Visitors and support persons are a vital aspect of the patient’s healing process and are welcomed 24 hours a day. Visitation will be guided by the nursing staff depending upon patient preference and the care requirements of each patient. The patient has the responsibility to inform the nursing staff of visitors they wish to exclude from visiting. The hospital will endeavor to provide maximal privacy and confidentiality of all patients, maintain an environment conducive to rest, healing and prevent the potential for the spread of infection.

Visitation within St. Charles hospitals:

a. Hospital patients may have 2 visitors (age five and older) at a time. If the patient is entitled to a support person, that support person will be counted as one of the patient’s visitors. (Children will be accompanied by an adult caregiver or parent and will not be under the direct care of any person admitted as a patient at St. Charles Health System. If accommodations cannot be made by a guardian or designee, St. Charles will work to make alternative supervisory arrangements for a child while their guardian is under our care, including working with law enforcement and the Oregon Department of Human Services.)

b. When required by St. Charles policy or situationally as determined by the unit manager/assistant nurse manager, visitors are required to follow universal masking and physical distancing policies as outlined in Environmental Source Control (Universal Masking and Physical Distancing) During COVID-19 – Policy.

c. Visitors and any others entering St. Charles hospitals or clinics will not engage in disruptive, abusive, threatening, or unsafe behaviors, to be determined in the sole discretion of the unit or department manager. A visitor who continues engaging in any such behavior after being asked to cease will be escorted from the premises immediately.

d. If there are indications that a visitor is bringing the patient a drug or an item that might be harmful to the patient, the visitor will be requested to have his/her belongings inspected. If the visitor refuses, the staff member, in consultation with a supervisor, determines whether he/she will be permitted to visit.

e. Visitors to patients with highly infectious respiratory illnesses will be expected to wear all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including respiratory protection that is appropriate to the patient’s precaution level while in the isolation room. Appropriate PPE includes a procedure mask for droplet or an unfitted N95 for airborne or enhanced droplet, in addition to a gown, gloves and eye protection.

i. Highly infectious respiratory illnesses are those that are spread via droplets or airborne droplet nuclei and are easily transmitted and/or cause severe illness. Questions about respiratory illnesses not included in the examples may be escalated to Infection Prevention. Examples include but are not limited to: COVID-19, Tuberculosis, Varicella (chickenpox or disseminated shingles), measles, mumps or rubella, any other disease requiring airborne precautions not mentioned above, influenza, and RSV.

Visitation Policy Specific to Pediatrics – Bend and Prineville (under 18 years of age, if admitted to the pediatric unit):

i. Parents and support persons may visit 24 hours a day. A parent or support person over the age of 18 is encouraged to stay the night with the patient.

ii. Visitors are limited to two at a time, one of whom must be a parent or guardian, unless parent(s) or guardian(s) have given permission for others to visit in their absence. This does not apply to Behavioral Health patients; see Pediatric Psychiatric Inpatient Guidelines (Pediatric Mental Health Inpatient Guidelines) for visitor restrictions.

iii. To maximize patient privacy and safety, pediatric patients will not leave their rooms unless under direct supervision of nursing staff, or a parent/support person over the age of 18.

Child Life Specialists at St. Charles Bend

Injury, illness and medical treatment can be challenging and stressful, especially for children. St. Charles offers a child life program to help support you and your child during a hospital stay or medical encounter.

Certified child life specialists are educated and trained in the developmental and psychological impact of illness and injury. They work in partnership with families as part of the health care team to meet the psychosocial, emotional and developmental needs of children and adolescents.

Each of our child life specialists has earned a bachelor's or master’s degree in child development or related field, completed a rigorous internship and maintains their certification from the Child Life Certification Commission.

A child life specialist can help your child with:

• Medical and pre-surgery preparation
• Support for a medical procedure

If you would like to request the support of a child life specialist, please ask your child's nurse or any member of their care team or call the Child Life Program directly 541-382-4321 extension 3579 or 541-706-2900 extension 3579.

