Knee replacement

Are you tired of knee pain? It’s a common problem for many Americans who either suffer from arthritis, have experienced a knee injury or are just a victim of “wear and tear” due to aging. You don’t have to live with knee pain any longer. Get back to your old life with help from the orthopedic doctors at St. Charles Health System.

How does a knee replacement work?

When you have a knee replacement, you are taking a big step forward to stopping knee pain. Knee replacement (or knee arthroscopy) is a procedure in which a damaged or painful knee is replaced with an artificial joint. After the procedure, you’ll be able to move your knee joint back and forth without pain.

Do you qualify for knee replacement?

Whether it’s caused by severe knee joint damage from injuries, arthritis or infections, you may be a good candidate for knee replacement if:

• Knee pain limits your daily activities
• Knee pain is present even at rest
• The knee joint is deformed
• X-rays show severe joint damage to cartilage and bone
• Other treatments like physical therapy haven’t worked

What you should expect during total knee replacement

During this pain-free operation, you’re asleep because of a general anesthetic. Your St. Charles Health System surgeon will make an incision in the knee to remove damaged cartilage and bone and replace it with plastic or metal surfaces meant to move smoothly inside your joint. You may spend several days in the hospital, but increasingly knee replacements can be completed with a short hospital stay or even as a same-day, outpatient surgery. It all depends on your personal medical condition and these expectations should be discussed with your surgeon. You will also likely spend time completing physical therapy after the surgery. Over time, with physical therapy, you’ll regain knee function with less and less pain.

Stop trying to push through your knee pain. For more information about joint replacement at St. Charles, call 541-706-4922.

In Central Oregon, St. Charles Health System strives to help people who need total knee replacement lead normal, healthy and happy lives.

Hip replacement

Hip replacement surgery (also called “hip arthroplasty”) is a common procedure performed at St. Charles Bend that removes a diseased or damaged hip joint and replaces it with an artificial joint. The new, artificial joint will allow you to bend and move your hip without pain.

Why it is performed

The orthopedic doctors at St. Charles use hip replacement to treat severe hip joint damage from injuries, arthritis or infections.

Your doctor may recommend hip replacement if:

• Hip pain or stiffness limits your daily activities.
• You have hip pain even at rest.
• X-rays show severe joint damage with loss of cartilage and bone.
• Other treatments like physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, joint injections or less invasive surgeries haven’t worked.

What to expect

Your surgeon will make an incision in the hip to remove damaged cartilage and bone, and replace it with plastic or metal surfaces.

You may spend several days in the hospital, but increasingly knee replacements can be completed with a short hospital stay or even as a same-day, outpatient surgery. It all depends on your personal medical condition and these expectations should be discussed with your surgeon. Some people also need time in a rehabilitation center and physical therapy may be part of your recovery. Gradually, you’ll regain hip function with less pain. It will probably be 8 to 12 weeks before you’re feeling back to normal. Full recovery can take up to a year.

Prior to your procedure, your orthopedic surgeon’s office will have given you detailed information about how to set up your home environment for recovery. You will go home with a walker and will need assistance to perform activities of daily living (such as going to the bathroom, bathing and dressing) for several days after you get home. If you do not have a family member to assist you, you should arrange for professional caregivers.

You will also receive detailed instructions regarding incision care, physical therapy and follow-up appointments.

How your everyday life may be different

Most people enjoy a return to activities they were no longer able to do before surgery. The vast majority of hip replacements still function well 15 years after surgery. You can help extend the life of your artificial hip by:

• Avoiding contact sports and high-impact activities
• Exercising regularly to strengthen and stabilize your hip
• Learning how to lift heavy weights properly without overloading your joint
• Maintaining a healthy weight

Your surgeon will discuss specific limitations with you.

Anterior hip replacement

The anterior hip replacement approach is a minimally invasive surgery technique that uses a small incision along the front of the hip.

