Earlier this month, I received a phone call from U.S. Air Force Brigadier General James Cunningham (Ret.) with some surprising news.

He wanted to set up a time to meet with me because the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) State Committee had chosen St. Charles Health System to receive the Pro Patria Award. It’s the highest level of award bestowed by an ESGR State Committee.

I felt both appreciative and humbled.

We at St. Charles have been so grateful for the services provided to us by the Oregon National Guard through our mass vaccination clinic and two COVID-19 surges. The men and women of the Guard left their friends, families, jobs and communities to be here for us. As I shared with Gen. Cunningham when we met in person, I don’t know if we would have made it through the Delta and Omicron surges without the Guard’s support.

He assured me that we would have made it – but it would have been messy. He also shared the story of taking his elderly parents to the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond a year ago for their COVID-19 vaccinations. The first time they visited, it took about two hours to complete the process. When they returned three weeks later for their second dose, it was after the Oregon National Guard had arrived to provide support. The difference was noticeable.

“It took seven minutes,” Cunningham said.

His pride in the Guard is palpable and his reasons for nominating St. Charles for this award are heartfelt and sincere. The health system has openly welcomed the Guard and has provided a place of learning and growth. We have heard from many of the men and women who have spent time with us in recent months that they are now seriously considering careers in health care because of their experiences helping others here in Central Oregon.

Knowing that those who have been called to help in a time of crisis now see the value of health care as a career is truly a gift of the pandemic.

Thank you to Gen. Cunningham for visiting St. Charles Bend and meeting with me.

Thank you to the ESGR for the Pro Patria Award – an incredible recognition.

And thank you once again to the hundreds of Guard members who helped us in recent months. As we faced unprecedented challenges, your tireless effort and willingness to tackle any task was invaluable.

It has been our honor to work alongside you.

Sincerely,
Joe

Positive COVID-19 cases have decreased in our community, and fewer COVID-positive patients are being admitted to St. Charles’ Bend hospital. The state of Oregon ended its indoor mask requirement on March 12 and, for many, it feels like we are finally starting to put this pandemic behind us.

It is important to remember, however, that COVID-19 is still transmissible, and it is still a threat, especially to unvaccinated people. Here are some things to keep in mind as we move forward:

• Masks are still required in health care settings. This is for your protection and the protection of our caregivers. Please be prepared to follow our masking policy when visiting any St. Charles facility.
• The mask mandate has ended, but people may still make the choice to wear a mask in indoor public spaces such as movie theaters, grocery stores and restaurants. Please be respectful of everyone’s individual choice and comfort level with masking. You never know when someone is immune compromised or simply feels safer with the mask on.
• We are in the process of reviewing our current visitor restrictions. For now, vaccinations are still required for most non-patients entering our facilities. Check our visitor restrictions page on the St. Charles website for the latest updates.
• The state mandate for health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 has not changed. St. Charles will continue to follow state and federal law.
• If you have not yet been vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19, it’s not too late. Vaccination continues to be the most important tool in keeping people from being hospitalized or dying from the virus.
• If you are feeling sick, stay home. Guidance on COVID-19 testing continues to change as we have more access to COVID-19 treatments and home testing kits. Our St. Charles website has many resources that will help you determine when a laboratory test for COVID is necessary.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our communities healthy and safe. We appreciate your support of our efforts to do the same.

St. Charles is a great place to work full of people who care about making a difference in our community. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Hear from Amor in the Lab about why she loves working here.

Join the Family

Two years ago today, I sent out a message letting our community know that we had identified the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in Central Oregon. It was only the second community message related to COVID we shared -- which has been a critical communication channel between St. Charles and the people we serve for more than 700 days.  

As I reflect on all that has happened and in the many ways our world has changed over the past two years, I wanted to stop and thank you for being engaged. Every time one of these messages goes out, I am inundated with responses. It has been wonderful to know that you are reading, listening, learning and taking action based on the information we have shared.

In many ways, it is thanks to you that we have come so far.  

While we still have COVID-19 patients in the hospital, the number of positive cases continues to decrease dramatically, and it feels as though we are finally putting the Omicron variant wave behind us.   

Now that the state indoor mask mandate is lifted and we all start working our way back toward a new normal, I have just a few reminders to share:  

• For the time being, masks will still be required in health care settings. This is for your protection and the protection of our caregivers. Please be prepared to follow our masking policy when visiting any St. Charles facility.
• While COVID numbers remain low, people will have the choice to wear a mask in other indoor environments like movie theaters, grocery stores and restaurants. Please be respectful of everyone’s individual choice and comfort level with masking. You never know when someone is immune compromised or simply feels safer with the mask on.
• The state mandate for health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 has not changed. St. Charles will continue to follow state and federal law.
• If you have not yet been vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19, it's not too late. Vaccination continues to be the most important tool in keeping people from being hospitalized or dying from the virus.
• If you are feeling sick, stay home. Check our St. Charles website for current information and resources that will help you determine when a laboratory test for COVID-19 is necessary. Guidance on COVID-19 testing continues to change as we have more access to COVID-19 therapies and home testing kits.

Thank you, again, for taking the time to read and understand how your actions make a difference to our health care community. Although we’ll continue to keep the door open for further messages from the health system, it is my hope that we are entering a phase of the pandemic where the need for communication on COVID is much less frequent.   

For a behind-the-scenes look at how our caregivers have endured the past two years, please watch this short video. If you can, thank a health care worker and remind them that two years later they are still the heroes of this pandemic.  

Sincerely,  

Joe

After an accident, such as an ankle sprain or knee injury, you can relieve pain, reduce swelling, and counteract the body’s initial response to injury with the RICE method. It’s important to perform this protocol as soon as possible after an injury to promote flexibility and healing.

