St. Charles Health System is now accepting applications for grants aimed at reducing loneliness and increasing welcoming and belonging in Central Oregon. Community-based and nonprofit organizations, education systems and tribal entities that serve youth, older adults and/or vulnerable populations are now eligible to apply for St. Charles’ newest grant priority: Celebrate, Together; Celebrando Juntos. 

For the next three years, St. Charles will direct thousands in grant funding to community organizations to target loneliness and isolation, aimed specifically at organizations that are creating opportunities for communities to connect in person, with a focus on older adults and youth.

“We are increasingly seeing that loneliness and depression are root causes of a number of health problems and societal problems, and the pandemic has only exacerbated that issue,” said Molly Wells Darling, administrative director of Behavioral Health Services for St. Charles. “If we can help people feel less lonely by connecting with others and becoming part of a community, we know that Central Oregon will be healthier place.”

Carlos Salcedo, community partnerships manager for St. Charles, says that the goal is for these grants to address loneliness by providing a wide variety of activities that match the diverse interests of Central Oregonians. 

“We heard in our assessment interviews that community members are craving opportunities to come together, meet new people and rebuild their social networks coming out of COVID. Our hope is that each community will choose where to focus their time and energy around this issue. Maybe one will focus on creating innovative programming for middle school youth while another might focus on creating community walking groups,” said Salcedo. 

Organizations that are interested in expanding current group programming or piloting new projects that would allow their target populations to engage in a way that is most meaningful to them are encouraged to apply. 

Applications are due Sept. 30, 2023. To learn more about the grant requirements and application process, visit our webpage. 

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.

Seniors encouraged to choose traditional Medicare during open enrollment

Citing concerns related to patient care, access and affordability, St. Charles Health System is evaluating its participation in all Medicare Advantage plans, including those from Humana, PacificSource, HealthNet and WellCare.  

St. Charles continues to accept original (or traditional) Medicare, which is funded and operated by the federal government. Medicare Advantage plans are funded by the government but run by private insurance companies. 

Dr. Steve Gordon, President and CEO of St. Charles, explains that great thought went into the decision to reevaluate Medicare Advantage participation, and it was done only after years of concerns piled up not just at St. Charles, but at health systems throughout the country. “The reality of Medicare Advantage in Central Oregon is that it just hasn’t lived up to the promise. A program intended to promote seamless and higher quality care has instead become a fragmented patchwork of administrative delays, denials, and frustrations. The sicker you are, the more hurdles you and your care teams face. Our insurance partners need to do better, especially when nurses, physicians and other caregivers are reporting high levels of burnout and job dissatisfaction.”

St. Charles is not alone in expressing concerns about Medicare Advantage plans. According to the American Hospital Association, the AHA “is increasingly concerned about certain (Medicare Advantage) plan policies that restrict or delay patient access to care, which also add cost and burden to the health care system.” Additionally, some Medicare Advantage plans are under Congressional investigation for delays and denials in coverage. 

“We are seeing different outcomes for patients based on the type of insurance they have; with those on Medicare Advantage experiencing higher rates of denials and longer hospital stays, meanwhile our providers must jump through hoops in order to get the care their patients need approved,” said Matt Swafford, chief financial officer for St. Charles. “We recognize changing insurance options may create a temporary burden for Central Oregonians who are currently on a Medicare Advantage plan, but we ultimately believe it is the right move for patients and for our health system to be sustainable into the future to encourage patients to move away from Medicare Advantage plans as they currently exist. We want to share this notification with seniors in Central Oregon so they have enough time during open enrollment this fall to sign up for traditional Medicare.” 

Next steps

St. Charles Health System is evaluating its Medicare Advantage contracts with PacificSource, Humana, HealthNet and WellCare this fall and winter.  

Should St. Charles no longer be considered “in-network” with these Medicare Advantage plans, patients who are currently on these plans may need to choose another insurance plan to avoid changes in insurance coverage or payment responsibilities. 

