FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 11, 2019

BEND, Ore. – In a special presentation Wednesday, St. Charles Bend’s new patient tower will be named for Jim Lussier, whose 34-year career at St. Charles Health System culminated in his role as president and CEO from 1989 to 2004.

The James T. Lussier Patient Tower honors the leadership role Lussier played in growing St. Charles’ services, strengthening the health system’s relationship with the community and investing in caregivers.

“A lot of people have said Sister [Catherine Hellmann] had such vision, but her biggest trait was selecting an executive team that could carry out that vision, and that was Jim Lussier,” said Rick Martin, who worked with Lussier at St. Charles and retired as a vice president after a 38-year career with the organization. “[He] truly transformed the hospital from a community hospital to a regional medical center that brought so many services across the mountain so people wouldn’t have to travel for their health care.”

The presentation will also recognize the Tykeson Family Foundation, which provided a $1 million challenge grant to the St. Charles Foundation to help fund the project. The grant was not only an investment in the facility, but also inspired additional contributions from the community. Altogether, nearly 1,000 donors gave more than $5.3 million to help build the tower.

Opened in May, the three-level tower is located on the north end of the Bend campus and houses a 24-bed Intensive Care Unit, a 28-bed Progressive Care Unit and shell space for future development. The $66 million addition was critical in helping relieve some of the Bend hospital’s capacity challenges. Last year alone, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was forced to transfer nearly 100 patients to other facilities for care.

The Oct. 16 presentation will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in St. Charles Bend conference rooms A, B, C and D. Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to Michelle Solley at [email protected].

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.

###

Visitor Guidelines
Effective April 14, 2023

1. Visitation within St. Charles hospitals:
   1. When required by St. Charles policy or situationally as determined by the unit Manager/Assistant Nurse Manager, visitors are required to follow universal masking and physical distancing policies.
   2. Visitors and any others entering SCHS hospitals or clinics will not engage in disruptive, abusive, threatening, or unsafe behaviors, to be determined in the sole discretion of the unit or department manager. A visitor who continues engaging in any such behavior after being asked to cease will be escorted from the premises immediately.
   3. If there are indications that a visitor is bringing the patient a drug or an item that might be harmful to the patient, the visitor will be requested to have his/her belongings inspected. If the visitor refuses, the staff member, in consultation with a supervisor, determines whether he/she will be permitted to visit. All visitor searches must be documented on the SAS Report system for Patient and/or Guest.
   4. Visitors to patients with highly infectious respiratory illnesses will be expected to wear all PPE including respiratory protection that is appropriate to the patient’s precaution level while in the isolation room. Appropriate PPE includes a procedure mask for droplet or an unfitted n-95 for airborne or enhanced droplet, in addition to a gown, gloves and eye protection.
      1. Highly infectious respiratory illnesses are those that are spread via droplets or airborne droplet nuclei and are easily transmitted and/or cause severe illness. Questions about respiratory illnesses not included in the examples may be escalated to Infection Prevention.
      2. Examples include but are not limited to:
         1. COVID-19
         2. Tuberculosis
         3. Varicella (chickenpox or disseminated shingles)
         4. Measles, mumps or rubella
         5. Any other disease requiring airborne precautions not mentioned above
         6. Influenza
         7. RSV
   5. Restricting visitors: At times, a patient, Support Person, and/or their family member may request that only certain people be allowed to visit.
      1. The patient, Support Person, or family member should provide a list of those people approved to visit.
      2. The family or support person will provide a contact person and phone number (and preferably a back-up contact) where all others requesting information or visitation can be referred.
      3. When a person presents at the nursing station and asks to see a patient, staff will ask for the visitor’s name, discreetly check the list, and refer the visitor to the family contact to arrange visitation. (e.g. “Mr. Jones is not available for visitors at this time. Let me give you the number of the family member who is arranging visits...”). Information about the patient’s condition will also be referred to the family contact.
   6. Facility specific restrictions may be necessary, in which case those different standards will be made known to visitors via prominent signage in the location, as is practicable under the circumstances.
       
2. General Guidelines
   1. Hospital volunteers, the guest host at the lobby information desk, or any caregiver may explain visiting policies and help guide visitors to the proper patient care unit.
      After 2100, all visitors must be admitted through the Emergency Department entrance. For Bend and Redmond the security officer stationed in the ED or ED Unit Secretary will verify patient location. For Prineville/Madras, registration staff will verify patient location. Security or registration staff will contact the nursing unit to verify visitor may be on the nursing unit. A visitor identification name badge will be obtained in ED or patient registration area and the visitor will be directed to the appropriate nursing unit. The Manager/Assistant Nurse Manager/House Supervisor will ensure that all visitors are wearing an up-to-date visitor badge.
   2. All family members or support persons will be free of with highly infectious respiratory illnesses. All visitors are educated and required to wash hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering and leaving the patient’s room.
   3. Children will be accompanied by an adult caregiver or parent and will not be under the direct care of any person admitted as a patient at St. Charles Health System. If accommodations cannot be made by a guardian or designee, SCHS will work to make alternative supervisory arrangements for a child while their guardian is under our care including working with law enforcement and the Oregon Department of Human Services.
   4. An overhead announcement will be made at approximately 2100 as a reminder that we are asking for quiet throughout the hospital so our patients can rest and sleep.
   5. If a family member or support person is staying in the hospital after 2100, that person will need to obtain a visitor identification name badge from the patient’s nurse, the Unit Secretary, the Manager/Assistant Nurse Manager, House Supervisor, or registration staff. The name badge will have the visitor’s name, the date, and patient room number. This sticker must be worn in a place where it will be visible.
   6. To ensure a healing environment for all patients, overnight visitors should remain in the patient’s room. They are not allowed to sleep in public areas.
       