What does RICE mean?

RICE stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Rest

Stop using the injured body part! Protect the area, and avoid any activity that is painful or may have caused the injury. Continued activity could cause further damage.

Ice

Use ice for the first 48-72 hours after an injury. Apply ice several times a day for 20 minutes at a time, followed by one hour “off.” The cold will contract injured capillaries and blood vessels to help stop internal bleeding. Do not apply ice directly to the skin.   

Compression

Wrap the injured body part firmly with an elasticized bandage, compression sleeve, or cloth – especially when you are more active. This will help speed up healing time by reducing swelling around the injury.

Elevation

Elevate the injured body part above the level of your heart to decrease swelling and joint pain.

In addition, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and aspirin, may also help reduce your pain and swelling, and are beneficial treatments for muscular aches and pains, arthritis, and joint stiffness. If you have tried the RICE method but experience no improvement, or if you are unable to put any weight on the injured area, you should seek medical attention.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – we’ve all heard of it, but what exactly does it mean? Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes joint pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand and wrist. This happens when the main nerve running from your forearm to your hand, called the median nerve, becomes compressed. The median nerve and several tendons run through a small space in your wrist called the carpal tunnel. This nerve controls movement and feeling in your thumb and first three fingers. Pressure on the median nerve is usually the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. Pressure may come from swelling, or anything else that makes the carpal tunnel in your wrist smaller. As the space becomes smaller, the nerve becomes compressed, and you will start to notice symptoms.

Many things can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome, including:

• Genetics
• Repetitive hand use
• Performing activities with extreme flexion or extension of the hand or wrist
• Pregnancy, or other conditions that cause your body to retain fluid
• Diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Wrist injuries

The most common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are:

• Numbness or tingling in the thumb and first two or three fingers, but likely not your pinky finger
• Pain that wakes you up at night, or is worse in the morning when you wake up
• Pain or tingling that extends up the arm
• Weakness of grip or lack of finger coordination
• Tendency to drop things

Treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome include:

• RICE Treatment (rest, ice, compression, elevation)
• Stopping activities that cause pain and resting longer between activities
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help relieve pain and reduce swelling
• Wrist splints to relieve pressure on the median nerve
• Steroid injections
• If nonsurgical treatments do not relieve your pain, carpal tunnel release surgery may be recommended

Most people that have carpal tunnel syndrome will notice that their symptoms gradually worsen over time. The good news is that this condition is very treatable. It is important to be evaluated by your orthopedic surgeon in the early stages to slow or even stop the progression of carpal tunnel syndrome. The sooner you start treatment, the better your chances of preventing long-term damage to your median nerve.

St. Charles Bend drive-through COVID-19 test site closing Friday, March 4 

With the Oregon National Guard scheduled to stand down its operations at St. Charles facilities over the next two weeks, St. Charles Bend is planning to close its drive-through COVID-19 test site on Friday, March 4. 

Patients who need a COVID-19 test after that date and meet St. Charles’ testing criteria will be encouraged to schedule an appointment at www.stcharleshealthcare.org/COVIDtesting or another test site. To see all available options, visit COVID-19 Testing in Oregon (egov.com).

People who should seek testing from a health care provider include those who:

• Are 65 or older
• Have a chronic health condition such as obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or any other condition that puts them at increased risk of severe disease, or they are pregnant 
• Have moderate or severe illness needing medical evaluation
• Live in a group setting such as a nursing home
• Work in agriculture, food service or an educational setting like a preschool and at-home testing is not available

People who may not need to seek testing from a health care provider include those who:

• Have had close contact with a family member with COVID-19. In this scenario, household members should assume they have COVID-19 and isolate. The exception is if any household members are considered high risk and would benefit from treatment.
• Are mildly ill and do not meet conditions above
• Have tested positive with an at-home kit. Another confirmatory test is not needed. Likewise, symptomatic people with a negative test within three to five days of illness onset do not need a confirmatory test.
• Have had COVID-19 and want to return to work or school. Individuals should be able to return after completing their isolation or quarantine as described at www.deschutes.org/covidinfo    

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.

What is a spinal fusion?

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure that involves permanently joining vertebrae together and fusing them into a single bone. It is usually recommended when your surgeon can pinpoint the source of your back pain. By eliminating the motion in the spine that causes pain, this procedure relieves symptoms of many back conditions including spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disk disease, and others.

All spinal fusions use some type of bone material, called a bone graft, to stimulate bone healing and help fill in the space left after a disk is removed. The bone is usually taken from your hip area, but can be taken from a donor as well. After the bone graft is placed, your neurosurgeon will use metal screws, plates, and rods to stabilize the spine and promote healing of the fusion.

What is a lumbar transformal epidural steroid injection?

A lumbar transformal epidural steroid injection is a non-surgical procedure that treats pain and can also serve as a diagnostic tool. Conditions typically treated include pinched nerve/radiculopathy, sciatica, herniated discs or spinal stenosis. Your doctor injects a combination of anesthetic and steroid medications adjacent to the inflamed/painful nerve. Come patients experience significant pain relief after just one steroid injection. However, some patients get no pain relief or only short term relief.

Bulging, slipped or herniated discs can occur due to arthritis, trauma or aging and are a common cause of severe back pain when a nerve is compressed. When conservative treatment options like physical therapy, medication and rest do not relieve low back pain, your neurosurgeon may recommend microdiscectomy. It is a minimally invasive surgical procedure which allows for removal of only a portion of the damaged lumbar disc, enlarging the spinal canal, and alleviating the low back pain symptoms. This is typically done on an outpatient basis and patients can go home the same day.