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Visitor policy

While you will be very busy when in rehabilitation, it is important to have the support of family and friends as well. Those not directly involved in your care are encouraged to call the nursing station at 541-706-6398 (choose option #1) to find out when you may have free time during the day (schedules change daily), or plan on visiting after 5 p.m. Because you are involved in such a comprehensive program, your rest is important at the end of the day. We ask that visiting hours end by 9 p.m.

Overnight visitors

Overnight visitors are limited to those who will be directly involved in your care at discharge and are allowed on a case-by-case basis. Children under 18 are not allowed to stay with you overnight. 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. After 9 p.m., visitors must enter through the Emergency Department and check in with security.

RV parking

RV accommodations are first-come, first-served. The RV parking area on the St. Charles Bend campus has utility hook ups. Families are asked to call 541-706-5900 or visit admitting in the main lobby of the hospital to fill out paperwork. Families staying in the RV park in support of our patients must live more than 50 miles away. RV parking permits are issued on a weekly basis and must be renewed through the admitting office. These permits are to be placed in the window of the vehicle or RV.

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What to wear

Since regular clothing is worn in our department, please pack enough clothing to last several days. This should include underwear, nightwear, a jacket, comfortable loose-fitting tops and elastic band pants and any type of clothing you would normally wear. For footwear, flat shoes with Velcro straps or tennis shoes are recommended.

Laundry

Please arrange for a family member or friend to help with your laundry. They will need to pick up, launder and deliver your items to you during your stay in our unit.

What not to bring

There is no need to bring medications from home. Your medications will be given to you by your nurse. No need to bring valuables, money or jewelry with you. Electronic devices are allowed. Bring your own charger.

Meals

Meals provide an opportunity for socializing and are served in the rehabilitation dining room. Your visitors are also welcome to bring food from home for themselves. It is also an option for your visitors to purchase meals in the cafeteria, or purchase a tray from the guest menu. Space can sometimes be limited, please feel free to check with the staff for alternative dining options with your family and friends. If your visitor is bringing in food from home, or outside, please clarify with the staff if you are able to enjoy it based on your dietary guidelines.

Where to park during your inpatient stay

Patients may occasionally need to leave vehicles in the hospital parking lot. While we encourage you to coordinate with your family or friends to move your vehicle back home, it is OK to leave it for a short period of time. To leave a vehicle in the parking lot, please contact security at 541- 706-4961 and provide a description of the vehicle, year, make, model and license plate number. If there is an issue and the car must be moved or it is in an unlawful parking spot, you will be given a 72-hour notice.

Change of shift

Our staff changes shifts from 7-7:30 a.m. and 7-7:30 p.m. Nurses will meet at your bedside to talk about your care. Being involved in your care gives us the opportunity to provide you with the best care possible. Please feel free to invite your family members to be a part of this with you. This gives you a chance to meet the nurse taking over your care, ask questions and share important information with your nurses. You, as the patient, should listen to report. Speak up if you have questions or concerns. If you don’t understand any information, feel free to ask them to explain. Report should last about five minutes. Afterward, if you still have questions or concerns please reach out to your nurse or physician when they next round. The charge nurse is also available for any questions or concerns you or your family member may have. We also ask that you limit calls for assistance during a shift change to allow staff adequate time for reports.

Single or double rooms

The rehabilitation unit is made up of single and double rooms. It may be necessary to share a room with another patient while in the rehabilitation center. We will do what we can to match you with the best possible roommate. In certain situations, we may need to move you to another room to accommodate a patient with special needs. We do our best to ensure comfort and privacy for each of our patients and strive to provide each patient with a single room depending on availability and medical need.

While sharing a room may not be an ideal situation, we have found that many patients enjoy the companionship and bond that forms during their rehabilitation journey. If you are sharing a room please remind your visitors not to sit on your roommate’s bed or touch their belongings and equipment. If your roommate needs to rest, please be mindful of your noise level and respect their privacy. The dining room and outdoor courtyard are available for you to visit with your guests.

Bed and chair alarms

Your safety is a high priority for us. We have alarms for the beds and chairs that alert us when you are getting up without assistance. You will work very closely with our therapy staff and once you have been cleared to be independent with your transfers and mobility, we will turn off the alarms.

Please remember we are looking after your safety and trying to prevent falls.

Infection prevention

It may be necessary for some patients to be on contact precautions in order to prevent others from becoming ill. If so, a sign will be placed outside the patient’s room and personal protection equipment will be mounted on the door for everyone’s use. These precautions apply to St. Charles Bend caregivers, visitors or anyone having contact with an infectious patient or the patient’s environment. If you have any questions about the type of protective equipment to be used, please ask the caregivers in the rehabilitation unit. Hand sanitizer is also mounted at the entrance to each room. It is always important to practice good hand hygiene when entering or exiting a room, whether the patient is infectious or not.

