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Oregon Health Authority

Death Newsletters

Matters of Record Newsletter Archive

Beginning in January 2020, CHS will publish monthly newsletters that communicate updates and information to all of Oregon's Vital Records Partners.

January 2022 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Vital Records Public Counter Reopening Delayed
Adding a Birth Attendant to OVERS
REALD Data Collection Starting January 1
Additional Types of Disposition: Natural Organic Reduction and Alkaline Hydrolysis
Updated Resources for Counties
Congratulations, Johanna!

December 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Reopening of Vital Records Public Counter
Valid ID Required to Purchase Certificates
Go Live Date for REALD Data Collection
Reminder about SB850: Domicile Unknown
HB 2120 & Increase of Death Filing Fee for 2022
Using Microsoft Teams for Triennial Reviews
Clarifying When to Issue a Birth Certificate

November 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Reminder about OAR 333-011-0338
Reopening Reminder
Domicile Unknown
Vital Records Email Contact Correction
Verifications
How to Obtain an Authentication (Apostille) from the Secretary of State
Registrar and Deputy Registrar Commissions
Welcome, Selina RedBird
Welcome, MacKenzie Hogan Hays
Welcome, Krista Harper
Farewell, Ryan Sanders

October 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Vital Records Fees for Oregonians Affected by a State or Federal Emergency Declaration
Informants Are Not Automatically Eligible to Receive a Death Certificate
Asking REALD Questions
Alias Name on Death Records
FEMA Funeral Assistance Program
Clarification for Previously Published Article
Farewell to Caroline Zanot
Verification of Live Birth,
Welcome, Soojean Kim!

September 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Vital Records Public Counter Reopening Delay
Encourage Parents to Order Birth Certificates Within One Year
OVERS Help Desk Phone Number: Not Available for the Public
Combat Status
Reminders for Amending a Death Record
County Training Webinar: Amendments
The Benefits of Using a Barcode Scanner

August 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Reopening of Vital Records Public Counter
REALD Updates for Birth Information Specialists
Helpful Contact Info for Funeral Directors
Authenticator App as an Option to Sign or Certify Death Records
County Triennial Review Update

July 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Did You Know Your Work Collecting Birth Data is Published for Use Locally and Nationally?
The State Needs Your Help to Meet Federal Requirements for Paternity Establishment
Timely Registration of Records for Indigent Decedents
Review of the Death Records Status Line
Applicants and Registrants with Multiple Last Names on Certificates
What does the Red Text in the Status Line Mean?
Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity-Affidavit Update

June 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Wildfire Fees
Update to Acceptance of Expired ID's
Introduction to REALD
The Benefits of Having a BIS Notary at Your Facility When AOPs Need to Be Notarized
Legislative Update
When Processing Birth Order Requests
Accepting Credit Cards as Payments
Working From Home (WFH)
Managing Intaglio Paper Supply

May 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Drop Box Option for Vital Records Orders
New Dashboard for Baby Names
Correcting the Date and Time of Death
Introducing our County Vital Records Work group

April 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program
Creating Parent/Parent Certificates
Reporting Source of Payment for Delivery
Submitting Accurate and Complete Affidavits
Authenticator App as an Option to Sign or Certify a Death Record
Verify that Correction Affidavits are Accurate and Complete
OVERS Tips - Using the Issuance History
Welcome, Nick Bickford!
Welcome, Dee Humphries!
Welcome, Barbara Campbell!

March 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Notify OVERS When Users Leave
Limiting Use of "Unknown" Values
Add Comments to Birth Records
New! Oregon Mortality Data Dashboards
24-Hour Notice
Welcome, Amy Gehrke!

February 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Birth Corrections Under One Year
Printing AOPs in OVERS
Signing Acknowledgment of Paternity forms at your facility
Vital Records Fees for Oregonians Affected by the Wildfires under Executive Oregon No. 20-35 is set to expire March 1,2021 at 11:59 PM
County Trainings
Information on COVID-19 related deaths

January 2021 Newsletter

Featured Stories

OVERS New Modern Look Reminder
Vital Record Office Closed to the Public
Update to Acceptance of Expired ID's
Notify OVERS When Users Leave
Abandoning a Death Record - Funeral Homes
Connecting to the Right Unit for Your Questions
Stay informed about COVID-19

