A major investment in training Madras and Prineville nurses over the past three months means more patients in Jefferson and Crook counties can get the care they need closer to home rather than transferring to Bend, Redmond or beyond.
St. Charles spent nearly $500,000 to train nurses at the two hospitals, giving them the additional breadth of knowledge they need to provide the same level of care patients receive at Intermediate Care Units (IMCU) in Bend and Redmond. IMCUs serve as an essential link in the health system, taking care of people who don’t need the long-term critical care of an Intensive Care Unit, but who need a higher level of care than is typically available in a Medical Services unit.
To provide IMCU care, nurses need to have a robust understanding of things like administering heart medications and advanced life support techniques.
“The skill set has always been there,” says Dr. Maggie King, chief medical officer at St. Charles Prineville. “We just expanded it.”
As an example, a patient with Type 1 diabetes who is experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis – a serious condition caused by lack of insulin – requires an insulin drip and, often, an overnight stay. That’s a treatment typically provided in IMCUs.
Before the new training, patients with diabetic ketoacidosis in the Madras and Prineville areas had to be taken to Bend or Redmond. Now, those patients can stay at their local hospital to get the treatment they need, saving them a trip across Central Oregon and keeping them closer to friends, families and other resources.
And to be clear, it’s not just diabetics who benefit. Any patient who needs hospital care, but not ICU-level care, can stay closer to home.
“It’s been a wonderful thing for our community,” says Kassidy Apperson, a registered nurse at St. Charles Prineville who was in the first cohort of IMCU trainees last summer.
The training took place in Bend over the course of three months, beginning with classroom instruction and then hands-on learning in patient-care units, said Todd Shields, vice president and hospital administrator for Madras and Prineville. Another cohort is scheduled to start in February.
IMCU-level care started in Madras and Prineville in August. Since then, more than 40 patients who would’ve previously transferred have been treated in the two hospitals, Shields said. This not only saves the patients and their families the hassle of moving hospitals, he said, it also frees up ambulances and emergency workers, as each transfer removes them from service for about three hours. Finally, keeping these patients close to home reduces patient load for caregivers in Bend and Redmond, opening space for people local to those towns.
Nurses in Madras and Prineville have greatly benefited from the training, too. “(We’ve) really seen from the staff this level of pride,” King said. “There is a stronger sense of capability in keeping patients here and a push to care for them locally.”
For caregivers who are wholly dedicated to doing what’s best for their patients, that’s a great feeling, said Apperson.
“Being able to keep (them) in the community … has been so good for our patients,” she said. “It’s just awesome.”
To kick off a new year, I want to tell you about a project that we’re really excited about at St. Charles – a project that aims to make Central Oregon healthier, now and for generations to come.
It’s called the Three Sisters Rural Track Program, and it’s a collaborative effort between St. Charles and our partners at Mosaic Community Health, Indian Health Services in Warm Springs and Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Together, we are building a rural medicine residency program that will create a pipeline of uniquely trained doctors to Central Oregon.
This program – the first graduate medical education program in the region – will significantly transform access to health care in Jefferson, Crook and Deschutes counties and beyond, especially in outlying rural areas.
Why does this matter? Because rural communities across the United States are facing a critical shortage of primary care doctors. This shortage can force patients to drive long distances for care or visit Emergency Departments with routine health concerns. Even worse, they may forego medical care altogether.
Central Oregon is not immune to this shortage. In the tri-county area, we are expecting a shortage of at least 100 primary care doctors by 2030.
Which is precisely why we’ve prioritized the Three Sisters program, and a team of St. Charles caregivers has been working hard to bring it to life. Starting in July, residents will spend one year training at OHSU, and then two subsequent years in residency in Madras. These residents will complete core training and elective training at St. Charles, Mosaic Community Health and Indian Health Services in Warm Springs, giving them culturally inclusive, full-spectrum training in family medicine.
