St. Charles is sad to announce beloved former CEO Jim Lussier passed away Friday, Jan. 31. He will be deeply missed.
Lussier — a long-time caregiver and volunteer for the organization in addition to being CEO — passed away peacefully Friday, Jan. 31 at St. Charles Bend surrounded by his loved ones. He was 82 years old.
Hired by Sister Catherine Hellman in 1970, Jim was a beloved figure at St. Charles for more than 50 years, often spotted even in his retirement walking the hospital halls, working out in the caregiver gym or having coffee in the cafeteria while wearing his signature red beret. He had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face for every caregiver, patient or family member he passed along the way.
"Jim loved St. Charles like no one else," said Dr. Steve Gordon, president and CEO. "He has been an unwavering ally and champion for this organization. His passion for St. Charles came through in every conversation and I will personally miss him and the guidance he's provided. I'd like to thank Jim for creating a foundation of love and compassion that this organization still embraces and stands for today."
Every year, Jim would visit patients in the hospital on Christmas Eve dressed as an elf with a friend dressed as Santa, bringing cheer to those who couldn't be home for the holidays. After retiring from the organization in 2004, Jim served faithfully on the St. Charles Foundation Board of Directors helping to raise funds for the health system he loved so dearly. He was a prominent figure in recent years at the Heaven Can Wait 5K where he cheered every participant across the finish line.
In addition to his many contributions to St. Charles, Jim is a well-known community figure who was deeply involved in Rotary, City Club, the University of Oregon alumni association and was a proud founder of Volunteers in Medicine. When the new St. Charles ICU Tower opened in 2019, community members and family foundations came together to raise funds in Jim's honor. The tower is named for him – a fact he loved to share when visiting with staff.
Telling the story of his history with St. Charles a few years ago, Jim shared that in his first role as personnel director in 1970 he was tasked with overseeing the construction of the current St. Charles Bend hospital on a site east of Bend, which at the time was considered the outskirts of town. During his 38 years of employment with the organization, including 15 as CEO, Jim also oversaw the merger between St. Charles and Central Oregon District Hospital in Redmond, along with many other monumental changes in technology and medical services.
But he was always most proud of the St. Charles culture of caring.
"My proudest moment was the development of our caregivers," he said. "Our nurses are unbelievably caring. Sister Catherine wanted, as I did, staff that were dedicated to healing and health care and we built a culture around that."
Details regarding a memorial service and how best to share condolences will be shared once they are available. If you wish to make a donation to St. Charles Foundation in honor of Jim, you can do so here.
