Oregon Public Broadcasting

Now that Oregon Health and Science University and the state’s trial lawyers have agreed on new liability caps, workers at OHSU want to know if the school will continue with  its lay-offs and tuition hikes. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.

Last year, the state supreme court effectively smashed Oregon’s liability caps -- when it gave the family of a brain-damaged boy permission to sue the university for $17 million.

The school, already struggling with budgets, announced 300 layoffs, the closing of community clinics and a tuition hike.

Executive Vice President at OHSU, Steve Stadum, says it would be premature to stop cuts yet.

Steve Stadum: “We’re certainly continuing to implement our financial plan until we have the kind of certainty that will enable us to reconsider things. And that will be at least until after the legislative session coming up in 2009.”

That will be when the school knows whether the new limits will have the force of law. As it stands the agreement increases the amount injured patients can sue for:  from $200,000 to $1.5 million.