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Children are not just small adults. Their growing bodies require specialized orthopedic care, whether treating a fracture or a complicated medical condition like limb and spinal deformity. The St. Charles Center is committed to providing the highest level of quality pediatric orthopedic, pediatric neurosurgery and concussion care for Central Oregon children.

When your child is hurt, our pediatric orthopedic experts offer a broad range of the most advanced treatments and services ensuring your child gets the best possible care to get them back to what they love doing. When unexpected mishaps happen, our NOWcare walk-in injury clinic is open to provide immediate orthopedic expertise or concussion care.

Shriners Children's Clinic at the St. Charles Center for Orthopedics & Neurosurgery

For patients requiring more specialized care, Shriners Children’s provides pediatric neuromuscular orthopedic care for children up to age 17 two times a month at our Redmond clinic. To schedule an appointment or refer a patient, call 503-221-3422.

Pediatric Orthopedics

  • Bowed Legs and Knocked Knees
  • Brachial Plexus Palsy

  • Cavus Foot

  • Chondromyxoid Fibroma

  • Clubfoot

  • Discoid Meniscus

  • Down Syndrome

  • Flatfoot

  • Hemangioma

  • In-Toeing

  • Juvenile Arthritis

  • Leg Length Discrepancy

  • Marfan Syndrome

  • Muscular Dystrophy

  • Non Ossifying Fibroma

  • Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease

  • Osteochondroma

  • Osteogenesis Imperfecta

  • Out-Toeing

  • Perthes Disease

  • Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE)

  • Snapping Hip

  • Spica Casts

  • Tarsal Coalitions

  • Unicameral Bone Cyst (UBC)

  • Vertical Talus

Pediatric spine

  • Scoliosis Kyphosis

  • Spondylolysis (Pars Fracture)

  • Spondylolisthesis

Pediatric/Adolescent sports medicine

SHOULDER

  • Shoulder Instability

  • Little League Shoulder

ELBOW

  • Little League Elbow

  • Osteochondritis Dissecans

  • Panner’s Disease

HIP

  • Pelvic Apophyseal Avulsion Fractures

  • Labral Tear

  • Athletic Pubalgia

KNEE

  • ACL Tears

  • Meniscal Tears

  • Patellar Instability

  • Osteochondritis Dissecans

  • Sinding-Larson-Johansson Syndrome

FOOT/ANKLE

  • Ankle Instability

  • Tarsal Coalitions

  • Osteochondritis Dissecans

Trauma

  • Complex Trauma

  • Fracture Care

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At the St. Charles Center, our region’s only pediatric neurosurgeon provides specialized diagnosis and care for infants, children and adolescents facing conditions of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Recognizing that neurological diseases in children differ from those in adults, our neurosurgeon combines advanced clinical expertise with compassionate, family‑centered care. We treat a full spectrum of congenital and acquired conditions - including brain and spine trauma, tumors, Chiari malformations, tethered cord, and spina bifida — using minimally invasive techniques whenever possible to promote faster recovery and less pain. 

Our commitment extends beyond single interventions; we foster long‑term relationships, supporting patients and families through growth and developmental milestones. By treating pediatric neurological conditions throughout childhood and adolescence, we ensure continuity of care tailored to each child’s evolving needs. And when immediate attention is needed, our NOWcare clinic offers walk‑in support for concussions and head trauma, ensuring timely treatment right here in Central Oregon.

Neuromuscular disease management and treatment

  • Spina Bifida

Pediatric Neurosurgery

  • Brain and Spine Trauma
  • Brain and Spine Tumors
  • Congenital Spine Conditions 
  • Tethered Cord
  • Chiari Malformations
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Grand Rounds - June 13, 2025
"Measles in the 21st Century: Why It Still Matters"

Speaker: Deschutes County Health Communicable Diseases, Immunizations, Access to clinical Services Team.