“We strongly encourage anyone currently on a Medicare Advantage plan living in Central Oregon to review their health insurance coverage during open enrollment this fall and consider making a change to traditional Medicare,” said Dr. Mark Hallett, chief clinical officer for St. Charles. “When a patient is on traditional Medicare, physicians determine a patient’s care and what is medically necessary. When a patient is on a Medicare Advantage plan, the insurer determines what is medically necessary. Medicare Advantage plans provide great benefits for people who are healthy, but we are concerned patients may not understand the barriers to care they could experience on an MA plan if they are seriously ill or require hospitalization.” 

Central Oregonians who wish to explore insurance options, can contact: 

• Oregon Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) at 800-722-4134, option 2, 
• 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227), 
• Council on Aging of Central Oregon at 541-678-5483,
• or an insurance broker of your choosing.

St. Charles Foundation is pleased to announce the arrival of its new Executive Director, Jennifer O’Bryan. She brings to the Foundation more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, including donor relations, strategic planning and event execution.

O’Bryan is an Oregon native who has spent the past two decades working in the nonprofit sector, first with the Portland Rose Festival Association, and then as Senior Vice President of Revenue and Development at the Children’s Cancer Association in Portland. 

“For the past few years, my family has been fortunate enough to live in Bend, where we get to enjoy the incredible way of life that Central Oregon has to offer,” O’Bryan said. “I am excited and humbled to now play a part in promoting health and wellbeing in this beautiful region.”

O’Bryan earned her business degree from Western Oregon University in Monmouth. She said she is deeply inspired by what the Foundation has been able to accomplish through its generous donors.

“It is my belief that access to high-quality health care is one of the most critical components of a community’s infrastructure,” O’Bryan said. “I am confident that through collaborative partnerships and strengthening community connections, we can continue to bring innovation, clinical excellence and world-class health care to Central Oregon.”

Over the past several years, the Foundation has provided funding for much-needed advancements for the region, including leading-edge equipment, scholarship programs, grants, patient services and multiple capital projects like the Bend patient tower, which houses St. Charles’ 24-bed Intensive Care Unit and 28-bed Progressive Care Unit.

“St. Charles Foundation is critical to the long-term success of St. Charles Health System and the stability of access to health care services throughout Central Oregon,” said Jim Lussier, St. Charles Foundation board chair. “We are thrilled to have Jenny join our team and lead the Foundation into the future.”   

O’Bryan is an ideal person to lead the Foundation as Central Oregon continues to grow, said Dr. Steve Gordon, President and CEO of St. Charles.

“We are so fortunate to have someone with Jenny’s experience and expertise overseeing the Foundation’s important work,” Gordon said. “Jenny has already hit the ground running and I’m excited to partner with and support her in becoming a key figure and a familiar face in the community for St. Charles.  Please join me in welcoming her to her new role.”

For more information about St. Charles Foundation, please visit stcharlesfoundation.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, La Pine, 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 4,500 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.

It’s not every day you set out to change a state law and actually succeed. That’s what happened this summer, as caregivers from St. Charles Health System partnered with members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to advocate for the passage of new state legislation that allows health care organizations to better support patients’ cultural and spiritual beliefs.

The new legislation, SB 189, which passed in July and will be signed into law on Jan. 1, 2024, allows Oregonians to have a say in what happens to their amputated body parts in accordance with their cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs.

“Today, we at St. Charles are celebrating the passage of this legislation along with our friends and partners in the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. It’s a great example of listening to our community, hearing a concern, thinking creatively and taking responsive action alongside those who are most impacted to make a difference,” said Dr. Steve Gordon, president and CEO for St. Charles.

For years, caregivers at St. Charles experienced a barrier to care for some patients. Under existing state law, amputated body parts are considered pathological waste and their disposal is required.

“Many of our Native American patients that were in need of medical intervention requiring amputation of a body part didn’t want to seek necessary care if they weren’t able to receive the body part back after surgery,” said Dr. Shilo Tippett, manager of caregiver experience and inclusion for St. Charles. That’s because many members of the Tribe believe they must be buried whole to travel to the spirit world after death.

While the new law will likely only directly impact a handful of individuals each year, its significance is hard to overstate.

Jonathan Smith, Tribal Council Chairman for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, said that the passage of the law as well as the partnership that brought about this change means a great deal to the Tribes.

“We are very happy. We knew it was a concern and it had been on the books for a long time. It was really good to see St. Charles support us in this,” said Smith. “Our continuing partnership is going to be a key for success in the future.”