December 2020 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Modern Look for OVERS
Custom Birth Worksheets
Who is the informant?
Renewal for Registrar and Deputy Registrars
Guidelines for Working from Home
Live Birth Verification for Home Births Without a Licensed Attendant
Counties Sending CHS Security Paper Numbers to Void
Kelly Stacey is Retiring
Introduction for Robyn Hjermstad
Welcome Ron Sarayudej to the OVERS Team!
Stay informed about COVID-19

November 2020 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Leaving Voicemail
Password Reset Guide
New! Oregon Birth and Pregnancy Data Dashboards
Birth Dashboards Quiz
Home Burial Reminder
New OVERS Medical Certifiers and Authenticator App Users
Your Monthly Birth Report
Welcome to the Partners Services Training and Communication Team, Caroline Zanot

October 2020 Newsletter

Featured Stories

Valid ID Required to Purchase Vital Event Records
Vital Records Fees for Oregonians Affected by the Wildfires under Executive Oregon No. 20-35
Welcome to The OVERS Team, Bailey Pederson!
Birth Records Amendments for Children Under One Year of Age
Required Certificates for BIS
CHS Excess Deaths Dashboard
Checking Intaglio Paper
Customers Requests to Change a Marriage Record

September 2020

Featured Stories

Oregon State Vital Records Counters Closed to Public Through December 31, 2020
Welcome to the Amendments Team, Luis Alba-Sanchez
Welcome to the Registration Team, Gretel Bohn
Birth Information Specialists and the Affidavit of Paternity Form
Early Hearing Detection
Clarification for Funeral Directors Using the Authenticator App
Funeral Home Reminder on Pronouncement and Place of Death Page
Correcting the Date of Death
County Training Webinar Announcement
What Cannot Be Done with Working White Copies
Entering Intaglio Paper Numbers

August 2020

Featured Stories

OHA COVID-19 Resources
The State Needs Your Help to Meet Federal Requirements for Paternity Establishment
Deadline to Submit BIS Training Certificates: September 30, 2020
Surrogate Mothers
New Authenticator App for OVERS is Live for Funeral Homes!
Importance of Properly Completing The Veterans Combat Status and Combat Zone Questions
County Quiz

July 2020

Featured Stories

What is WIC?
Paternity Affidavit (Form 45-21) Reminder
BIS Training Certificates Due September 30, 2020!
What is a Freestanding Birth Center?
Encouraging Medical Certifiers to Use OVERS
New Authenticator App for OVERS is Live Next Month for Funeral Homes!
Quick Start Guides for 24-Hour Notices and Final Disposition Authorization
How Parents Can Make Changes to a Birth Record
Final Disposition Form Quick Guide and Check List

June 2020

Featured Stories

OVERS Quick Guide to Prevent Duplicate Records
Comments in OVERS Records are Not Monitored
Collecting COVID-19 Infection (Confirmed or Presumed) on Birth Records
How Parents Can Make Changes to a Birth Record
AOP Training Sessions
BIS Training Reminder
Required Information: Informant
The Importance of Completing an Order in OVERS
References to Death with Dinity Should Not Be on a Death Record

May 2020

Featured Stories

Clarification of How to Report Preeclampsia vs. Eclampsia
Fetal Death Disposition
BIS Training - Deadline Extended!
Home Burial Packet FAQ
How a County Registrar is Appointed
Congratulations Jen Southworth and Welcome Sheryl Wallace

April 2020

Featured Stories

Paternity Establishment
Processing Birth Records at Remote Locations
BIS Training Reminder
Releasing Working Copies to Families
Alternative Authorization for Disposition
County Vital Records Office Closures
Authenticator App Materials
Staffing Shortages and Vital Records Office Closures

March 2020

Featured Stories

BIS Training Reminder
How to Read the Monthly Birth Facility Performance Report
Things to Know About Requesting a Social Security Card
Removal Registration for Out-of-state Funeral Homes
New Authenticator App for OVERS is Live for Medical Certifiers!
24-Hour Notice Report
Welcome Melissa Shaw!