 

 

Objectives

  1. Describe the clinical presentation of measles, including key signs, symptoms, and differential diagnoses.
  2. Summarize current recommendations for measles diagnosis, treatment, and post-exposure management.
  3. Interpret recent epidemiological trends and surveillance data related to measles at the local, state, and national levels.
  4. Explain the role of local public health during a measles outbreak, including communication containment, and community guidance efforts.
  5. Outline the key components of a measles case investigation, including notification, testing, isolation, and contact tracing.
  6. Recognize the importance of interagency collaboration in outbreak response, including partnerships with OHA, schools, healthcare providers, and laboratories.

Accreditation: St. Charles Health System is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. St. Charles Health System designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM.

The period to claim credit for this activity expires one year after its original publication. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Claim Credit

Target Audience: Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals.

Accessibility/Program Questions: St. Charles Health System encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Continuing Medical Education at [email protected].

Oher CME or Clerkship questions: also contact Continuing Medical Education at [email protected].

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Arthroscopic knee surgery is a safe and effective tool for diagnosing and treating knee problems. The word arthroscopy comes from the Greek words, “arthro” (joint) and “skopein” (to look). The term literally means to look within the joint. During the surgery, an orthopedic surgeon makes 2-3 small incisions to insert instruments into the knee joint. These instruments contain a lighting system to illuminate the structures inside the joint and a miniature camera, so the surgeon can visualize and examine the inside of the knee. They can examine the bones, cartilage, and ligaments of the knee and repair or correct various problems or injuries. Some of the more common reasons that knee arthroscopy is done include:

  • Torn meniscus
  • Abnormally formed mensicus
  • Fractures in or near knee joint
  • Repair of torn ligaments, such as ACL, PCL, and MCL
  • Persistent knee pain (for accurate diagnosis, combined with an evaluation, and imaging studies)
  • Removal of inflamed lining (synovium) in the knee
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Dr. Emily Baird works for Bend Anesthesiology Group, but she spends many of her days in St. Charles’ Family Birthing Center, working closely with nurses and doctors to deliver healthy babies.

That’s where she found a group of people to join her on a medical mission trip to the western highlands of Guatemala.

“I had told some of the labor and delivery nurses that I was going on this trip, and I was shocked at the interest,” Baird said. “Since I got back, even more people have said that next time, they want to go.”

In fact, there’s a long history of St. Charles caregivers traveling to Nuevo Progreso, a rural area in the southwest corner of Guatemala where crime rates are high and health care services are scarce. They go to work alongside resident health care workers at Hospital De La Familia, where they provide general medical care and specialized treatment and surgeries for locals, regardless of their ability to pay. (The foundation that organizes the trips also sends teams to provide vision care, maternal health services and care for malnourished children.)

Baird and three registered nurses — Nikki Truhlar, Dana Carmichael and Clarena Rule — from the Bend Family Birthing Center went to Nuevo Progreso in February. Over the course of five days, they provided much-needed treatment to more than 100 people, many of whom traveled long distances to receive care.

“Some come by bus. Some of them walk there. But they come because we are offering free medical care. They don’t have to pay anything,” Baird said. “The amazing thing about these patients is just how incredibly resilient and grateful they are. It’s remarkable to take care of them.”

The medical mission performed multiple medical services, including hysterectomies, hernia repairs, gallbladder removals and resection of uterine polyps. In addition, the group hosted a pregnancy clinic, offering screening ultrasounds and prenatal care in a region where physician-supervised prenatal care is uncommon.

One of goals was to build trust and enhance medical knowledge within the community of Nuevo Progreso.

“The hope was that there could be some education, and that this is something they will continue to do after we’re gone,” Baird said. “It was also a step toward trying to build some trust between the medical community and the patient population.”

When performing surgery, the team worked in a spartan room with three operating tables situated side by side, about 8 feet apart. They supplemented the hospital’s supplies with donated equipment and medications — including a couple thousand dollars worth from St. Charles, Baird said, which helped ensure a safe anesthetic experience for patients.