St. Charles caregivers began the effort to change the law last summer when they surveyed members of the Warm Springs community during a health fair. Overwhelmingly the residents said they wanted the law to change.

“It felt so unfair to our Tribal people and to our staff who wanted to support their patients. It felt morally wrong not to be able to do this,” said Tippett, who is also an enrolled Tribal Member. St. Charles staff worked alongside a lobbyist from the Tribes and collaborated with many groups, including Tribes from across the state, to move the legislation ahead.

“This is huge. For native people, this is removing a barrier to journey into the spirit world and it feels wonderful to know that we at St. Charles had a hand in that,” said Tippett.

In so many ways, I can’t believe one year has gone by since I took on the interim role of president and CEO for St. Charles Health System.

It has been a remarkable 12 months. Before I pause to reflect on all that has happened, it’s worth revisiting my three main goals I shared with you in my July 2022 column:

• Create a better experience for St. Charles patients, caregivers and physicians.
• Improve the health system's financial situation.
• Find and hire an inspiring new president and CEO to lead us forward.

Since then we’ve weathered extraordinary challenges, and we’ve made exceptional progress. We reorganized ourselves around service lines, streamlined decision making and renewed our focus on and investment in our people. Our turnover rate has stabilized at below pre-pandemic levels. Month after month, people are choosing to work for St. Charles and are choosing to stay with us. Financially, we have maintained a positive operating margin for the first half of 2023 at a time when health care finances remain uncertain throughout the state and nation.

I hear regularly from grateful patients about the excellent care they receive at St. Charles. That makes me incredibly proud because I know that excellence happens one patient at a time, but creating conditions for excellence takes perseverance, focus and a continuous improvement mindset. Across the health system, we have maintained a care delivery environment we can be proud of, not just because we provide that care to the communities of Central Oregon, but because it is as good as care delivered anywhere.

Like many of you, I am deeply concerned about the state of health care in America today. I fear that despite our best efforts, St. Charles will continue to face intense external pressures and we will see little in the way of relief from insurers, policy makers and regulators. We are beginning to work on a three-year strategic plan to ensure we are all rowing the boat in the same direction. We are also continuing our focus to reduce administrative burdens through negotiations with insurance companies by evaluating our ongoing participation in Medicare Advantage plans. We hope to share more about both of these important efforts soon.

It’s easy to see how much we’ve accomplished toward the first two goals I outlined one year ago. When I wrote out that third goal, I fully intended that we would find someone other than me to serve permanently as CEO. Instead, working alongside our great caregivers, physicians and providers inspired me to stay on, and I remain energized to keep building upon our recovery and to preserving, strengthening and evolving our services sustainably into the future.

Sincerely,
Steve

Frequently Asked Questions: 
Medicare Advantage Changes

Background information:

St. Charles Health System has been providing health care in Central Oregon for more than 100 years. As we look to stabilize our core health care services and ensure our ability to continue providing quality care for the next 100 years, we are reevaluating our participation in all Medicare Advantage plans.

Open enrollment for Medicare is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 and we want to provide information to seniors and other residents to help make informed decisions. 

What is the difference between traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage?

Original or traditional Medicare is health care operated and funded by the federal government. Medicare Advantage plans are operated by private insurance companies.

What insurance plans does St. Charles currently accept? 

St. Charles accepts traditional Medicare. 

Visit our Insurance Information page for more information about plans accepted in 2024 and changes for 2025.

If you wish to explore your insurance options, we suggest contacting:

• Oregon Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) at 800-722-4134, option 2,

• 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227),

• Council on Aging of Central Oregon at 541-678-5483,

• or an insurance broker of your choosing.

What is the deadline to make a change?

Changes should be made during the annual benefits open enrollment period, which is Oct. 15 – Dec. 7.

Caregivers at St. Charles take organ donation incredibly seriously, treating each donor patient with care and compassion, according to Lori Gaston, Director of Critical Care Services.

“It’s such a gift these donor patients are offering. It’s really powerful to think of the lives that will be saved,” said Gaston. “We have passion around this at St. Charles, around providing excellent care to these critically ill patients. And then ‑ if life is not possible ‑ there’s a drive to say, ‘What other lives can we help save?’ And we find the most comfortable, caring way possible to potentially share organs with others.”

