registered nurse

inspector

psychiatrist

clinical psychologist

behavioral specialist

Oregon Health Authority

I work in the Medical Assistance Programs section of the Oregon Health Authority, as an Office Specialist 2, responsible for processing Cover Oregon insurance applications.  The job is equal parts routine and non-routine, which makes the job enjoyable for the variation in mental intensity.  Part of the time is spent doing data entry, but it is also important to assess the completeness of the application and the adherence to the rules of required information. Every family is different and I have enjoyed having my eyes opened to just how much diversity there is in the concept of "an unconventional family."  Management is equal parts accommodating and demanding, and generally strives to create a productive work environment without being harsh or unreasonable.  The workforce is diverse in age and socio-economic background, but the gender mix is decidedly weighted to female, at a ratio of about 9:1.  The dress code is office casual.

OHA is a large agency impacting the health and well being of Oregonians every day. The agency is responsible for Medicaid and Medicare; public health; health policy and analytics; access to and delivery of care; the state psychiatric hospital; and serving the needs of the state's nine confederated tribes. It is a $20 billion complex organization demanding excellence in serving others.

The work day is packed with priorities; the learning is tremendous across a broad set of services; the culture is strongly to public service; the job is at times very demanding on time and resources; but the immediate impact of hard work is evident in its value to people. 

Working in public service is rewarding especially for an agency with a very large scope of responsibility and impact.

Good people, important work! Dedicated staff, positive team feel.  Belief in the agency mission:
The mission of the Oregon Heath Authority is helping people and communities achieve optimum physical, mental
and social well-being through partnerships, prevention and access to quality affordable health care.
The Health Authority will transform the health care system of Oregon by:
 Improving the lifelong health of Oregonians
 Increasing the quality, reliability, and availability of care for all Oregonians
 Lowering or containing the cost of care so it's affordable to everyone
Each division of the Oregon Health Authority also has a specific area of focus to support the agency mission.

OSH provides excellent clinical services for individuals with serious mental illness.  They provide frequent opportunities for training and development as well as very competitive salary and benefits.  The psychology department includes a wonderful group of strong clinicians that welcome the opportunity for collaboration and learning.  I deeply enjoy the opportunity to work with individuals struggling with complex mental health difficulties and see the growth and progress toward recovery that is possible in a supportive and therapeutic environment.  I have worked at the hospital for several years and plan to remain with OSH long-term.  The hardest part of the job currently is the need for more qualified nursing and clinical staff.  

Loved working for OHA Medicaid call center helping Oregonians complete medical benefit applications for Medicaid benefits and explaining rules of eligibility. Supportive working friendships developed while working there and manager I had was great. Training was great and loved the challenging nature of the work and constantly learning new stuff.

Good pay and benefits. 

OHA is too big and the right hand doesn’t usually know what the left is doing. Mixed messaging to staff is frequent. Too many organizational layers to be effective. Seems like every 6 months to a year there is a “reorganization” which leaves staff feeling fearful and on unsteady footing. Workloads are not distributed equitably- even more apparent during Covid (management and union staff). The goal is to find a boss at OHA who is pragmatic, humane and reasonable. 

There is the opportunity to help others and work for a more equitable state, but the path is often cluttered with what is mentioned above. 

Busy days and frequent evening and weekend work for managers. I learned here about state health policy making and program development and administration. Management, especially senior executives, turns over often due to changes in the office of the governor. Workplace culture is essentially do more with less, since the state's budget is always in bad condition. Hardest part of the job is delivering quality work everyday with inadequate systems, resources, and rushed timelines on every project. Most enjoyable part of the work is the invaluable assistance we provide in making healthcare accessible for one million Oregonians.

I loved working for Oregon Health Authority. The co-workers and management are great people. Everyone is friendly and helpful, they strive to help everyone meet work goals and be successful at their jobs. It's family like atmosphere for a high production environment. Working with the Oregon Health Plan in the phone bank assisting customers was rewarding and allowed me to grow as a person, assist others and make a difference, and be proud of my accomplishments at the end of a typical work day. This job allowed me to learn a lot and gain valuable experience in medical benefits and call center.

I have been with OHA for over a year now and so far my experience has been great! My coworkers are friendly, helpful and supportive. My manager and director are focused on leadership, not on micromanaging and any changes are well thought out with input from people actually doing the work.  The office is nice and within walking distance from home. For a government job, the salary isn’t bad. Our desks are equipped with Ergotrons which is nice and the benefits are excellent. When I moved to Salem, a government job was right at the bottom of my list but I gave it a shot and it turned out to be a solid gig.

I really loved being able to help Oregonians get the health insurance they so desperately needed. I loved being the one to call them back and say "congratulations, I have been able to approve you for the Oregon Health Plan" My co workers were great, we all worked together to get the applications processed as quickly as possible. The hardest part of my job was having to call the client and let them know that I couldn't get them approved for the Oregon Health Plan. It was heart breaking sometimes when they would start crying and asking what they were going to know, that is when I would dig for other programs that I could help them with, and even when they didn't get approved for them, they were happy that I did everything in my power to help them.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 2 salaries reported	$8,970 per month
Inspector 10 salaries reported	$16.42 per hour
Psychiatrist 2 salaries reported	$24,642 per month
Clinical psychologist 4 salaries reported	$11,757 per month
Behavioral specialist 2 salaries reported	$6,799 per month

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