PORTLAND, Ore. — Providence Health & Services has announced the permanent closure of its occupational medicine and workplace health divisions across the Portland metro area. The facilities — located in Tigard, Clackamas, Hillsboro, and Newberg — officially ended operations on November 7, 2025, marking the end of a long-standing program that served thousands of workers across the region.
The closures result in the elimination of 43 positions, including medical assistants, physician assistants, and administrative staff such as front desk and billing personnel. Providence executives Ben LeBlanc and Jennifer Zelensky said in a joint statement that the decision was unavoidable due to an ongoing shortage of qualified occupational medicine clinicians.
“Despite our best efforts, the sustained shortage of these specialized clinicians has made it impossible to maintain operations,” they explained. The executives added that more than half of Providence’s occupational medicine clinicians left over the past two years, leaving the system unable to meet patient and employer needs.
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The Role of Occupational Medicine
Occupational medicine plays a vital role in preventing and treating workplace injuries and illnesses. The field covers a range of services including pre-employment physicals, hearing and vision tests, treatment following chemical exposures, and rehabilitation programs. It also involves managing workers’ compensation claims, determining fitness for duty, and supporting safe return-to-work transitions.
According to Providence, about 80% of its occupational health work is connected to workers’ compensation or return-to-work services. These programs are essential for helping employees recover from injuries while maintaining communication between employers, insurers, and healthcare providers.
Growing Strain on Oregon’s Workers’ Compensation System
The loss of Providence’s four clinics is expected to further strain Oregon’s workers’ compensation network, which is already facing challenges due to limited provider participation.
Emily Cronan, a nurse practice consultant for the Oregon Nurses Association and member of a state labor-management committee focused on workers’ compensation, said the closures highlight a growing crisis. She noted that one of the biggest barriers for injured workers is simply finding a doctor willing to take their case.
“Many doctors and clinics won’t take workers’ compensation patients because of low reimbursement rates, heavy administrative paperwork, and the extra time required for coordination with lawyers and insurance companies,” Cronan said.
She warned that Providence’s exit will likely make an already difficult system even harder for workers to navigate. “When major healthcare organizations first restrict and then eliminate services, that gap only widens — leading to longer wait times, increased costs, delayed recovery, additional time-loss, and poorer outcomes for workers and their families,” Cronan explained in an email to the Labor Press.
Industry-Wide Challenges
Healthcare systems across the country have been struggling to maintain specialized departments like occupational medicine, which require experienced providers familiar with complex state and federal regulations. Clinicians in this field often manage detailed documentation, legal correspondence, and follow-up procedures not typical in general medical practice.
Providence’s decision mirrors similar cutbacks by other health systems facing staff shortages and financial pressure. Experts warn that without investment in workforce training and incentives to attract physicians to occupational medicine, the gap in care for injured workers may continue to grow.
What’s Next for Patients and Employers
Providence has not announced any plans to reopen or transfer its workplace health services to other facilities. Employers and injured workers who relied on Providence’s occupational clinics will now need to seek care from independent providers or smaller regional networks.
The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division has not yet commented on how it plans to address the increased demand expected from these closures. However, worker advocates stress the importance of maintaining accessible, high-quality care to prevent delays that could affect both recovery and income stability for injured employees.
As Providence shifts its focus away from occupational health, community leaders and medical professionals are calling for state-level solutions to ensure Oregon workers continue to receive timely care after workplace injuries.
