It’s been just over three months since the only hospital in Eugene closed, leaving Oregon’s second-largest city without a dedicated emergency department. PeaceHealth announced the closure of its University District hospital last August and ceased most operations at the facility in December. Since then, emergency patients have been transported to the McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center or PeaceHealth’s RiverBend hospital, both located in Springfield.    

Deputy Chief Chris Heppel oversees emergency medical services at Eugene Springfield Fire. He joins us to talk about how the University District closure has impacted EMS in Eugene, along with Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, who joins us with more details about a possible legislative solution to some of those issues.