FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 8, 2019

BEND, Ore. – St. Charles Health System is hosting a medication take-back event on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its St. Charles Bend hospital campus at 2600 NE Neff Road.

The take-back event is intended to help households dispose of medications that could be ingested by someone other than the person for whom they were prescribed and to prevent medications from ending up in the water table.

In 2018, the first year the event was held, St. Charles collected more than 280 pounds of medication.

No questions will be asked. Individuals can drive through the parking lot and drop off medications right from their car window. Bend police officers will accept the medications, then give them to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispose of safely.

Any medications will be accepted. Liquids, pills, powders, patches, creams, prescriptions or over-the-counter medicines can be dropped off.

Representatives from St. Charles pharmacy will also be on-site to answer questions.

About St. Charles Health System
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond, Sisters and La Pine. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,200 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.

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No matter what stage of life you're in as a woman, we can help. At the St. Charles Center for Women's Health, we partner with our patients to treat, educate and encourage you in your journey.

We offer comprehensive guidance and treatment for women's health needs.

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Now offering Virtual Visits for new and current patients!

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Women from Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras and surrounding areas of Oregon visit our Center for Women’s Health for comprehensive gynecologic and obstetric care.

We understand how important it is for our patients to have the support of their family and friends while they're trying to heal. Here is everything you'll need to know when visiting your loved one at our hospitals.

Central Oregon’s community model for providing support services to children with traumatic brain injuries is going to be studied by the University of Oregon’s Center on Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT).

The center has received a four-year, $2.2 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to compare the health, academic and social outcomes of Central Oregon children with traumatic brain injuries to those in school districts in Ohio and Washington without formal programs.

Children with traumatic brain injuries are at risk for disabilities that can affect their academic performance, according to CBIRT’s research proposal. Those with moderate to severe injuries can have cognitive, behavioral and social difficulties. Even children with mild brain injuries can experience learning and social impairments such that monitoring students through their recovery is equally important.

Since 2006, St. Charles Health System, The Center for Orthopedic and Neurological Research and the High Desert Education Service District have worked collaboratively to develop a community-wide concussion management program that will be the focus of this research. Dr. Sondra Marshall, a neuropsychologist at St. Charles, has been working with The Center since 2006, when she and then colleague Dr. Leah Schock traveled to the University of Pittsburg Medical Center for training with its concussion team. Over time, and with support and engagement from the medical and educational communities, the Central Oregon program has grown to include identification, screening and assessment, close tracking of a student’s progress and professional development for school and health care professionals.

“The focus of our work here in the community is not only getting kids back to playing sports safely, but also getting them back into the classroom successfully,” Marshall said. “We’re excited for the potential for our model to be replicated around the country, helping support more children who have been impacted by a traumatic brain injury.”

CBIRT Director Ann Glang, who is leading the study, said the research is unique “in that it allows us to evaluate an existing model of support for students with brain injuries rather than develop a new approach that may take years to translate into practice. This helps us close that research-practice gap.”

Dr. Viviane Ugalde, who serves as the concussion medical director for The Center Foundation and is a consultant on the CDC grant, said she will be educating health care providers about the study and recruiting people to participate.

“It’s exciting to have the ability to measure the work that we are doing and learn what kind of scientific impact we are having with concussion recovery – returning kids to normal life, school and playing sports,” she said.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 22, 2019

BEND, Ore. — St. Charles Foundation and St. Charles Health System invite members of the community to nominate outstanding local physicians for this year’s North Star Physician of the Year Award.

Presented at the Foundation’s signature annual event, the Saints Gala, this award recognizes an actively practicing physician in Central Oregon whose work has been defined by compassionate patient care, professionalism and a commitment to improving the lives of Central Oregonians.

“The North Star Award singles out a talented physician who has made it his or her life’s mission to provide patient-focused care,” said Lisa Dobey, executive director of community and philanthropy at St. Charles. “It is an excellent opportunity to honor someone who has enriched the field of medicine in Central Oregon.”

Dr. Helenka Marcinek, medical director of AirLink Critical Care Transport and Bend Fire Department, was recognized with last year’s award. 

The winner will be presented with the award at the Saints Gala on Nov. 2 and a $5,000 scholarship will be awarded in the physician’s name to a student who is pursuing education for a career in health care.

Physician nominations may be made by any individual. The deadline to submit nominations is Sept. 27.

For more details and to download an application, visit stcharlesfoundation.org.

About St. Charles Foundation 
As the philanthropic arm of St. Charles Health System, the Foundation works to support and improve health care in Central and Eastern Oregon. Private donations raised by the Foundation allow St. Charles to build new medical facilities, purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment, keep pace with the latest technological advances and deliver exceptional patient care in a healing environment. The Foundation does more than just raise money for bricks and mortar. The organization also raises money to support many programs that benefit low-income and uninsured patients.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 22, 2019

BEND, Ore. – For Alex Banayan, it’s simple: “When you change what you believe is possible, you change what becomes possible.”