February 2020

Featured Stories

Working Copy Reminder
Oregon Paternity Establishment Percentage Results for The 2018-2019 Fiscal Year
Submitting a SSA-721 Form, Statement of Death by Funeral Directors
Impact of Unknowns
Newsletter Feedback Survey

January 2020

Featured Stories

Required BIS and Midwife Training
OVERS Updates
Senate Bill 298
New Partner Services Team

Fall 2018

Featured Stories

Long-form death vs short-form death records
Methods of disposition
Five days to file death records
24-Hour Receipt of Body Card now in OVERS
Reminder -  Funeral directors can enter time of death on fully electronic records
Staff Transitions

September 2017

Featured Stories

Reminder: Reduced fee for additional copies of death records ending
Who is legally responsible for filing a death certificate?
Who is the informant?
Missing street designators in addresses
Helping to minimize dropped to paper records
Occupation and Industry resources
Who is eligible for free veteran certificates?
Please meet our newest manager: Ryan Sanders
Wanted – newsletter topics
Frequent contacts

April 2017

Featured Stories

Working together to meet the needs of veterans and their families

Amendments to marital status and spouse’s name
Funeral home adoption of electronic death records
Electronic death records update
Updated Oregon Death Certificate Worksheet for funeral homes

Affidavit faxing for medical certifiers
Connected amendments on death certificates
A new death certificate brochure is here
Cynthia Roeser is retiring
After 39 years with the state of Oregon, Carol Sanders is retiring

September 2016

Featured Stories

Legally sufficient affidavits
Introducing Derrick Patterson
Working copies
Military service & occupation/industry reporting
Timely registration of records for indigent decedents 
Cascadia Rising exercise
EDRS update 
Do not issue these death certificates: Death with Dignity

April 2016

Featured Stories

Replacement fees
Where to send an affidavit: County vs. State Office
Funeral homes do not create a “Fetal Death Report”
Time and date of death functionality in OVERS
Rapid process improvement (RPI) - an update
Helpful hints: OVERS messaging tool
Joyce Grant-Worley — all about her

September 2015

Special Report:Veterans' Combat Status Collection Results, Jan 2014 - July 2015 YTD

Featured Stories

Vital records fees to increase
Fee discontinued for burial and cremation metal discs
SSA’s online verification service
Funeral home monthly reports
What keeps a report of death from being legally sufficient?
Report card on timeliness and quality
How are you doing on veterans’ combat status data collection?
Announcing new counter service hours
RPI-Records now registered more quickly
Oregon awarded funds
OVERS use by medical certifiers: what you can do to help?

March 2015

Featured Stories

OVERS use statewide - an update
Alias names on death certificates
Amending name of funeral home
Veterans’ combat status reporting
Spell it out and be aware of typos!
Final dispositions made simple
OVERS training coordinator Kerry Lionadh leaving for new opportunity

August 2014

Featured Stories

How the ODVA can help families
Importance of properly completing the veterans’ combat status and combat zone questions
Submitting a death record with unknown information
Efficient electronic amendments
Burial tags

March 2014

Featured Stories

Letter from the State Registrar
FAQs: Veterans’-use-only certified copies
House Bill 2093 and medical certifiers from bordering states
24-hour notice of receipt of body
Short form death records
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Special Edition (posted Nov 2013)

Featured Stories

Special edition on HB2093 implementation
Doctors from bordering states can sign
Process for amendments to death records
Order forms required at county
Short form certified copies only for property transfers in Oregon
Free veterans’ copies require proof of application
24 hour receipt of body card still required
How to find the report of death in OVERS if hospital starts record
Limitations on providing certified copies of death

August 2013

Featured Stories

HB 2093 Vital records modernization bill
Marital status for same-sex couples married outside of Oregon
Law change—short form death certificates
Electronic vs. paper affidavits
Burial and cremation tags clarification
OVERS tips/enhancements
Funeral home numeric report – a source of useful info
Online resource roundup

March 2013

Featured Stories

OVERS tip: changing the date of death
Veteran’s combat status update
Follow-up on combat zone information
Vital records modernization bill
Fetal death reporting demystified
Burial and Cremation Tags
Home Burial Packets
Timeliness for Death Certificates
The OVERS Revolution

August 2012

Featured Stories

Legislative House Bill 3611
Veteran’s combat status update
Disposition and transit permits
Unknown city limits
Medical certifiers from bordering states - an update
Requesting death certificates and corrections by fax

March 2012

Featured Stories

Do not share copies of death certificates
OVERS help desk
Two new registration timelines for death
Who to call at the Center for Health Statistics
Veteran’s combat status update
Disposition in Oregon
Medical section should be completed by the medical certifier
Funeral home billing process
Funeral home numeric report


To Subscribe

A newsletter for our colleagues who prepare and register death certificate. If you would like to sign up to receive this newsletter electronically, email chs.partnerservices@dhsoha.state.or.us.