“Those are medications that I can’t get in Guatemala, but I really wanted to take them down there with me,” she said. “I think the most impressive thing was just how willing everyone I talked to at St. Charles was to help. I didn’t have to plead my case that hard, and just seeing how excited they were to help however they could made me feel really proud.”

For Truhlar, February’s trip was her second time working at Hospital De La Familia. This time, she managed post-anesthesia care for patients and coordinated logistical aspects of surgeries — two very different roles than what she has done for St. Charles for the past 15 years.

“We all kind of rotated around a little bit, which is part of the experience,” she said. “It’s not about going down and finding your niche and focusing on that, but to have the opportunity to experience a lot of other types of nursing, and to be part of a team that can come in and provide quality care for the people there.”

In particular, Truhlar enjoyed working alongside the hospital’s caregivers and augmenting the care they provide for the people of the region.

“I got to see how they do their daily functions and how they manage patient care, and that really allowed me to have an understanding of the hard work they do,” she said. “It’s not just caring for the patients, but also recognizing the people who work there and how much work goes into caring for their own community.”

The trip was a perfect fit for Carmichael, who makes a habit of volunteering in fields that are important to her. Locally, she works with Street Dog Hero, and in Nuevo Progreso, she helped prepare patients for surgery.

“I like traveling. I like medicine. I like being of service. It’s a beautiful country and beautiful people,” she said. “It was just a cool experience in so many different ways, and something like this can kind of reset your priorities, you know? You come away saying, ‘OK, this is why I’m here. This is why I chose this profession.’”

In the evenings, the group engaged in community activities, playing soccer and volleyball with locals and participating in exercise classes. They lived in dorm-style rooms and at the end of the trip, hiked a volcano together. And when they arrived home in Central Oregon, they shared a stronger bond and new perspectives on both the world at large and the work they do every day.

“Trips like this reinforce for me just how happy the people are and how vibrant their lives can be with so little,” Baird said. “I also think it reinforces that it’s such a gift to be able to practice medicine and to be able to help people. And it was very fun to do it with people that I continue to work with now that we’re home.”

Pictured in the left-most image below, clockwise from upper left, are Dana Carmichael, Emily Baird, Nikki Truhlar and Clarena Rule. All photos were taken by Nikki Truhlar.

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At the St. Charles Cancer Center, healing takes many forms. Thanks to Foundation donor support, in addition to traditional medical treatments, cancer patients in Central Oregon also have access to massage and reiki therapy at no cost.

These integrative therapies complement traditional cancer treatments by supporting the whole person. Patients often face anxiety, fatigue and physical side effects like muscle tightness or nerve pain. Reiki and massage offer relief from these symptoms while providing a restorative and calming environment that promotes healing.

These therapies are making a real difference. In 2024 alone, patients received 1,162 massage treatments and 477 reiki sessions, provided by 15 reiki volunteers and licensed massage therapist at the Cancer Center.

“These services are much more than just comfort, they are essential tools in a patient’s healing journey,” said Jane Cook, a cancer patient who received these treatments.

Jane was introduced to the Cancer Center’s integrative services in 2022 during her treatment for lung cancer. She knew these therapies would be vital to her care and has since received reiki and massage regularly, finding both physical relief and emotional strength through these sessions. She says reiki, something she had never tried before, has become a source of emotional and spiritual healing. Massage therapy has helped alleviate the lasting effects of radiation, especially in her head and neck.

“Fighting cancer and healing is not just about the medicine. It’s your mental approach, your physical comfort and feeling like you’re a part of a supportive community. These services help me stay above water and gives me something positive to look forward to,” said Jane.  

Patients like Jane, who find strength, healing and comfort through integrative therapies, are a testament to the powerful impact of your donor support.

The opening of the St. Charles Cancer Center in Redmond in early 2026 will allow us to expand these vital services to even more patients, including those living in our rural communities.

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Grand Rounds - June 6, 2025
"It’s Getting Hot in Here: Dehydration and Heat-Related Illnesses"

Speaker: Alan L. Nager, MD, MHA. Director, Emergency & Transport Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC.

