New interim superintendent – third in just over a year – named to run Oregon State Hospital

Jim Diegel, the former head of the St. Charles Health System in central Oregon, has been named interim superintendent of the

Oregon State Hospital

.

Diegel’s appointment, first reported by

The Lund Report

, makes him the third interim superintendent of the state’s struggling psychiatric hospital

in just over a year

.

Dolly Matteucci, the hospital’s last permanent superintendent, served in that role from 2018 until she retired in 2024. She was replaced by Sara Walker, who was also the chief medical officer. Walker resigned from both roles in April, after details emerged about the most recent patient death at the hospital. A total of 21 patients have died at the Oregon State Hospital since 2020.

Oregon Health Authority officials then named Dave Baden, the deputy director of policy and programs at the health authority, as interim superintendent. During his short tenure, Baden produced a concise, three-page improvement plan outlining a path for the hospital to shore up its staffing and training problems, clarify its emergency procedures and act more like a 24/7 hospital and less like a residential psychiatric facility.

His plan sought to address systemic problems at the embattled hospital, which has repeatedly faced accreditation issues and had its federal funding put at risk in recent years due to unsafe conditions. Most recently, an

outside review

found serious problems with the hospital’s safety protocols leading up to

the death of a patient

in March.

In the last few years, the population of patients at the hospital has shifted from primarily people civilly committed for their own safety to people facing criminal charges who are not in a state of mind to be able to stand for trial.

Diegel most recently served as the chief strategy officer of the three-hospital Maui Health System in Hawaii. Formerly a Peace Corps volunteer, Diegel learned three Filipino dialects during his service, according to coverage of his appointment to leading the Maui system. His two adult sons and their families live in Oregon.

“Jim brings years of expertise, skill and compassion as a hospital administrator in Oregon, Hawaii and Washington, D.C.,” OHA Acting Director Kris Kautz said in a statement. “I am confident he will lead the hospital through the ongoing ( Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) survey process with successful results, as well as continue to build off the work plan Dave has started and continue to help the (Oregon State Hospital) team ensure that all patients receive the care they deserve in a safe environment.”

The hospital is continuing its search for a permanent superintendent.

Lillian Mongeau Hughes covers homelessness and mental health for The Oregonian. Email her with tips or questions at


lmhughes@oregonian.com


. Or follow her on Bluesky

@lmonghughes.bsky.social

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@lrmongeau


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