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Cancer Genetics

All cancer is caused by genetic changes. The majority of these genetic changes are random and result in sporadic cancers. However, some individuals may inherit a genetic change that increases their risk of developing certain cancers. If you or your family have a history of cancer, you may qualify for a hereditary cancer risk assessment. Genetic testing may clarify your personal and family health history and inform personalized medical management guidelines to help prevent a cancer diagnosis.

Who should consider an evaluation with a Genetic Counselor?

If you or your family have any of the following history, you may benefit from a hereditary cancer risk evaluation:

Rare cancer diagnosis (i.e. ovarian, pancreatic, male breast, medullary thyroid)
Multiple cancer diagnoses (i.e. colon and uterine; or breast and ovarian) or cancer in paired organs (ie: bilateral breast)
Multiple relatives on the same side of the family with associated cancer (i.e. breast, ovarian, prostate; or colon, endometrial, gastric, ovarian, and pancreatic)
Multiple colon polyps (>10)
Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry
Known genetic variant in the family

How can a genetics counselor help?

Genetic Counseling is often recommended before any genetic testing for hereditary cancer. If you proceed with testing and a disease-causing genetic variant is identified, you will have a second appointment to discuss medical management options. Genetic counseling usually covers the following:

A hereditary cancer risk assessment based on personal and family history
A discussion of the purpose of genetic testing including medical management implications
A review of the types of genes analyzed, as well as possible findings
The potential impact on family members
The cost of testing and potential insurance implications
Explanation of test results and next steps

What to expect at your appointment

Your first visit will include a review of your personal history, family history, and a discussion of the purpose of genetic testing for hereditary cancer risk. If you elect to pursue genetic testing for cancer risk, your results will be personalized based on your personal history, family history, and any disease-causing genetic variants identified. With this information, you can work with your provider to develop a personalized plan for cancer screening and prevention. Referral options for other specialists may be provided. If you have questions or concerns, please contact 541-706-6729.

Screening and Prevention

For individuals at increased risk for developing cancer based on personal history, family history, or genetic test results, personalized screening and preventative recommendations may include*:

Starting mammograms earlier than age 40
Breast MRI
Full body MRI
Earlier and more frequent colonoscopy
Upper endoscopy
Annual dermatology exams
Pancreatic cancer screening
Earlier and more frequent prostate cancer screening
Preventative surgery such as mastectomy, colectomy (removal of colon), gastrectomy (removal of stomach), or oophorectomy (removal of ovaries)
Chemoprevention (medication to reduce the risk of developing cancer)

*This list is not comprehensive.

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Community Newsletter Education

St. Charles Health System’s Trauma Services team is taking life-saving Stop the Bleed training and tourniquet kits to local schools and businesses this fall, thanks in part to money donated at the St. Charles Foundation’s Saints Gala fundraiser in 2019.

That year, the event raised money to benefit the trauma program, which provides injury prevention education and help for those who suffer traumatic injuries in Central Oregon. Donors at the event gave around $250,000 to the cause.

Trauma Services has spent some of that money on things like upgrading the Bend hospital’s trauma rooms and a new ultrasound machine. Now, the team is ready to relaunch Stop the Bleed training after more than two years off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With a focus on injury prevention outreach, we are using some of the money we have left to purchase Stop the Bleed kits and get them out into the community,” said Jeremy Buller, trauma program coordinator for St. Charles.

Stop the Bleed trains, equips and empowers people to help others who are injured following a traumatic event. It is part of a national campaign organized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

St. Charles regularly receives requests for the training from local individuals and organizations such as Bend-LaPine Schools and the Bend Chamber of Commerce, Buller said. Those requests have increased since the Aug. 28 Safeway shooting on the east side of Bend, he said.

Shootings can cause traumatic injuries, of course, but the majority of traumas in Central Oregon happen as the result of car crashes, falls off bikes and e-bikes, camping accidents and other everyday occurrences, Buller said.

“Hemorrhage is the number one leading cause of preventable death in trauma patients,” he said. “So the things we see on TV aren’t necessarily the reason we do this training. It’s more likely that you’re going to run across a need for this while you’re running an errand or you’re out on the trails.”

Training sessions are currently planned in November and December at Mountain View and Bend Senior high schools and the Bend Chamber, with more to be scheduled. Soon, Buller hopes to relaunch training that’s open to the public, and Stop the Bleed is now being taught as part of Trauma Services’ standard CPR education.

The department is also using the Saints Gala money to buy Stop the Bleed kits, which contain a tourniquet, gauze, gloves, scissors, a pressure bandage and more. They give these kits away for free as part of the training.