 

 

Objectives

  1. To understand the spectrum of heat-related illnesses (HRI) from benign to life-threatening.
  2. To understand HRI and the importance of dehydration and vital treatment regimens.
  3. To determine, based on signs and symptoms, appropriate treatment modalities for heat stroke.

Accreditation: St. Charles Health System is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. St. Charles Health System designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM.

The period to claim credit for this activity expires one year after its original publication. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Claim Credit

Target Audience: Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals.

Accessibility/Program Questions: St. Charles Health System encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Continuing Medical Education at [email protected].

Oher CME or Clerkship questions: also contact Continuing Medical Education at [email protected].

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St. Charles Foundation invites the community to register for the 26th annual Heaven Can Wait 5k, which will take place on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 10:30 a.m at Redmond High School.

Heaven Can Wait is a family-friendly walk and run that raises funds for Sara’s Project, which provides education, early detection and support services to people across Central and Eastern Oregon facing breast cancer.

Since it began in 2000, Heaven Can Wait has welcomed 59,637 participants, including 5,729 breast cancer survivors and has raised over $1.75 million to support local cancer patients and their families.

“Heaven Can Wait is all about coming together as a community, celebrating survivors and supporting those affected by breast cancer,” said Jenny O’Bryan, director of St. Charles Foundation. “It’s such a wonderful, heartwarming event and it’s amazing to see survivors connect and celebrate how far they’ve come.”

Participants can register and begin fundraising at this webpage.

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Today, St. Charles’ new community pharmacy in Madras is open to the public, bucking the nationwide trend of pharmacy closures and helping fill a critical health need for the region. 
 
“Today is an exciting day for our community and St. Charles, as we are opening a pilot community pharmacy in Madras to help increase access to medicine for Central Oregonians,” said Todd Shields, vice president hospital administrator for St. Charles Madras. “We are tremendously grateful to the organizations that supported the effort to open a new pharmacy, including the Central Oregon Health Council, Roundhouse Foundation, Bean Foundation and Mid Oregon Credit Union. Thanks to this outpouring of support, we are able to provide this much needed service to the residents of Jefferson County.”  
 
The new pharmacy is located at 65 N.E. Oak Street, Suite 100 and will be open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The pharmacy will fill prescriptions (in store and via a drive-up window) and provide immunizations, medication management, injections for long-term care needs and retail sales for over-the-counter medicine and durable medical equipment (like crutches or walkers).  
 
Learn information about how to fill a prescription at the new pharmacy and other details on our pharmacy webpage

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I’m excited to share with you St. Charles' new annual report for the year 2024. Putting it together is a sizable task for several of our caregivers, and I’m appreciative of their efforts.

Last year, when we created our 2023 report, we oriented it to illustrate the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our health system
— impacts that will continue to reverberate for the foreseeable future.

Even then, however, we knew that we must place renewed focus on one of our core goals: To provide the best care possible to the communities we serve. This is especially true right now, as the American health care landscape becomes more and more challenging and uncertain.

The good news: Central Oregon can count on St. Charles. For more than a century, we have been committed to the health and well-being of this region, and in 2024, that commitment blossomed into action over and over again.

Throughout the report, you’ll find facts and figures. But alongside them you’ll find story after story about the health system’s efforts to provide the best care possible by preserving, expanding and improving critical health care services within the communities we serve. From La Pine to Warm Springs, Sisters to Prineville and all points in between, we are stepping up to fill gaps in care wherever we can.

It’s pretty awesome to compile these efforts into one document and consider them all together. It fills me with enormous pride to see the collective results of our efforts to provide excellent care — for Central Oregon, in Central Oregon.

I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the more than 5,000 caregivers who make St. Charles such a great place to provide and receive care. Our 2024 annual report is a celebration of them and the important and impactful work they do every day.

Thanks, as always, for your interest in our work.

Sincerely,
Steve

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