Welcome
More than a century ago, the founders of St. Charles promised Central Oregon that this organization would care for all people, or it would care for none. Working to be a health system that is diverse, equitable, inclusive and accepting is our responsibility toward upholding that commitment to care for all.
IDEA (Inclusion Diversity Equity Acceptance) Council
St. Charles Health System has a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Acceptance (IDEA) Council at St. Charles started as a grass-roots effort and has been in existence since 2017. The council was developed in response to a need for more diversity efforts within our health system. Since that time, the IDEA Council has identified diversity needs and has actively worked to provide more equitable, inclusive and diverse environments for all. The council implements actionable and measurable initiatives to address equity across our health system. The IDEA Core Council is comprised of caregivers, leaders, physicians and providers throughout our health system. The IDEA Council is supported by the three co-chairs, the manager of Caregiver Inclusion and Experience, executive leadership and our Chief Human Resources Officer as an avid supporter and sponsor. The council provides all staff the opportunity for ongoing training and dialogue at monthly General Council meetings, which are open to all within our system.
“St. Charles Health System consciously supports individuals from diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, race, abilities, gender and more to create a thriving work environment. We believe that a diverse work environment strengthens services to our community by providing unique and wide-ranging skills, compassion and knowledge. One of the exciting points in our journey at St. Charles has been our dedication to incremental growth toward advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.”
- Dr. Shilo Tippett, Behavioral Health Consultant, Nationally Certified Diversity Professional, Member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Wasco/Tlingit Tribes
Recent Awards and Rankings
In 2021, we hired the first ever manager of caregiver inclusion and experience.
In 2022, we established a planning committee to plan and implement monthly diversity celebrations in our system.
In 2022, all four hospital campuses were awarded the Healthcare Equality Index Top Performer Award, for the second year.
In 2022, our Madras hospital was named the second most racially inclusive hospital in the United States by the Lown Institute Hospital’s Index for Social Responsibility.
In 2022, established the IDEA Core Council, made up of leaders, managers, providers and caregivers throughout our system to intentionally drive diversity efforts.
Development and Leadership
St. Charles Health System offers a variety of development and leadership training opportunities through a diversity lens; including the following:
Dare To Lead TM: an empirically based courage-building program designed by Dr. Brene Brown.
Accelerating Leadership program: provides new leaders with the essential knowledge, skills and resources to inspire growth.
Emerging Leadership program: an interactive program that helps sharpen leadership, teamwork and communication skills to prepare for opportunities within the organization.
Various Professional Development Classes: Conflict Management and Effective Communication 101; Provider Leadership Development Pathway; HeartMath.
Our Journey Forward
In addition to our major growth and successes, we are excited by the many opportunities we have in front of us to continue to elevate diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in our health system as well as the communities we serve. We will continue to evaluate, influence, and sometimes disrupt the status quo as we seek to create environments where all people are treated with cultural humility and respect. Our goal is to create a welcoming, loving and safe place for all.