Why anterior hip replacement is performed

The anterior approach of hip replacement avoids disrupting muscle tissue that normally stabilizes the hip. This minimally invasive approach typically results in less pain and faster recovery. An anterior incision also is easier to care for after surgery because you can easily see it (as compared to a traditional hip replacement).

What to expect

Anterior hip replacement is typically performed in a hospital and requires a stay of one or two nights.

Anterior hip replacement surgery takes a few hours to complete. You will wake in a recovery area and stay for an hour or two before being transferred to your room on an orthopedic floor with specially trained nurses. You probably will begin physical therapy in the hospital the very next morning.

Recovery after hip replacement

Most people go home within one or two days of their anterior hip replacement surgery.

Many people experience pain relief immediately upon waking up from surgery after anterior hip replacement. After the initial three-month recovery period, you likely will be able to once again enjoy all the activities you had to give up due to your hip trouble.

For more information about joint replacement at St. Charles, call 541-706-4922.

From X-rays and physical therapy to total hip replacements, St. Charles Health System offers Central Oregon a wide range of orthopedic services.

Laboratory Reference Library

Lab National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) Alphabetical Index
Lab Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs)

Please contact support services with any questions.

Please contact Lab Outreach and Information Systems Analyst for questions with electronic orders and results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need laboratory tests?

Laboratory tests provide valuable information for making health care decisions. Practitioners use them to help assess your health status, diagnose disease, determine appropriate treatment or monitor treatment.

What hours are the labs open for walk-in services?

We have several outpatients labs in Central Oregon. Click here for a full list of locations and hours of operation.

What if I have an urgent lab need after hours?

Our inpatient lab is open 24 hours a day, every day.

Can I order lab tests on myself without an order from a doctor?

ORS 438 allows specific tests to be performed without a practitioner's order. St. Charles has several tests called Public Screen Testing that you may request without an order from a doctor. Patient should be fasting 10-12 hours prior to collection. 

Click here to fill out public screen test request form. Print and take to any St. Charles outpatient center.

Who may order and interpret lab test results?

In the state of Oregon, only certain licensed health care professionals may order laboratory tests. However, you may get blood glucose, cholesterol or lipid panel testing at health fair prices on a walk-in basis at our outpatient draw sites.

When are lab tests completed?

Most test results are delivered within 24 hours. If urgent care and lab results are needed rapidly, tests are ordered "STAT" and results are reported to the doctor within minutes or hours.

May I have a copy of my lab results?

Lab results are released via MyChart, our electronic health records system, as soon as they're available. Please be aware that the patient and the ordering provider receive them simultaneously, so you may see results before your provider has had a chance to review them.

Log into MyChart   Sign up for MyChart

If you would rather pick up a copy of your results in person, a release form is required. Please visit our Medical Records page for more information. 

Are lab tests covered by Medicare?

Medicare will pay for these screening tests under the following conditions:

• Cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL (lipid panel): Once every five years.
• Glucose: Once a year (365 days) for those without pre-diabetes; twice a year for those with pre-diabetes.
• PSA screening: Once a year (365 days) for men age 50 years and over.
• Occult blood screening: Once a year (365 days) for age 50 years and over (no specific diagnosis code required).

Other screening tests might not be covered by Medicare, which only pays for tests considered medically necessary. To be covered, tests must be ordered with a specific, Medicare-related diagnosis code.

Medicare Preventive Services

Can I test for certain conditions with a home kit?

Yes, but caution is advised. Currently kits are available for blood glucose, cholesterol, HIV, occult blood, ovulation and pregnancy testing. Home-based testing kits will only give reliable results if the directions are followed exactly.

St. Charles is committed to improving the health and well-being of the community it serves, starting with its own caregivers, providers and their families. Engage for Health is a comprehensive well-being program designed to meet caregivers, providers and family members where they are in their health and wellness journey. Through a variety of free resources and services, there is something for everyone. Resources include:

• Behavioral health support including counseling services, spiritual care and crisis response
• Fitness centers on hospital campuses
• Mindfulness resources
• Secure wellness platform providing resources, activities, tracking tools and social groups
• And much more

For more information about the Engage for Health wellness program, please visit engageformyhealth.org or contact Wellness Program Manager, Jennifer Schostalo Hall, at [email protected] or 541-706-5950.