And here’s the long-term effect: Studies show that roughly 55% of physicians stay and practice within a 100-mile radius of their residency program site. Bringing them to Central Oregon to train significantly increases the chance they’ll choose to remain here, put down roots here, serve patients here and increase access to health care here.
That’s why I’m excited about this program, and I hope I’ve stirred some excitement in you, too. This is important, and the future of health care in the region is an issue that should matter not just to St. Charles, but to every person who lives here.
The St. Charles Foundation is raising funds for the Three Sisters program right now. If you’d like to invest in the future of health care in Central Oregon, you can donate through the Foundation’s website. To learn more about how you can help, please contact Angela Saraceno at [email protected].
A cancer treatment now available at St. Charles has the potential to transform cancer care for women in our community who have gynecologic cancer, according to Dr. Whitney Sumner, a radiation oncologist.
Dan Nicewonger and Dr. Whitney Sumner
For some types of gynecologic cancers, like cervical cancer, treatment using external beam radiation can limit the delivery of an effective dose due to damage to surrounding tissues as it passes through the skin and surrounding organs to get to the tumor or area that requires treatment.
This newly available treatment, called brachytherapy, reduces that risk by providing radiation from INSIDE the body. This reduces possible damage to skin, and nearby organs – and provides even more effective targeted treatment. It’s able to treat right at the site of the tumor with minimal spread of dose, according to Sumner.
Sumner has been working with physicist Dan Nicewonger and a team at St. Charles to bring this new treatment to St. Charles for more than a year. In December the team was able to treat their first patient and already have several more on the schedule. Before brachytherapy was available at St. Charles, patients would often travel for treatment or choose to forego radiation treatment all together.
For some patients with endometrial cancer, brachytherapy alone is the recommended therapy to reduce the risk of local recurrence. “External beam radiation therapy is too aggressive of a therapy for some of these early-stage patients – a lot of patients would forego any therapy or have to travel to Portland,” said Sumner.
Currently, St. Charles Bend is able to provide brachytherapy treatment to patients experiencing endometrial cancer, cervical cancer and other gynecologic cancers.
Nicewonger explains because the radiation is delivered through a closed system hollow tube inserted into the patient’s body, the patient never touches anything radioactive.
The patient does not feel or hear anything from the radiation source during treatment.
The radiation dose is delivered from a tiny radioactive source material, smaller than a rice grain, that travels along the hollow tube. The physicians are able to shift the direction and location of the dose allowing targeted treatment within a millimeter in accuracy.
“It’s actually kind of simple – it goes along a path and is very predictable,” said Nicewonger.
In the future, Sumner and Nicewonger would like to see brachytherapy also offered to treat skin cancer, prostate cancer and potentially gastrointestinal cancers. But for now, they are just excited to begin making a meaningful difference in the lives of many patients.
Sumner expects that they will treat about 25-30 patients a year, with each of those patients requiring about three to five treatments.
“Our hope and long term goal is to optimize our process and build on our expertise to become a destination for brachytherapy,” said Sumner.
For Sumner, this profession was a natural calling. As someone who always loved math and science, but also wanted to help people directly – radiation oncology, and particularly brachytherapy, is a perfect fit.
“How often do you get to use math and physics that are so profoundly interesting, in a way that has a real impact on this person sitting in front of you?” said Sumner. “I love this work. It means we get to keep our Central Oregon patients closer to where they feel comfortable to get the care they need.”
Four nurses from St. Charles Health System recently earned DAISY Awards for Extraordinary Nurses, recognizing the outstanding, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day.
The nurses, who represent all four St. Charles hospitals in Bend, Redmond, Madras and Prineville, were recognized with a ceremony on their respective units and presented with a certificate, a pin and a "healer's touch" sculpture by their hospital’s chief nursing officer. The honorees are:
Michelle Crawford, a float nurse at St. Charles Prineville, was recognized for her good humor, professionalism, compassion and kindness.
