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Dr. Brian Druker is a big deal—it’s not every researcher who makes the cut of Portland’s 50 most significant figures in our half-century retrospective (“Willamette Week Turns 50,” WW, Nov. 13). In fact, it’s just one. So Druker’s announcement that he would step down as CEO of the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, first reported on wweek.com, shook Pill Hill like a grim medical diagnosis. In the days that followed, Druker offered a bleak analysis of OHSU’s condition to WW and several other local media outlets, declaring that Portland’s biggest employer is no longer a place to do cutting-edge research. Here’s what our readers had to say:
Vincent Costa, via Twitter: “When I was at OHSU, Brian Druker was described to me by a senior faculty member as ‘the pope of OHSU.’ When the pope stops believing in an institution and is looking to hit eject you know things are going sideways.”
derpinpdx, via wweek.com: “Good on him for having the pull to do a mic drop like this.
“Also fascinating that Phil Knight endowed this institution due to their relationship and the Nike gravy train expires in 2027. Future cherry funding for OHSU seems dire.”
Nicholas Kristof, via Twitter: “Sad to see OHSU described by one of its own leaders as no longer a place to do deep research. It has been catastrophically mismanaged in recent years.”
Trisha Crabb, via wweek.com: “He has captured the heart of the dysfunction at OHSU. No one would argue that OHSU needs to be financially successful in order to continue—but I think that many would say there are a myriad of complex paths to maintaining that success in today’s health care ecosystem. What we are seeing daily is clear evidence that the current strategy is flawed and the current leadership is failing. Despite the continuing arguments that we have to “keep up with the market” to get talented leadership, what we actually have are increasing salaries at the higher levels, contracts with ridiculous terms that have us paying out executives for so long after they depart we might as well recruit with the slogan ‘come to OHSU and get a taxpayer-funded gap year free,’ and continuing revelations that toxic masculinity and misogyny are rampant and clearly protected.
“OHSU has reformulated the vision or mission statement a lot in the recent years, and every time it has, the message has become much more aligned with the current globalized siphon of wealth upwards and away from people and communities, more the language of an institution just as addicted to the ideals of supremacy and image over authenticity as any run by a private megalomaniac.
“Wouldn’t it be just amazing, I’ve thought, if, instead of being stuck in the same tunnel vision of corporate-directed business vision with hot running, lean, inhumane profit over all, we could see things differently and choose things differently. I bet Dr. Druker thinks so too.”
Seems2Me, via wweek.com: “I wonder how the Knights feel about this. Hard not to believe they gave the money because, even if they didn’t have confidence in OHSU itself, they had so [much] confidence in Dr. Druker. His stepping down is a humongous red flag, confirming OHSU’s slow spiral into mediocrity.”
Hester Communications, via wweek.com: “Druker gets my vote for the Oregonian who has had the most significant positive impact on the world in this century. Hope he stays in the state. Also vitally important to the state that OHSU fixes its problems.”
GOVERNMENT DROWNS OUT MUSIC I read with dismay and growing outrage your story about the city’s shakedown of the new Doug Fir music venue [“Doug Fir Lounge Runs Into a Big Sidewalk Bill],” wweek.com, Dec. 6]. In a city that nearly saw the total destruction of its downtown business district because of the COVID pandemic, homelessness, the infiltration of the fentanyl drugs to our downtown at the worst possible time, and long and sustained “Black Lives Matter” protests. All these incidents arrived to create a perfect storm for Portland businesses struggling to survive. Now here comes Doug Fir’s new music location, an established Portland business, and it’s being held hostage to the city’s expensive improvements to the sidewalk outside the new location. It’s not only a whopping high price, but there are more costs involved.
What is the city thinking of? It’s another classic case of government getting in the way of a good situation. And why pick on some businesses while doing the same improvements nearby with no financial penalty to other businesses? Shame on Portland. And good on you to point the finger of blame at an unfair practice. The City Council needs to fix these silly practices when the new administration is in place. Thanks for calling the city out on their greedy behavior. Greg Mowery, Southeast Portland
Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: P.O. Box 10770, Portland, OR 97296. Email: mzusman@wweek.com.