*Must be a caregiver or spouse of a caregiver enrolled under a St. Charles health plan

Behavioral Health Support Services

St. Charles offers a wide variety of emotional wellness and wellbeing services to caregivers and their dependents, including:

• Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)
• Caregiver behavioral health support helpline
• Outpatient Behavioral Health Caregiver Assistance Program (CAP)
• Spiritual Care
• Doctor on Demand virtual behavioral health visits
• County Crisis Line Resources

Click HERE to assess any of these services.

Caregiver Assistance Program

The Caregiver Assistance Program (CAP) is a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL benefit that can assist
you and your eligible family members with any personal problems, large or small. See a summary of services. 

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EDMR) and Group Traumatic Event Protocol (GTEP)

Upon request, Central Oregon clinicians trained in EMDR offer free Group Traumatic Event Protocol to health care professionals who have/are experiencing distress related to Covid-19. GTEP is conducted in a group context, however it is an individualized process. Both EMDR and GTEP are evidence-based trauma interventions that are used worldwide to address recent or ongoing trauma or stress. It is a group process and an alternative to Crisis Incident Stress Debriefs (CISD). With CISD, the individuals can process stressors or trauma without sharing the stressors/trauma with the group. If any participants feels they need additional support, individual assistance can be arranged. Contact Molly Wells Darling at 541-706-5865 or [email protected]

Fitness Centers

On-site fitness centers are located at all four hospital campuses hosting a myriad of strength, cardio and stretching equipment.

St. Charles Bend

• The caregiver fitness room is located on the lower level, behind the staffing office.
• The caregiver fitness room is available to use 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

St. Charles Madras

• The caregiver fitness center is in the basement of the St. Charles Family Care Clinic in Madras. Caregivers may access the fitness center at the northeast door of the building. This ensures patient care is not disturbed.
• Available for use 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
• Remember this location is below a patient care area, so please be respectful and keep noise to a minimum.

St. Charles Prineville

• The caregiver fitness center is in the Rehab Department.
• Specialized pieces of equipment that are not available to caregivers will be clearly marked “patients only.”
• Caregivers have access to the fitness center from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend access is permitted, however, please be sensitive to patient needs.
• Use personal headphones for any music or TV to respect other people in the room.

St. Charles Redmond

• The caregiver fitness room is in the Annex building.
• Available for use 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

The use of personal headphones for any music or TV is required in all Fitness Center locations.

Dietitian Counseling Services and Body Composition Analysis 

Nutrition counseling and meal planning services are available through St. Charles Nutrition and Diabetes Services. Check with your health plan to verify your coverage available for these services. Please note, body composition scales are currently available at the Bend and Redmond campuses (Madras and Prineville coming soon). To schedule an appointment, contact [email protected].

HeartMath-Resilience Advantage

Created in 1991, HeartMath has researched and refined a set of unique tools and proprietary technology designed to boost resilience, performance, and health while dramatically reducing stress. HeartMath is a workshop for caregivers and health care professionals to learn how to reduce stress and improve the quality of life. The Resilience Advantage workshop incorporates advanced scientific research in resilience, coherence and intuition with easy-to-learn self-regulation tools and technology. The program engages the natural intelligence of your heart to reduce the impact of stress and improve your health, performance, and happiness.

Visit Workday Learning to register or learn more. 

Mind-Body Groups

Mind-Body Skills Groups teach participants how to integrate mind-body skills into one’s life in a real and practical way. Mind-body approaches use the conscious mind to directly affect the workings of the brain and the rest of the body to create beneficial changes in many of the body’s physiologic responses. Our initial fight-or-flight responses to trauma and stress are healthy and designed to preserve us. However, when prolonged, induce biological damage and psychological consequences. Mind-body skills are the antidotes to the fight-or-flight, stress, and freeze responses. They reestablish broken brain connections and promote the healthy integration of thoughts and feelings. Skills include quiet and expressive meditations such as guided imagery, autogenic training and biofeedback, breath work, movement, and self-expression. Benefits gained from these groups include increased self-confidence and self-awareness, improved self-perception, enhanced immune system function, improved ability to cope with pain, fatigue and other symptoms, and improved ability to recognize and handle stress on this model.

