Rep. Yunker: Response to OHSU Board Chair Chad Paulson’s letter

By Oregon State Representative Dwyane Yunker,
Press Release,

Below is Oregon State Rep. Dwayne Yunker’s response to OHSU Board Chair Chad Paulson’s letter re: OHSU’s president decision

November 4, 2024

Chad Paulson, J.D.
Chair, OHSU Board of Directors
Oregon Health & Science University
3225 SW Pavilion Loop MC: L101
Portland, OR 97239

Dear Mr. Paulson,

I am writing as a concerned member of the Oregon State Legislature’s House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee regarding your letter to the legislature Friday afternoon informing us about today’s planned appointment of Steve Stadum as interim president of OHSU. While I understand the need for leadership stability, I am troubled by the appearance of political overreach influencing the board’s decision-making, potentially steering OHSU away from its core mission of advancing healthcare for all Oregonians.

Governor Kotek’s involvement in pressuring the board to deviate from its previous selection and then using her executive appointments team for a position that by state statute isn’t an executive-appointed position raises concerns of undue influence. OHSU is a premier healthcare institution, and decisions about its leadership should reflect the board’s independent judgment, not political agendas. I fear this new, politicized search will only recreate the same issues that plagued the last president selection process six years ago. OHSU patients and providers deserve leadership that prioritizes OHSU’s values and mission over external pressures.

Additionally, Mr. Stadum’s appointment raises possible conflicts of interest given his daughter, Laura Stadum, serves in a prominent role in OHSU’s Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity office, the office widely criticized for the mishandling of the harassment complaints that led to the current vacancy in the president position. As you may know, Ms. Stadum was also the co-founder of the now defunct #Me Too political activist group, Time’s Up Healthcare. All this raises questions about who stands to benefit financially from the leadership change.

I urge the board to reconsider and delay the decision on Mr. Stadum’s appointment. By doing so, OHSU can reaffirm its independence and avoid perceptions that it is being used to launder and legitimize a far-left political agenda coming out of the governor’s office and her affiliated NGOs, rather than focusing on healthcare excellence. I hope the board will act in the best interest of Oregon’s patients and healthcare providers.

Thank you for your consideration of these concerns.