3. Department Specific Guidelines
   1. Emergency Department
      1. Emergency Department visitors will be limited to one (1) person unless exceptions have been made and approved by Emergency Department clinical staff or leadership.
      2. Emergency Department areas are restricted access and visitors will need to check in with volunteer, registration, Unit Secretary, or nursing staff prior to admission to the patient’s room.
   2. ICU
      1. ICU visitors will be limited to designated support persons under ORS 127.635, unless exceptions have been made and approved by ICU leadership. To minimize interruptions during nursing shift change report we ask that visitors not enter or leave the unit between 6:30 and 8 both in the morning and at night. Support persons are asked to hold questions for staff until the report has been completed.
      2. ICU areas are restricted access and visitors will need to check in with volunteer, Unit Secretary or nursing staff prior to admission to the patient’s room.
   3. Family Birthing Center – Bend and Madras
      1. Open 24 hours a day for immediate family members.
      2. Visitors will be held if patient is resting and has requested that visitors be held for a period of time.
      3. Family members or support persons 16 years or older may stay overnight with new mothers.
      4. Visitors are limited to immediate family and Support Persons. FBC areas are restricted access and visitors need to check in with the volunteer, nursing staff or access the visitor entry communication before entering the FBC.
   4. NICU-Bend
      1. Open 24 hours a day for parents (or banded Support Persons) of the infant.
      2. Extended visitation will be allowed if designated by the parent as a Support Person in the absence of the parent.
      3. Minor children are not allowed in NICU.
      4. Infection control procedures for hand washing will be performed before entering the NICU.
   5. Pediatrics – Bend and Prineville (under 18 years of age, if admitted to the pediatric unit):
      1. Parents and Support Persons may visit 24 hours a day. A parent or Support Person over the age of 18 is encouraged to stay the night with the patient.
      2. Visitors are limited to two at a time one of whom must be a parent or guardian unless parent(s) or guardian(s) have given permission for others to visit in their absence. This does not apply to Behavioral Health patients.
      3. To maximize patient privacy and safety, pediatric patients will not leave their rooms unless under direct supervision of nursing staff, or a parent/Support Person over the age of 18.
   6. Rehabilitation Center-Bend
      1. Open 24 hours a day for family and Support Persons. Visitors are encouraged at mealtimes, after 1600, and on weekends.
      2. Rehabilitation staff will inform visitors that the patient may be available at times when they are not scheduled for rehabilitation procedures. If the patient is in his or her room, staff can call the patient and ask if they are available for visitors.
   7. Psychiatric Emergency Services
      1. Visiting hours for the PES unit are from 0900-1000 and 1500-1800. The visiting hours may be adjusted by the staff currently working as the unit may not always be safe for visitors to visit.
      2. Visitors will use the doorbell at the back entrance of the ED to access the PES unit. When they enter the unit they will leave contraband at the nurse’s station.
      3. Visitors will be over the age of 18 and if the patient is under the age of 18 no visitors will be permitted without guardian approval.
   8. Sage View
      1. Visitor hours are 0900-2000 daily.
      2. All visitors must sign in at the reception desk and wear a visitor name badge while in the facility to ensure they are easily identified by staff.
      3. All visitors, potential patients who tour the facility, contract workers who have access to patient areas, or community visitors with appropriate reason to visit will sign the Confidentiality Statement at the front reception desk.
      4. No visitors in patient rooms (of any age).
      5. All articles brought in by visitors for patients will be searched prior to entering the Secured Unit and returned at a later time.
      6. To provide for patient safety, certain items are not allowed on the unit. Visitors will be asked to leave the following items in their car or at the reception area prior to visiting patients, or any other items deemed inappropriate for the visit given the specific circumstances of the patient’s care, visitor dynamics, environmental controls, or any other factor deemed relevant in the sole discretion of Sage View staff:
         1. Purses, handbags, and backpacks
         2. Breakable containers
         3. Prescription and nonprescription medications 72/
         4. Alcohol or drugs
         5. Sharp or pointed objects or weapons
         6. Tape recorders, cameras, and cell phones with cameras violate patient confidentiality and are not permitted for use.
         7. Visitors may not bring cigarettes, lighters, or matches on the unit.
4. Virtual Visitation: In addition to in person visitation, St. Charles supports virtual visitation. If a patient and family member or loved one has a video-capable device, visitation can be conducted virtually.

Page Not Found

Access Denied

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.

###

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.

Virtual Visits

Now offering Virtual Visits for new and current patients!

Learn more

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