Mind-Body groups are generally limited to six participants and consist of 90-minute workshops once a week for eight weeks.

Contact Lin Becker to discuss enrollment at [email protected].

Mindfulness Headspace and More

All caregivers and up to four family or friends have a free subscription to Headspace. Access your free Headspace account through your Virgin Pulse account. Go to Virgin Pulse, click the BENEFITS button, click Headspace, and scroll to bottom ENROLL NOW. This is free to all caregivers. Headspace is more than just a meditation app, it hosts a variety of podcasts, music, workouts, and much more.

Suicide Support Services

Suicide Support Services If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. There are many support services and treatment options that may help. If you or someone you know need immediate help, call Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988

• DC Recommended Local-Resources Handout
• NAMI Oregon
• Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors
• Loss to Suicide
• Survivors of Suicide Support Groups
• Speaking of Suicide
• Suicide Grief Support Group of Central Oregon
  This is a peer-facilitated support group for friends and family members with a shared experience of losing a loved one to suicide.
  When: First Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
  Where: Rimrock Trails - Redmond Counseling Clinic 215 SW 7th Street Redmond, Oregon 97756
  Questions: If you have questions or concerns or would like to join our mailing list, please email us at [email protected] or reach out to one of our group facilitators: Helen Feroli (541) 579-0418, Loren Petersen (541) 977-5347, or Julie Leutschaft (541) 410-0631.
  NOTE: This group is not affiliated with Rimrock Trails, though they extend their appreciation to Rimrock for graciously offering the use of their outpatient clinic in Redmond for the group to meet.

Oregon Wellness Program

A statewide group focused on the well-being of health care workers offers free, confidential mental health counseling to RNs, APRNS, LPNs and CNAs at St. Charles. 

• OWP will provide each patient with up to eight complimentary counseling sessions per calendar year.
• All OWP providers have experience caring specifically for health care workers.
• Telehealth appointments are available with most of the participating providers.
• There is no paper trail and no insurance involved. OWP does not report to any boards or health systems.

Visit OregonWellnessProgram.org or call 541-242-2805 to find a list of participating providers.

Wellness Coaching

Get support in establishing, achieving and maintaining healthy habits, wellness coaching with a St. Charles Wellness Program Manager is available by video or by phone at no cost to caregivers. Appointments typically last 15 minutes and offer guidance in developing self-care practices and improving overall well-being. Contact Engage for Health at [email protected] or 541-706-5950 to learn more or schedule an appointment.

Wellness and Wellbeing Program Platform-Personify Health (formerly Virgin Pulse)

Engage in our online wellbeing portal, powered by Personify Health, to complete your wellness assessment, track healthy habits, participate in wellness challenges, join social groups, and much more. Participation earns points which equate to a monetary incentive for caregivers enrolled in a St. Charles health plan. To enroll, please visit engageformyhealth.org.

Pharmacy Residency Program Overview

St. Charles Health System is pleased to offer a pharmacy residency program and welcomes applications from self-directed learners who are interested in developing competent clinical generalist skills. Participants in our program will become a part of our interdisciplinary health care team and will contribute to our model of patient-centered, evidence-based care.

Upon completion of the program, residents will have a solid foundation in clinical pharmacy practice including patient care and practice management. Additionally, successful residents will develop strong leadership skills the ability to excel in a variety of clinical practice areas. We are seeking motivated residents who are personally invested in gaining the skills, knowledge and values consistent with progressive, high quality clinical pharmacy practice.

Apply Today!

