chief Financial Officer of Providence Seaside Hospital. “It helps to fill a gap for workers who are looking for longer-term rentals at a really competitive price.”
Backing community-led solutions
We also provided seed funding for partners to launch projects and position them for long-term success. For instance, we awarded multi-year funding to 4D Recovery to help launch a housing facility in Northeast Portland. Opened in late 2024, the facility serves people coming out of residential treatment programs. It provides them with a safe place to live and supports their transition to independent living and long-term recovery. Peer mentors play a critical role.
“There’s a huge need for this type of program,” said Jill Archer, Senior Vice President for Behavioral Health at CareOregon. “The 4D facility serves people who have made gains in residential treatment and are coming back into the community. It surrounds them with other people who are actively in recovery and provides a close connection to treatment services. This is really about building community.”
In Southern Oregon, Jackson Care Connect (part of the CareOregon family) committed to multiple projects that will help close gaps in the most-critical needs at the local level, including affordable housing for low-income seniors, workforce and recovery housing, and emergency shelter.
The long view
We’re proud of the work we’ve done to address housing needs in communities large and small and we will continue to seek out solutions. When people have a safe, affordable place to call home, it has a ripple effect. Individual health improves and communities become stronger and healthier.
#8
Oregon ranking,
per-capita homelessness by state in 2024*
*Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report
Better member care through provider support
As we’ve done for the past three decades, CareOregon worked to strengthen the health of our provider networks in 2024. We supported training and networking opportunities, workforce development initiatives and more.
In Portland and beyond, we made significant investments in the future provider workforce. We partnered, for instance, with Oregon Health & Science University to establish the state’s only preventive medicine residency program.
The program is designed to improve the health of individuals as well as whole communities. Physicians who complete residencies in preventive medicine often work at government and international health organizations that lead efforts to resolve large health challenges. Unfortunately, there’s a growing shortage of such physicians.
“We are passionate about supporting workforce development and cultivating leaders statewide who improve health systems by addressing systemic and social issues impeding health outcomes in our population,” said Safina Koreishi, MD, MPH, Senior Medical Director of Clinical Services at CareOregon.
Training and community building
In 2024, Jackson Care Connect (part of the CareOregon family) joined with the Southern Oregon Alliance of Physician Partners to form a medical society in response to provider feedback.
The Southern Oregon Medical Society offers monthly trainings by local experts that allow providers to earn Continuing Medical Education credits and build personal and professional connections. As many as 80 providers at a time have attended sessions on opioid use disorder, obesity and other pressing issues.
“Local providers expressed a strong interest in forming a medical society that would support training, and, just as importantly, help build community,” said Leona O’Keefe, MD, Medical Director for Jackson Care Connect.
“The monthly meetings,” she added, “have exceeded our attendance expectations, and we are thrilled to see providers forming deeper relationships with each other. A supported medical community means improved care for our members and for all of our community.”
Evolving learning opportunities
In 2024, we continued to tailor our established professional development programs to reflect the evolving needs of providers and communities. Provider well-being was a focus area at the annual Jackson Care Connect Spring Conference. And, for the first time ever, Columbia Pacific CCO (part of the CareOregon family) devoted a full day of its yearly Community Health Summit to exploring the regional youth system of care. Input from young people who attended the summit has shaped our work to reduce barriers to care and services.
Mission statement
Mission
Our mission is to inspire and partner to create quality and equity in individual and community health. Our vision is healthy communities for all individuals, regardless of income or social factors.
SPIRITED values
Service
We act to benefit others and our communities
Passion
We embrace challenges and live our purpose
Iniative
We're empowered to indentify and make changes
Results
We jointly commit to exceptional achievements
Innovation
We're curious, going beyond the status quo
Teamwork
We respect, support and cooperate with others
Equity
We treat everyone fairly and without bias
Diversity
We respect and embrace individual differences
Financial summary 2024
CareOregon had a financially challenging year in 2024. The organization saw significant upward pressure on member service costs with the primary driver being member utilization of behavioral health services. We believe this is positive movement to making sure members are able to access the care they need, in part due to investments we made in the delivery system in prior years. We continue to support provider access and ensure community resources are available to meet our members’ health care needs. The higher utilization resulted in operating losses for the organization, so we are implementing cost savings initiatives and being even more thoughtful about how we spend our dollars to best support our mission.
