Portland health watch: measles exposure alert, Housecall Providers deal, and CEI Hub safeguards
Portland, OR – February 27, 2026 – Measles exposure alert near Portland, a Housecall Providers hospice-care deal, and new CEI Hub safety steps.
Measles response, home-based care changes, and long-running concerns about hazardous materials along the Willamette River all generated new health headlines in the Portland area this week.
Measles exposure alert tied to Oregon City emergency room
On Feb. 26, the Oregon Health Authority and Clackamas County announced a new measles exposure location in the Portland metro area: the emergency department waiting room at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center in Oregon City.
State officials said people may have been exposed if they were in the waiting room between 9:57 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, and 12:22 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 26. The agency urged anyone who believes they were there during that window to contact a health care provider to discuss risk and immunity based on vaccination records, age, or lab evidence of prior infection.
OHA also reiterated basic measles facts: the virus spreads through the air and can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infectious person has left. The agency advised people with measles-like symptoms or recent exposure to call ahead before seeking care, to reduce the chance of exposing others in waiting rooms.
Housecall Providers agreement signals shift in nonprofit serious-illness care
A separate healthcare development involves Housecall Providers, a Portland-area nonprofit that delivers in-home medical care to seriously ill and homebound patients. In a Feb. 24 announcement, Chapters Health System said Housecall Providers and its parent organization, CareOregon, have submitted a definitive agreement for Housecall Providers to become part of Chapters Health.
The organizations said the agreement is pending approval through the Oregon Health Authority’s Health Care Market Oversight program. Housecall Providers described its core service area as the Portland tri-county region, with some expanded services in other Oregon counties. For patients and caregivers, the key near-term detail is that this is an announced agreement under regulatory review, not an immediate change in care access.
County moves toward requiring CEI Hub operators to cover spill-response costs
On Feb. 26, Multnomah County outlined next steps toward requiring financial assurances from owners and operators at the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub, a stretch of industrial facilities along the west bank of the Willamette River. County officials said the goal is to ensure resources are available for emergency management and health responses in the event of a major spill or hazardous materials release.
The county said the CEI Hub stores the majority of Oregon’s liquid fuel and other hazardous substances. The new resolution approved by the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 19 is intended to support development of a future ordinance, with the county describing the effort as a public-health safeguard aimed at avoiding cleanup and response costs falling to taxpayers.
Sources
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ERD/Pages/OHA-Clackamas-County-announce-new-measles-exposure-site-02.26.2026.aspx
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chapters-health-system-announces-agreement-with-housecall-providers-302695994.html
https://multco.us/news/multnomah-county-takes-next-steps-make-cei-hub-operators-pay-potential-disasters