In a special St. Charles Health System-sponsored event at Mount Bachelor Village on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m., the only bestselling business author under 30 in America will share how some of the world’s most successful people broke through and launched their careers.

His book, The Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World’s Most Successful People Launched Their Careers, has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Over the course of his seven-year journey, Banayan interviewed the most innovative leaders of the past half-century, including Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, Larry King, Maya Angelou, Steve Wozniak, Jane Goodall, Jessica Alba, Quincy Jones and more.

The day before his freshman-year final exams, Banayan hacked The Price is Right, won a sailboat, sold it and used the money to fund his larger-than-life adventure to find out how some of the world’s most notable people achieved success.

Since then, Banayan has been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, Business Insider’s Most Powerful People Under 30, and been featured in major media, including The Washington Post, Fortune, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News and NBC News.

An acclaimed keynote speaker, Banayan has presented the Third Door framework to business conferences and corporate leadership teams around the world, including Apple, Google, Nike, IBM, Snapchat, Salesforce and Disney.

Tickets for this exclusive speaking engagement are $13 and on sale now at http://bit.ly/AlexB-MtBach. A copy of The Third Door is included in the price of the ticket.

About St. Charles Health System
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond, Sisters and La Pine. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,200 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.

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BEND, Ore. – St. Charles Cancer Center is teaming up with The Joy Team to host Chalk the Walks on Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help spread positive messages through sidewalk chalk art.

The event, which will take place near the cancer center entrance and in the Healing Garden at 2500 NE Neff Road in Bend, will also feature live entertainment by musician Shireen Amini and Hawaiian dancers, as well as snacks, a chalking contest and balloons.

Chalk the Walks is an annual international event that takes place with the sole purpose of infusing as many people as possible with some much-needed joy and inspiration. The event began in Vancouver, Wash., in 2011 and has spread to all 50 U.S. states and 11 other countries around the world.

“The words ‘you have cancer’ are life changing. Facing a cancer diagnosis and going through treatment can be physically, emotionally and financially draining,” said Wendy Rudy, survivorship and community education coordinator. “Both the cancer survivor and their family can feel afraid and alone. We are bringing Chalk the Walks back to St. Charles Cancer Center in order to bring joy, share love and offer hope to our courageous cancer fighters and their families.”

In addition to St. Charles Cancer Center in Bend, St. Charles Cancer Center in Redmond and Heart ‘n Home Hospice & Palliative Care in Bend and La Pine will also be hosting Chalk the Walk events Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“The concept seems so simple, yet last year we saw first-hand the impact our community had when it came out and chalked positives messages of hope and inspiration around the cancer center healing garden,” Rudy said. “Not only did they bring smiles to everyone entering the cancer center, but also something positive changed inside them as well.”

For more information about Chalk the Walks, contact Wendy Rudy, survivorship and community education coordinator, at [email protected] or 541-706-2969.

About St. Charles Health System 
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,200 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.

About The Joy Team 
Founded in February 2010, The Joy Team is a 501c3 corporation based in Vancouver, Wash., with the mission of building community by spreading joy, optimism and inspiration. Projects of the positive thought organization include putting up 1,469 positive messages (and counting) on billboards, delivering over 2,450 Happy Packets to the staff of organizations serving the community through The Junior Joy Team, giving over 4,400 jars of joy-wrapped peanut butter to hungry kids through the PB & JOY Project and the annual international Chalk the Walks event. Learn more at thejoyteam.org, like them on Facebook.com/TheJoyTeam or follow them on Twitter @TheJoyTeam or Instagram @the.joy.team.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2019

MADRAS, Ore. – St. Charles Family Care Madras is opening a tiny library next week with the hope it will play a big role in inspiring children to read.

In partnership with Little Free Library—a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring a love of reading, building community and sparking creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world—the clinic is presenting the library to the community in a ribbon cutting ceremony near the main entrance of the St. Charles Madras hospital on July 24 at 10 a.m.

“We’re really trying to help children of all ages and backgrounds have access to age-appropriate books,” said Marcus Thompson, a community health educator at St. Charles Family Care Madras. “We thought building a Little Free Library and installing it right outside the clinic would be a fun and easy way to help our community connect and increase early literacy in our youth.”

Research shows that children growing up in homes without books are on average three years behind children in homes with lots of books, even when controlled for other key factors. Little Free Libraries, like the one opening at St. Charles Madras, play an essential role in providing access to books in areas where books may be scarce.

Funded by a St. Charles Foundation mini-grant, the Little Free Library will help augment efforts already underway to promote reading among children, including the Reach Out and Read program at St. Charles Family Care Madras. The library will be stocked from books donated by that program as well as from caregivers, community members and the Foundation.

About St. Charles Health System
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond, Sisters and La Pine. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,200 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.

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