Members:
568,000
Total revenue:
$2.74 billion
Total assets:
$1.17 billion
Community reinvestment 2024
CareOregon and our coordinated care organizations remain committed to reinvestment in the community. Even though our financial constraints this year limited the funds available, we were still able to invest more than $50 million in Oregon communities in 2024. The money supported health-related services, health information technology and other investments that align with our mission to support members through partnerships with locally based programs and services. These community investments were made in addition to our required contributions under the OHA SHARE Initiative.
CareOregon also gave $10.4 million in charitable contributions and sponsorships to community nonprofit organizations as part of its corporate giving activities.
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CareOregon Metro total
$43,605,457
Health-related services – Community Benefit initiatives
$13,456,777
Health information technology
$2,118,843
Additional investments
$20,799,998
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Columbia Pacific CCO total
$3,520,721
Health-related services – Community Benefit initiatives
$1,531,911
Health information technology
$323,283
Additional investments
$1,665,527
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Jackson Care Connect total
$3,622,750
Health-related services – Community Benefit initiatives
$1,035,818
Health information technology
$612,969
Additional investments
$1,973,963
CareOregon Board of Directors, 2024
Jonathan Betlinski, MD
Director, Division of Public Psychiatry
OHSU
Larry Didway
Superintendent
Clackamas Education Service District
Tina Edlund
Retired health care policy advisor
Woody English, MD, MMM
Retired physician
Tec Han
Senior Portfolio Manager
Alder Companies
Damien R. Hall
Partner
Dunn Carney LLP
Kimberlynn Heller, DO
Partner and Co-Founder
The Oregon Clinic OB/GYN East
Susan Hennessy
Retired health care executive
Eric C. Hunter
President and Chief Executive Officer
CareOregon
Andrew McCulloch
Retired health care executive
Jacqueline Mercer
Chief Executive Officer
Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA)
Suk Rhee
REACH Fund Director
Borealis Philanthropy
Columbia Pacific CCO Board of Directors, 2024
Nancy Avery
Manager
ODS Community Dental
Jonathan Betlinski, MD
Director, Division of Public Psychiatry
Oregon Health & Science University
Pam Cooper
Chief Financial Officer
Providence Seaside Hospital
Sherrie Ford
Director
Columbia Health Services
Eric C. Hunter
President and Chief Executive Officer
CareOregon
Steven Manesis
Peer Support Specialist
Community Advisory Council Member (Clatsop County)
Monica D. Martinez
Vice President/General Counsel, Legal and Regulatory Affairs
CareOregon
Viviana Matthews, Board Chair
Executive Director
Clatsop Community Action
Marlene Putman
Administrator
Tillamook County Community Health Centers
Erin Skaar
Commissioner
Tillamook County
Joe Skariah, DO
Health Officer
Columbia County Public Health
Eric Swanson
President
Adventist Health Tillamook
Lena Walker, OD
President
Family Vision of Oregon
Nicole Williams
Chief Operating Officer
Columbia Memorial Hospital
Jackson Care Connect Board of Directors, 2024
Jill Borovansky
Chief Financial Officer
Mercy Flights Inc.
Laura Bridges
Behavioral Health Officer
La Clinica Health Care
Stacy Brubaker
Department Director
Jackson County Health & Human Services
Jason Elzy
Executive Director
Housing Authority of Jackson County
Matt Hough, MD
Primary Care Physician
Southern Oregon Pediatrics
Eric C. Hunter
Chief Executive Officer
CareOregon
Jacquie Jaquette
School Improvement Specialist
Southern Oregon Education Service District
Molly Johnson
Vice President of Operations
Advantage Dental Services
Nora Liebowitz
Chief Medicaid Programs Officer
CareOregon
Craig Newton
Co-Chair (2024), Chair (2025)
Community member
Maria Ramos Underwood
Chief Development Officer
La Clinica Health Care
Hollie Shults
Chief Executive Officer
PrimeCare
Calisa Warnke
Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
Rogue Community Health