Community members with unwanted medications on hand can dispose of them safely during a free event hosted by St. Charles Health System and the Bend Police Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Bend Police Department, 555 NE 15th St., Bend. 
 
The take-back event is intended to help Central Oregonians safely dispose of medications to protect the environment and fellow community members. During last year’s event, community members brought in 397 pounds of medications and sharps for safe disposal. 
 
No questions will be asked. Individuals can drive through the parking lot and drop off medications right from their car window. Bend Police evidence technicians 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. In addition, sharps will be accepted if they’re properly packaged in a sharps container for disposal. Representatives from St. Charles pharmacy will also be on-site to answer questions.

Stacy Youngs, BSN
Vice President of Operations, St. Charles Bend

Stacy Youngs oversees daily operations at the health system’s largest hospital, including therapy services, the laboratory and more. Stacy earned her nursing degree from the University of Arizona and her master’s in nursing leadership from Grand Canyon University. She joined St. Charles in 2023, bringing with her more than 15 years of hospital experience in the Portland area.

The 26^th annual Heaven Can Wait 5K returns to Redmond High School on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 10:30 a.m. The St. Charles Foundation reminds the community that there is still time to register for the family-friendly walk and run.

The event raises funds for Sara’s Project, which provides breast cancer education, early detection and support services across Central and Eastern Oregon. Since 2000, Heaven Can Wait has welcomed more than 59,000 participants, including nearly 6,000 breast cancer survivors and raised more than $1.75 million to support local patients and families.

“This fun event brings together families, friends and survivors to support those affected by breast cancer,” said Jenny O’Bryan, director of St. Charles Foundation. “The energy and joy at Heaven Can Wait makes it a day our community looks forward to year after year.”

Individuals can sign up online at HeavenCanWait.org

For mountain bikers, falls are inevitable and shoulder injuries are among the most common. Dr. Adam Lindsay, an upper extremity surgeon at St. Charles, shares tips to protect your shoulders and help you get back on the trail.

Today, St. Charles Health System is announcing contract agreements with two insurance providers - Aetna and Cigna - that address concerns about denials, inefficiencies and administrative burden and will allow patients using those insurance plans to remain in-network for elective services at St. Charles facilities.

“For the past several years, St. Charles has asked insurance companies to work with us to address concerns about coverage denials for medical treatments, increasing administrative burdens for our care teams, inefficiencies and delays in patient care,” said Matt Swafford, Chief Financial Officer for St. Charles. “Though not perfect, both contracts with Aetna and with Cigna include elements that better address these issues. We will remain in-network for both insurance companies.”

The contract with Aetna was resolved recently and Aetna estimates it covers about 7,500 people in Central Oregon. The contract with Cigna was set to expire on Sept. 30, which would have affected about 5,000 patients.

“We understand that some individuals were concerned about potentially losing or having to switch coverage, and that’s a worry we take seriously,” Swafford said. “We are moving ahead with these newly negotiated agreements because we believe it is in the best interest of patients and for preserving health care access in Central Oregon.”

This week marks the 50th anniversary of St. Charles Bend’s move from its downtown location on Hospital Hill to our current campus on Neff Road. 

In 1975, the idea of moving the hospital “halfway to Burns” was not very popular. But former St. Charles CEO Sister Catherine Hellmann had a vision, and she rallied community support to make it a reality. 

“They came to me and said, ‘Sister, we decided we want our medical center,’ but they said, ‘nowhere on God’s Earth will we get $12 million,’” she said in an interview that took place after she had retired and moved back to Indiana. 

Through many conversations over six years, Sister Catherine and her team managed to transition ownership of the hospital from the Catholic Church to a new, community-based and self-governed nonprofit organization — and secured more than $12 million in donations to build the new hospital. 

Thanks to that vision — and the community of Central Oregon coming together — the Bend hospital has served hundreds of thousands of people for a half-century. There is incredible history in these walls: Lives saved and suffering eased. New babies brought into the world. Weddings, talent shows, Lab Olympics and holiday breakfasts. It is truly a remarkable place, full of life and stories of heroism and bravery, tragedy and triumph, and also a million small moments each day that create a culture of caring and compassion.