Pet policy

St. Charles is a no-pet, service-animals only facility. This includes our center. We do, however, allow pets to come to an outside area to visit patients as long as they adhere to the following rules:

  • Pets must have current vaccinations, be clean and well behaved. If a pet presents a threat to other patients or staff, you will be asked to remove the animal.
  • Pets may not enter the unit.

We also provide pet therapy for those whose animals cannot visit. These dogs and their handlers have gone through specific training and are certified to ensure your health and safety. If you are interested in a pet therapy visit, please inform the staff so arrangements can be made.

Controlled substance policy

If a controlled substance, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, or any other recreational drug is brought into the hospital it will be treated as an illegal substance. This includes marijuana edibles (lozenges, candies or baked goods, etc). If you are in in possession of a medical marijuana card, any marijuana/cannabis brought into the hospital will be removed and placed in the security safe until discharge. Please ask family and friends to leave these substances at home.

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Providing travel medicine and treatment for infectious diseases

Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by harmful agents from outside the body, including viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi. They can sometimes be transmitted from other people, the environment, from animal contact or insect bites. Common examples are chickenpox, shingles, influenza, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, postoperative infections, and others.

Most infectious diseases have only minor complications. However, some can cause lasting damage or serious and life-threatening complications.

Infectious diseases are usually diagnosed using one or more lab tests. Some test results, like from a nose swab, come back quickly, but other results might take longer. For instance, sometimes bacteria must be grown in a lab from a sample before you can get your test result.

With treatment, most people get better after being sick with an infectious disease. These diseases are also treated differently depending on how severe they are and how much they affect your immune system. People with compromised immune systems are more at risk for serious complications, but these can happen in healthy people too.

Some diseases, like HIV and hepatitis B, can’t be cured, but medications can help prevent serious complications. Sexually transmitted diseases can cause infertility or even lead to cancer, so it’s important to take steps to protect yourself and others.

Our St. Charles Infectious Disease team of specialists offer:

  • Same day consultation
  • Outpatient antibiotic-treatment management
  • HIV/AIDS care
  • Hepatitis treatment
  • STI testing and counseling
  • Travel medicine and treatment of travel-acquired infections
  • Pre- and post-operative infection management
  • Treatment of hardware and complex bone and joint infections
  • Treatment of infections in immunocompromised patients
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MyChart paperless Billing FAQ for Patients

What day will paperless statements go live for all MyChart users?

May 16, 2023

How are you communicating the paperless change to all active MyChart users?

  • May 2, 2023- MyChart notifications will go out all active MyChart users.
  • May 16, 2023-Switch to paperless go live. At this time patients can opt out of paperless billing.

What does it mean when you say transitioning to paperless statements?

For all St. Charles Health System MyChart users who are the guarantor* of an account(s), the default will now be set to paperless billing statement. This means billing statements will be sent via MyChart and no longer via mail. If patients prefer paper statements, they can easily log in to MyChart and return the default to paper statements. *Guarantor is the person responsible for paying the balance of an account.

What if I want to continue receiving paper statements?

Resuming paper statements is easy. You will be able to opt out of paperless statements on or after May 16, 2023, through the MyChart mobile app or MyChart website. If using the app, you will be directed to the web version.

What if I try paperless statement and do not like it? Can I return to paper statements?

Yes, you can return to paper statements after May 16, 2023, by following the instructions below.

I have both hospital and physician bills. Will both be transitioned to paperless statements/billing?

Yes, for those who are the guarantor of a MyChart account, both hospital and physician billing will be paperless.

Guide for Opting Out of Paperless Billing

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St. Charles Health System committed to retaining, recruiting health professionals

BEND, Ore. – St. Charles Health System leaders would like patients and community members to be aware that the Oregon Nurses Association plans to hold an informational rally from 3 to 8 p.m. today near the Bend hospital campus at 2500 NE Neff Road. The group has committed to a peaceful gathering on public sidewalks and rights of way that will not obstruct pedestrians or traffic. Patient care, patient and visitor parking and access to the hospital should not be impacted.

“We agree with the ONA about the importance of retaining and recruiting health care professionals and are happy to report that despite a national shortage of nurses we have been making significant progress,” said Julie Ostrom, service line administrator for trauma and surgical services and a member of the St. Charles bargaining team. “Over the past nine months, we have hired more new caregivers than we have lost to turnover in that timeframe and we have reduced the number of open nursing positions at the Bend hospital to 80. In addition, a recent $5 hourly wage increase for all bedside nurses puts St. Charles wages at the second highest in the state (for an average annual full-time salary of $108,000 a year). We respect our nurses for the difficult job they do caring for our patients and community and are proud to offer a competitive pay and benefit package.”