Tim Ebersole, an Intensive Care Unit nurse at St. Charles Redmond, was recognized for going above and beyond every day, but in particular by taking care of the dog of a sick patient for several days, allowing the patient to concentrate on healing knowing that his beloved pet was being cared for.
Dalania Gastineau, an Intensive Care Unit nurse at St. Charles Bend, was recognized for her outstanding care and willingness to help those in need, specifically coming to the aid of a man who lost consciousness on a plane, whose family shared that Dalania’s service “restored my belief that there are loving, caring human beings in our world.”
Eric Harding, a medical services nurse at St. Charles Madras, was recognized for his compassionate care, specifically helping with the care of a terminally ill patient in great pain, whose family shared that Eric “should be considered a model for what exceptional compassionate care looks like; he can’t ever comprehend how much his actions helped my family during a very rough time.”
About the DAISY Awards:
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.
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, La Pine and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, nonprofit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,500 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.
The St. Charles CME department can assist in your department's education goals! From a small in-service or new equipment training to a large-scale conference or quality improvement exercise, we are here to help.
Some of the services we offer are: Accreditation for AMA PRA category 1 credits and MOC (if applicable) Event admin assistance Hotel/travel/venue deals Peer review AV and recording assistance Data collection and report creation Marketing assistance Mobile simulation and task trainers
St. Charles Health System’s Trauma Program will host four upcoming Stop the Bleed classes in Bend to instruct community members in potentially life-saving techniques to help stop bleeding. The free 2-hour courses will take place Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. and noon, Saturday, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. and Saturday, March 23 at 10 a.m. at St. Charles Bend.
In the class, individuals will learn three quick techniques to help save a life if someone is bleeding, including how to use hands to apply pressure to a wound, how to pack a wound to control bleeding and how to correctly apply a tourniquet.
“We invite community members to learn these critical techniques, just like they might learn the basics of CPR or first aid,” said Jeremy Buller, trauma program coordinator. “We hope that individuals never need to use these techniques, but understanding how to Stop the Bleed can truly save lives in a traumatic situation.”
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, La Pine, Madras, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, nonprofit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,500 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.
Migrated article from thecenteroregon.com post integration with St. Charles. Originally published 1/3/24.
The Center is pleased to announce the addition of seven orthopedic providers, joining our medical team from Desert Orthopedics and Praxis Health. This transition will allow The Center to further its commitment to offering comprehensive and specialized orthopedic care in Central Oregon.
The following providers will join The Center’s team in January:
Aaron Askew, MD — Orthopedic surgeon with a focus on foot and ankle injuries and orthopedic trauma Erin Finter, MD — Orthopedic surgeon specializing in total knee and hip replacements Brett Gingold, MD — Orthopedic surgeon with expertise in sports medicine, and shoulder and knee injuries Adam Lindsay, MD, MS — Orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, fracture care, and shoulder replacements Paul Shultz, MD — Orthopedic spine surgeon with a focus on back, neck, and spine pain and injuries Steve King, PA-C – Physician assistant specializing in total joint replacement Brad Munns, PA-C – Physician assistant specializing in sports medicine These providers will see patients at The Center’s three clinic locations in Bend and Redmond. Additionally, The Center will be expanding its facilities by leasing clinic space on Medical Center Drive in NE Bend later this year.
“Our commitment at The Center has always been to provide exceptional musculoskeletal care to Central Oregonians. The addition of these providers and their care teams strengthens our ability to serve our community more effectively and efficiently,” said Dr. James Hall, Orthopedic Surgeon and President of The Center. “We’re dedicated to making this integration as seamless as possible for our combined patients.”
“The providers and staff at The Center share a commitment to delivering exceptional patient care, which aligns with my top priority,” said Dr. Erin Finter. “I look forward to seeing my patients in Central Oregon and maintaining the high-quality care they have come to expect from me.”