That commitment and dedication was recently recognized, as St. Charles Bend was one of only a handful of hospitals in the Northwest region to earn the Cascade Life Alliance Hope Award. The honor, which was received by teams from St. Charles Bend’s ICU and operating room, is given to hospitals that demonstrate outstanding efforts in support of saving lives through organ donation.

Nikki Ryan, Hospital Development Coordinator for Cascade Life Alliance, said St. Charles was honored specifically for recording a 99 percent timely referral rate and 100 percent conversion rate last year. She explained that these statistics essentially mean that St. Charles “recognizes the importance of these rare opportunities and is able to compassionately support families through these difficult end of life decisions. The topic of organ donation can be incredibly sensitive, especially when a family is unsure of their loved ones wishes and requires a high level of sensitivity to navigate. There is a lot to be proud of.”

In 2022, St. Charles helped facilitate 34 successful organ donations from 13 donor patients. Ryan says organ donation is an incredibly rare opportunity, with less than 1 percent of deaths happening in a way which can allow for organ donation to occur. In order for any life-saving donation to happen, hospital staff must be highly trained to ensure these rare opportunities are not overlooked.

St. Charles partners with Cascade Life Alliance, the federally designated Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) serving the state of Oregon, to facilitate the organ donation process and provide lifesaving organ transplants to those in need.

“This honor shows that our teams are on it. The passion around donation at this organization is palpable and impressive,” said Gaston.

Early bird registration closes July 31 for 24th annual walk/run 5K in Redmond

It’s time to dust off your pink tutus and superhero capes and get ready for the 24^th annual Heaven Can Wait event. Registration is now open for the popular breast cancer fundraiser and 5K, set to take place in Redmond on Sunday, Oct 1. The family-friendly walk/run raises money for Sara’s Project, which helps provide vital support services to people in Central Oregon with breast cancer.

“The theme for this year is Superheroes because we want to highlight the strength, fortitude and inspiration that we see in our breast cancer community. From the survivors to the family members to the providers, Heaven Can Wait is about camaraderie and coming together as a community,” said Jenny O’Bryan, Executive Director for St. Charles Foundation. “It’s also a fun event, with attendees donning costumes and face paint and generally having a great time, laughing and celebrating together.” 

This year’s event will kick off at Redmond High School’s football stadium and will wind through Dry Canyon. Dogs are not permitted at the event.

Early bird registration is $30 and ends July 31. Registration through Sept. 26 is $35 and through Oct. 1 is $40. Individuals can sign up online at HeavenCanWait.org or in-person at Redmond’s First Friday art walks (at Harcourts The Garner Group Real Estate). Individuals can also sign up to volunteer to support the event.

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.

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Kabob items:

• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Red, orange and green bell peppers (chopped into 1-inch squares)
• Mushrooms
• Zucchini and/or yellow squash (sliced into coins, approx. half-inch thick)
• Red onion (cut large enough to skewer onto kabobs)
• Skewers for grilling (if using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water prior to assembling kabobs)

Instructions:

Simply combine all marinade ingredients into bowl, mix well, then divide into two separate gallon-size resealable plastic bags. Add the chicken to one and the veggies to the other, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to grilling (overnight is best).

1. When you're ready to cook the kabobs, preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
2. While the grill is heating, thread the chicken cubes and veggies onto skewers, making sure you separate each chicken cube by a few veggies as you go.
3. Place the skewers on the preheated grill and cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred on the edges.
4. Once cooked, remove the skewers from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes.
5. Serve the chicken kabobs with your favorite sides, such as rice or a fresh salad.

Happy grilling!
 

Steve Gordon, MD, MPP, FACP
President and CEO, St. Charles Health System

Dr. Steve Gordon is the president and CEO of St. Charles Health System. He completed his internal medicine training at Massachusetts General Hospital and has a master’s in public policy from Harvard University. Dr. Gordon served on the St. Charles Board of Directors from 2014 to 2022 before taking on the position of CEO. He also serves on the Hospital Association of Oregon Board. He has more than three decades of experience in health care as a former provider, educator and executive.