“The goal is to have these kits readily available in the event you run across someone that is experiencing life-threatening bleeding,” he said, “and to train as many people as possible on how to use them.”

If you have any questions about our Stop the Bleed classes, contact our Trauma Team via email.

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Stop the Bleed Jeremy Buller

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A message from Steve Community Newsletter

The St. Charles Board of Directors has begun working with a national search firm to find our next inspiring president and Chief Executive Officer for St. Charles Health System.

As part of the process, we are actively seeking input from St. Charles employees, providers, community partners and many other key stakeholders on what attributes are most needed in our next CEO. We launched an internal survey this week to our more than 5,000 employees and members of our medical staff to ensure they have a chance to share their voice on this important topic.

The information gathered will go into development of the job profile used to source candidates who are both highly qualified and a great fit to lead St. Charles into the future. Once the profile is created, we anticipate beginning the public search phase for candidates in early 2023.

Ultimately, the St. Charles Board of Directors has the responsibility to select our next president and CEO. The input-gathering phase we are going through now will ensure the board’s search committee knows what matters most to the communities we have the privilege to serve. Because St. Charles is a community asset, we also believe it is important to keep you informed about the steps we are taking along the way.

Thanks to those of you who have already dedicated time to this process. It is heartening to know that our communities are invested in the future success of our health system.

Sincerely,
Steve

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Steve Gordon

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Community Newsletter

St. Charles is seeing a concerning increase in respiratory illness in children and is encouraging families with infants to protect them as much as possible by limiting their exposure to others and practicing good hand hygiene.

“It has been a rough respiratory season so far, with rhinovirus and enterovirus starting to circulate in August and causing illness in a lot of kids,” said Dr. Suzanne Mendez, a pediatric hospitalist at St. Charles Bend.

Now, she said, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)—which can be serious especially for infants—is hitting about two to three months sooner than usual.

Dr. Mike Johnson, St. Charles’ senior data scientist, said the health system has seen a pronounced difference in the number of pediatric patients who have visited a St. Charles Emergency Department with flu-like symptoms in September and October. In those two months, St. Charles saw 443 children versus 368 during the same period in 2021. He noted that COVID-19 does not appear to be among those viruses causing an increase in visits, as case numbers have remained relatively low for both children and adults in recent weeks.

The rise in pediatric respiratory cases in Central Oregon and around the country has created a shortage of hospital beds for children.

On Monday night, St. Charles Bend’s pediatric unit was full, and the health system is now working on a surge plan in anticipation of the West Coast following the trends currently being seen on the East Coast, where many children’s hospitals are full.

“We’ve also had to transfer more children to pediatric intensive care units in Portland than is usual for this time of year, and now we have early winter conditions that can make those transfers challenging,” Mendez said. “So, taking preventive measures to keep young children healthy is especially important right now.”

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RSV Respiratory Pediatrics

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Press Release

St. Charles hosts medication take-back event Oct. 29 at Bend Police Department

BEND, Ore. – St. Charles Health System is hosting a medication take-back event on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bend Police Department at 555 NE 15th St.

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 2021, St. Charles collected 427 pounds of medication from more than 300 community members. The health system is pleased to be able to provide this opportunity, as other community drops sites have not been accessible due to COVID-19 safety measures.

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 non-oncology 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, 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.

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.

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medication Community Pharmacy

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Humans of St. Charles

“Getting this job off the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation was out of my comfort zone and a little intimidating.

Being young and only knowing the Reservation (Rez) and thinking there's nothing for me off the Rez, and the feeling like I wasn't good enough or I didn't know enough was kind of my mindset. Any youth or even adult that is in their comfort zone, I encourage them to get out and challenge themselves. Our youth is our future.”

~Maraya (Rya) - Warm Springs, Yakama, Klamath Modoc tribal member and St. Charles Madras caregiver

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IDEA

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Community Newsletter

A few of our clinics in Redmond have moved recently!

Now located at 655 NW Jackpine Avenue in Redmond:

St. Charles Anticoagulation Clinic
St. Charles Heart and Lung Specialists
St. Charles Pulmonary Clinic
St. Charles Sleep Center

Now located at 916 SW 17th Street in Redmond:

St. Charles Behavioral Health
St. Charles Preoperative Medicine
St. Charles Rheumatology

St. Charles clinics are no longer located at 244 NW Kingwood.

Also, there is no longer a St. Charles lab at 1245 NW 4th Street. Lab services are available at St. Charles Family Care, 211 NW Larch Avenue.

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Redmond

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Community Newsletter COVID-19 Vaccine

The COVID-19 virus is ever-changing, and so is our collective response to the pandemic. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is this: The best way to protect yourself against severe illness as the result of COVID-19 is to make sure you’re up to date on your vaccinations and boosters.