Turnover among Bend nursing staff is also declining, and in 2022 St. Charles Bend reported its lowest turnover rate among nursing staff in the past three years (14.5% turnover in 2022, compared with a national average of 22.5% turnover for RNs, according to NSI Nursing Solutions). St. Charles and Bend nurses represented by the ONA have met to bargain an updated contract 10 times with many more negotiation sessions scheduled throughout May and June. 

“We are very much looking forward to reaching an agreement in these contract negotiations and are working hard toward that goal,” Ostrom said. “In the meantime, our focus remains on providing high quality patient care to our Central Oregon community.”    

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, not-for-profit 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.

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Grand Rounds - Apr. 21, 2023
"Preventing Firearm Injury and Death: What Healthcare Providers Can Do"

Speaker: Chethan Sathya, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS . Director, Northwell Health Center for Gun Violence Prevention; Pediatric General & Thoracic Surgeon, Associate Trauma; Director, Cohen Children's Medical Center; Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

 

 

Objectives

  1. Learn about the epidemiology of firearm-related harm.
  2. Assess patients at risk of firearm injury, and open conversations with them about access to guns.
  3. Learn practical ways clinicians can intervene with patients at risk .

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, OHSU seek participants for PATHFINDER 2 early cancer detection study 

A partnership between St. Charles and the Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute aims to find 6,000 Oregonians who will choose a chance at early cancer detection by enrolling in the PATHFINDER 2 study, happening now across our state. The study’s goal is to improve early cancer detection and, ultimately, save lives. 

The PATHFINDER 2 study is not a treatment study. The purpose of this study is to understand the performance and safety of a blood test for early detection of a signal shared by multiple cancers. It is a follow up to the initial PATHFINDER 1 study on a broader scale, including people from diverse and underrepresented populations. This is an opportunity for rural Oregonians to be part of the development of cancer detection strategies. 

The test is being studied and is not approved or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not meant to replace cancer screening tests your health care provider may recommend, such as colonoscopy or mammography. 

The OHSU Knight Cancer institute was selected as one of 32 sites nationally for the study, and OHSU has partnered with hospitals and health systems in Coos Bay, Hood River, The Dalles, Salem and Central Oregon in an effort to reach people outside the Portland area. 

The Pathfinder 2 study is open to those who: 

  • Are 50 or older and 
  • Have never been diagnosed with cancer or 
  • Have been cancer-free at least three years. 

Participants will be asked to give a blood sample drawn by a trained practitioner, provide medical history and complete some questionnaires. More information is here. Participants who enroll in the study will receive the test at no cost. 

“People don’t like having their blood drawn or thinking about cancer impacting their lives, and we understand that,” said Cindy Shuman, the clinical research coordinator who is overseeing the study for St. Charles. “But too often, cancer isn’t found until it’s advanced and harder to treat, and that’s why studies like this are important – so we can improve early detection. At the same time, participants will feel more informed about their own health and will enjoy the peace of mind that comes with that.” 

You can learn more about enrolling through St. Charles by contacting

OHSU Pathfinder Study
(503) 418-8150
[email protected]

St. Charles Research
541-706-2909
[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, La Pine and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit 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.

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Grand Rounds - Apr. 14, 2023
"Latest Evidence for Best Practices in Sports Concussion Management"

Speaker: Stanley A. Herring, MD. Clinical Professor, Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine and Neurological Surgery, University of Washington; Co-Founder and Senior Medical Advisor , The Sports Institute at UW Medicine; Co-Medical Director, UW Medicine Sports Concussion Program; Zackery Lystedt Sports Concussion Endowed Chair, Team Physician, Seattle Mariners and Seattle Seahawks(former)Seattle, Washington.

 

 

Objectives

  1. Review the importance of an emergency medical action plan including provisions for care of suspected sports related concussion.
  2. Discuss components of on the field care for a suspected sports related concussion.
  3. Understand the treatment approach to athletes with persisting symptoms after sports related concussions.

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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Medical Staff Services

The Medical Staff Services (MSS) department of St. Charles Health System is comprised of professionals who serve as experts in matters of credentialing, privileging, and medical staff governance within the healthcare community. This foundation is the basis upon which safe and quality health care can be assured for patients.

Contact Us

For general inquiries and questions regarding changes to your current status or privileges please contact the Medical Staff Team at [email protected].

For initial applications, reappointments and other credentialing question please contact the Credentialing Team at [email protected].

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Spring Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup chopped asparagus
  • 1 cup chopped peas
  • 1 cup chopped spinach
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.
  • Add the Arborio rice to the skillet and stir to coat it with the oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the vegetable broth, one cup at a time, stirring frequently until each cup is absorbed before adding the next.
  • After about 15-20 minutes, when the rice is almost cooked, add the chopped asparagus, peas, and spinach to the skillet. Stir to combine.
  • Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the rice is fully cooked.
  • Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve hot and enjoy!

Note: You can also add other healthy items such as artichokes, fava beans or leeks, depending on your preference.

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