Gov. Tina Kotek directed the Oregon Health Authority to replace the head of the state’s public psychiatric hospital Friday after learning more details about a patient’s recent death.
Kotek mandated the leadership change at the Oregon State Hospital “in the interest of patient safety” less than 24 hours after she learned more about a patient who died in March after the person was placed in a seclusion room, fell to the floor, lost consciousness and was not checked on for hours.
Kotek also ordered a 30-day plan to address safety problems at the facility.
Kristine Kautz, Oregon Health Authority’s acting director, appointed Dave Baden as acting director of the facility, effective immediately, the governor’s office said. Baden is the deputy director of policy and programs at OHA.
Former Oregon State Hospital interim superintendent and chief medical officer Dr. Sara Walker has resigned in the midst of the leadership shuffle, the governor’s office said.
While the March 18 death prompted the leadership change, safety concerns at the facility are far from a new.
The Oregon State Hospital previously reported 21 patients have died there since 2020, nine of whom died unexpectedly. Last year, federal investigators found that staff failed to perform hourly checks on patients, which contributed to a death in May 2024, investigators concluded.
The hospital reportedly implemented corrective action after the May 2024 death and has notified the Federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the most recent death this year.