OSH Ombuds Services

An ombud is a neutral intermediary between Oregon State Hospital, a patient and/or a patient's family or friend. As the ombuds for the hospital, we investigate complaints about the hospital.

Our office works across disciplines and divisions within OSH and the Oregon Health Authority. We work to get answers and identify the best possible resolutions.

An ombud's conclusions must be fair, reasonable and firmly grounded in fact. Ombuds make recommendations to hospital leadership for corrective action, as appropriate. OSH leadership supports and values the role of the Ombuds Office and seriously considers all recommendations for improvement.

Complaints about OSH may include:

Patient care
Customer service
Visitation
Staff interactions
OSH administrative policies, protocols, rules or procedures
Other OSH related concerns

The OSH Ombuds Office cannot assist with the following concerns or complaints:

Court orders - Ex: civil commitments, Sell order, or guardianship
A patient's legal status; examples Guilty Except for Insanity (GEI) and Aid and Assist (.370)
Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB) decisions
Informed consent process - involuntary medications
Medical diagnosis
Issues with courts, businesses or agencies other than OSH
Abuse allegations
Criminal allegations

For additional information and resources, click here.

Oct. 2024: Online complaint form now available.

Use the online complaint form

Who can file an OSH community complaint?

Friends and family of patients at Oregon State Hospital
Members of the public

People should submit their complaints within 14 days of the incident. This time frame is recommended, as one's ability to recall details diminishes or can become distorted over time. We will consider all submitted complaints, regardless of the date of the incident.