Pharmacy Services at St. Charles

St. Charles Health System is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,800 caregivers including nearly 50 pharmacists. St. Charles owns and operates four hospitals including St. Charles Bend, a 292-bed Level II trauma center, St. Charles Redmond, a 48-bed community hospital, and two critical access hospitals in Madras and Prineville. St. Charles Health System is the largest provider of health care in Central Oregon and the only Level II trauma center east of the Cascades. Pharmacy services exist in a variety of roles across the health system including inpatient, outpatient, oncology infusion and ambulatory care services.

Virtual Information Session

Nov. 15 at 1-2 p.m. PST.

Please join us for a virtual information session for the PGY1 Residency Program at St. Charles Health System.

Click here to join the meeting

Microsoft Teams

Meeting ID: 249 901 996 467
Passcode: iGKEFg

Download Teams | Join on the web

Join with a video conferencing device

Tenant key: [email protected]

Video Conference ID: 117 714 554 8

Program Contacts

Cody Sorenson, PharmD  
Residency Program Director
[email protected]

Rachel Sullivan, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Residency Program Coordinator
[email protected]

What to expect for clinical onboarding and orientation

Nursing and clinical orientation gives you the tools to successfully serve our patient population with the highest level of care, empathy, quality and safety while keeping in mind our mission, vision, values, organizational structure, evidence-based practice and national patient safety standards. We utilize the synergy between the Donna Wright model of competence and the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) as the gold standard for orientation and onboarding.

The entire system-wide onboarding process includes:

• System orientation on Monday
• Allied and nursing (combined) clinical orientation on Tuesday
• Nursing (only) clinical orientation on Wednesday
• Electronic health record (Epic) training on Thursday and Friday (depending on your specialty area)

The clinical orientation process is didactic in nature with a hands-on approach to validate knowledge, skills and abilities as you join St. Charles.
We look forward to meeting you and please do not hesitate to ask questions.

Finding clinical orientation

Click map for directions.

Orientation schedule

Allied health and nursing orientation occurs every other week. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesdays: allied health 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tuesdays: nurses 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesdays: nurses 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Continuing Medical Education

St. Charles Health System is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing education for physicians and advanced practice providers. The CME department plans and hosts a variety of educational events for in-hospital and distance learning to earn AMA PRA category 1 credits and MOC. The St. Charles CME department supports the learning of St. Charles caregivers, as well as the greater Central and Eastern Oregon region. 

CME Requirements for Providers with Prescription Authority in Oregon

CME Tracking

St. Charles Health System utilizes the Electronic Education Database System (EEDS) to track attendance at all CME activities, including Grand Rounds, clinical conferences, procedural skills workshops and others. From your EEDS account you can print single activity certificates of completion, or a transcript to turn into your accrediting boards. 

You can also use EEDS to self-report and track CME earned from more than one source.

Sign-In or Create an Account on EEDS. 

EpicCare Link

A simple way to share, for better patient care

EpicCare Link is a free, secure, web-based portal for providers, health care organizations and appropriate community agencies to access information from the Epic electronic health record (EHR) for referred and admitted patients. It also helps expedite referrals, reduce redundant testing and improve communication across the community of care.

Access ensured patient information

• Access the Epic EHR chart for a patient referred to our facility
• Upload documents to the patient's chart
• Facilitate billing and coordinate care through office staff
• Access to provider's hospital notes

Streamlined, paper list referrals to our organization

• Request consults
• Place labs and X ray orders
• Exchanged messages with providers  

Automatic follow-up

Receive automatic notifications for patients referred to or treated at our facility including:

• Lab, imaging and test results
• Discharge summaries
• PACS images and scanned files
• Consultation notes  

Free and easy to use

We are providing EpicCare Link to all qualified affiliates at no charge, as part of our vision of creating America's healthiest community, together.

• It is all online. There is no software to install. This online portal provides secure, convenient access to patient information - when and where it is needed.
• EpicCare Link access is easy to set up and easy to use.

For more information, contact the St. Charles EpicCare Link team at [email protected]. If you need to report an issue or need login assistance, call 541-706-6394.

To request access to EpicCare Link, select the login button below, then select the “Request New Site Access” and complete the request form.

Log into EpicCare Link