St. Charles has the new bivalent boosters, emergency authorized by the FDA, which provide broad protection against both the original strain of COVID-19 as well as the omicron variant. Appointments are available for those 12 and older at any St. Charles Urgent Care clinic. If our schedule doesn’t work for you, please check out the many options for vaccination in Central Oregon.

“COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying,” says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which publishes recommendations for different age groups. “As with other diseases, you are protected best from COVID-19 when you stay up to date with the recommended vaccines, including recommended boosters.”

Here are answers to five frequently asked questions about COVID-19 boosters:

What is a bivalent vaccine? How does it work?

Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include a component of the original virus strain to provide broad protection against COVID-19 and a component of the omicron variant to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant. They are called bivalent COVID-19 vaccines because they contain these two components.

When should I get a booster? Should I wait for another surge?

The CDC recommends vaccination for everyone ages 6 months and older and boosters for everyone age 5 and older, if eligible. Children ages 5-11 are recommended to get the original (monovalent) booster, and people age 12 and older are recommended to get the updated (bivalent) booster. More information is here, and the CDC has a handy chart showing who should get what (and when) here.

With a busy holiday season on the horizon and Australia experiencing a severe flu season (which is often an indication of what’s to come in the United States), October is a great time to get up to date on your flu shot and COVID vaccines.

I recently had COVID-19. Should I get a booster?

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against the virus. People who already had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more likely to contract the virus again, according to the CDC.

However, per the CDC: “You may consider delaying your vaccine by three months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you received a positive test.”

Are there side effects from the booster?

Reactions reported after getting a booster are similar to those after the primary series, including fever, headache, fatigue and pain at the injection site. Most side effects have been mild to moderate, and they vary from person to person. More information is here.

Can I get a COVID-19 booster and my flu vaccine at the same time?

Yes. There is no recommended waiting time between the COVID-19 booster and the flu vaccine or any other vaccine.

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COVID-19

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Community Newsletter A message from Steve

Hello and happy autumn! It’s a busy time of year at St. Charles, and I want to make sure you’re aware of a few things that might otherwise slip past your radar:

We’ve welcomed a new member to the St. Charles Board of Directors: Jon Bullock, a resident of Redmond and co-founder and executive director of the Redmond Proficiency Academy. Before he founded RPA, he worked as an administrator with the Redmond School District and the Bethel School District in Eugene and served as a high school teacher and coach in Corvallis and Salem. In addition to his work at the K-12 level, Jon has also taught courses at the college and university level and currently serves as a member of the Southern Oregon University Board of Trustees. He is also a former member of the Redmond City Council and the Economic Development Central Oregon board.

I am excited to have a member of the board with such extensive experience and a career-long focus on education, not to mention deep roots in Redmond. Jon joined us to help St. Charles as we work to ensure the people of Central Oregon get the care and support they need and deserve.

"Access to high-quality, affordable health care is essential for our community,” he said. “Serving on the St. Charles Board of Directors provides the opportunity to directly and positively influence our community's future.”

Please join me in welcoming Jon to the board and thanking him for his service!

Being up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters is still the best way to protect yourself against severe illness and hospitalization as a result of the virus, and experts say October is a great time to get the booster (and a flu shot, too). St. Charles has the new bivalent boosters, which are emergency authorized by the FDA. Appointments are available for those 12 and older at any St. Charles Urgent Care clinic. If our schedule doesn’t work for yours, please check out the many options for vaccination in our community.

At St. Charles, we are cautiously returning to in-person events and, like you, enjoying spending more time with others – both in our facilities and in the communities we serve.

In recent weeks, our caregivers have attended the Bend Health Fair, the Latino Fest in Madras and Prineville and the Jefferson County Senior Center Health Fair, with more stops on the horizon. If you’re out and about and you see our blue tent or tablecloth, please stop by and say hi!

This Sunday you’ll find many of us at St. Charles Foundation’s annual 5K run/walk fundraiser, Heaven Can Wait, which returns to an in-person format after two years as a virtual event. Heaven Can Wait raises money for Sara’s Project, which provides education, early detection and support services to ease the challenges of breast cancer for people in Central and Eastern Oregon. And this year, the event moves to Redmond! It’s a fun time for a good cause and a celebration of life, survivorship and those who have passed on.

Finally, you may have noticed the American flag flying at half-mast at our hospitals in Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. We lowered them to show our respect for Atwai Wasco Chief Alfred Smith Jr., who passed away earlier this week. St. Charles Health System sends its heartfelt condolences to his family and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

Sincerely,
Steve

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