Hillsboro Medical Center plans to shut down its 21-bed geriatric psychiatry unit on Friday, September 4, eliminating one of only three programs in Oregon that treat older adults experiencing acute depression, anxiety or psychosis.

Nurse James Scholz told the Hillsboro City Council at a July 22 meeting that employees and patients were "blindsided" by the closure announcement and criticized what he described as a lack of transparency, according to an OregonLive report published on July 24.

It remains unclear what leverage, if any, the council holds over a private hospital's operational decisions. No council vote or follow-up hearing on the matter has been publicly scheduled.

The Oregon Nurses Association says the state has 50 inpatient geriatric psychiatric beds. Closing the Hillsboro unit would drop that number to 29, a reduction of more than 40%.

Hospital spokesperson Katie Reed said in a July 24 statement that persistent staffing shortages, unsuccessful efforts to recruit specialized clinicians and consistently low patient volumes made the program unsustainable.

Hospital leaders said they will phase out services, allowing most current patients to complete treatment before the unit closes.

The nurses' union disputes the low-volume claim.

The union launched a petition urging hospital leaders to reconsider. As of Thursday, July 23, it had collected about 1,400 signatures.

The closure also carries workforce consequences for one of Washington County's largest employers. Hillsboro Medical Center, an OHSU Health partner, employs more than 400 doctors and health professionals.

The ONA posted a layoff announcement on July 9, though the specific number of affected positions has not been publicly confirmed.

The fight is unfolding during active contract negotiations between the hospital and the nurses' union. The previous labor agreement expired at the end of June 2026.

Hospital officials did not answer questions about where future patients will receive care, whether the closure will increase emergency department boarding, or how the unit's third-floor space will be repurposed.