The Center is dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition for our combined patients. Patients with previously scheduled appointments with these providers at Desert Orthopedics will be notified and rescheduled at The Center.
“Each of these providers brings invaluable skills and expertise to our community. We are thrilled to welcome them to our team,” stated Brett Hazlett, CEO of The Center. “The addition of these providers will help us keep pace with the need for orthopedic specialists in Central Oregon.”
To make an appointment, please call our scheduling team at 541-382-3344.
St. Charles Health System’s grant cycle for 2024 is now open and accepting applications from local community organizations throughout Central Oregon. Groups can apply for three different grants:
Priority grant Celebrate, Together; Celebrando Juntos: This grant is aimed at reducing feelings of loneliness and social isolation while fostering a sense of belonging for Central Oregonians.
Basic needs grants: Organizations should focus on unmet basic needs in vulnerable populations.
IDEA grant: The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) grant aims to support community partners who aspire to integrate IDEA best practices within their organization.
Every year, the St. Charles Community Benefit program provides tens of thousands of dollars to local organizations as part of the health system’s vision – Creating America’s healthiest community, together.
“At St. Charles, we are proud to partner with numerous organizations in the community to help provide basic needs, support for inclusion work and to reduce social isolation and increase belonging,” said Carlos Salcedo, manager of community partnerships at St. Charles.
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, La Pine, Madras, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, nonprofit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,500 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.
An ICU nurse is never really off duty, even at 35,000 feet.
Dalania Gastineau was on a flight from Chicago to Seattle last fall when the St. Charles ICU nurse heard an announcement asking for doctors or nurses to assist with a medical emergency. Gastineau and Lana Charles, a Seattle trauma nurse who was also on the flight, leapt into action to treat a passenger who had briefly lost consciousness.
In a letter written by the patient’s wife, Dalania and Lana were praised for their swift response and cool heads.
“They both assessed the situation quickly and maintained complete control,” she wrote. “They shared several smiles and even managed to crack some jokes to alleviate some anxiety and ease our fears. Despite not having all the necessary supplies, they improvised and found a way to provide the care they wanted to give. My husband was able to rest comfortably for the remainder of the flight.”
For Gastineau, it was just another day of caring for those who need it - no matter the altitude.
“This family was gracious, kind, and wonderful, and I am so appreciative of the kindness and recognition they have shown me,” Gastineau said. “I truly love what I do. Helping others is in my heart and soul. I am just glad I was there and able to assist in their time of need.”
St. Charles, like most health systems across the country, started 2023 facing significant challenges. But as the year comes to a close, I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come and am genuinely enthusiastic about the future of your local, Central Oregon health care provider.
At the beginning of this year our recovery efforts were taking hold but we still didn’t have enough people. And health care simply doesn’t work without people to provide the services. So we focused even harder on rebuilding our workforce by putting more resources into retaining our caregivers and physicians and recruiting more good people into the organization. As I told you last month, we’ve seen remarkable improvement with more than 1,100 new people joining the St. Charles family in the past year.
We’ve always cared about the wellness of our caregivers, but we really wanted to reaffirm that commitment after everything we’ve been through. So we took a fresh look at all of the programs we offer to support our people and we found ways to expand behavioral health services, earned time off, wages and many other benefits.
A year ago our finances were poor, and we needed to improve them quickly to ensure this local, nonprofit organization is here for the next 100 years, just as we’ve been here for the past 100 years. So we also had to maintain laser focus on our financial recovery efforts and recruit everyone across the organization to help out by doing their part – no matter how big or small.
Even with all of these efforts going on, every day our focus remained on our patients. Together, we surpassed our people and our financial goals and provided amazing care throughout the year.
I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every person across our health system for their commitment to our patients and our communities. Because of them, I can tell you with confidence that our ability to provide essential services to Central Oregon is as strong as ever.
Thanks so much for reading this year. See you in 2024.