And, just like those of us with a half-century behind us, the building is starting to show some significant signs of wear and tear, leaks and creaks. Our staff and patients are regularly inconvenienced with roof repairs, HVAC repairs, elevator repairs and other construction disruptions and delays. If you've visited recently, you’ve likely seen temporary walls, temporary imaging machines and more as the campus shows its age. 

All of this is to say that we are now tasked with thinking about what the next 50 years of St. Charles and health care should look like in our region. We are having our Sister Catherine moment. 

We are currently going through a master facility planning process that shows, without a doubt, this community needs more hospital beds and space for additional services. We need these spaces more quickly than we can design and build them and more quickly than we can secure financing for them. 

But that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to try. 

We have an obligation to serve our growing community for the next 50 years and beyond. And, I believe that our community today will recognize the need and choose to support us in this growth just like Sister Catherine experienced all those years ago. 

“I saw much more community involvement at this hospital than at any other hospital I ever worked at,” she said. “The people of (Central Oregon) were so open to new ideas. I was kind of like a bird out of a cage there.” 

It was true 50 years ago and it’s true today: We cannot fly without your support. Thank you for being on this journey with us.

Sincerely,
Steve

St. Charles’ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will host a reunion for current and former patients and their families alongside caregivers on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Charles Bend. This free family-friendly event will include interactive games, a bouncy house, face painting, AirLink tours, a visit from a fire truck and refreshments. Attendees are encouraged to wear a favorite superhero costume.

“Our caregivers and families look forward to this event all year. It’s so special for us to be able to see the infants we cared for playing with their families and thriving. It’s a really special event for everyone involved,” said Brook Jensen, director of women and children’s services for St. Charles Health System.

The reunion is made possible thanks to St. Charles Foundation donors.

The reunion will be held in Conference Rooms A-D at St. Charles Bend (enter through the main lobby.) Those planning to attend are encouraged to RSVP on our website https://stcharleshealthcare.org/form/nicu-reunion-2025

Frequently asked questions about colonoscopy prep

Prep

What if I don’t have my prep or haven’t received it?


Your prep was sent to your pharmacy of choice on the day you scheduled your procedure. Please check with your pharmacy first. If they have not received the order, call our office to request that your prep be resent.

I don’t like the prep I was prescribed. Are there other options? How do I get them?


We send in the prep that is covered by your insurance company. Other preps are available, but you may have an out-of-pocket cost. Please call our office to discuss.

Do I need to mix anything with my prep? What can I mix with my prep? Can I add anything to my prep?


Please follow the instruction letter you received from your provider. Do not follow the instructions on your prep container.

• Suprep: Pour the bottle of Suprep liquid into the provided mixing container and fill to the line with cool water.
• Suflave: Open one flavor-enhancing packet and pour contents into one bottle. Fill the provided bottle with lukewarm water up to the fill line.
• Clenpiq: Do not add anything additional to the prep.
• Gavilyte: Mix with 128 ounces of electrolyte solution (such as Gatorade, BodyArmor or Smartwater).
• Golytely: Mix with 135 ounces of lukewarm water.

What are the small pills I received with my prep?


If you received two small pills, they are anti-nausea medication to take 30 minutes before each dose of prep to help calm your stomach. They are optional and not included with every prep.

Where do I find my instructions on how to take the prep?


Your instructions can often be found in the Letters section of MyChart. You can also visit the colonoscopy section of our website - look to the left side navigation for instructions for each prep type.

The instructions I received from my provider do not match the instructions on my prep container. Which should I follow?


Please follow the instructions from your provider. Do not follow the instructions on your prep container.

Diet

What if I ate seeds, nuts, granola or corn the week before?


This is only a recommendation to avoid and will not delay your procedure. Please try to avoid these foods during the week before, if possible.

• Corn: Corn chips and corn tortillas are fine to consume.

What if I ate breakfast the day before my colonoscopy?


Please do not eat anything further. Call our office immediately to discuss what you ate and whether you need to be rescheduled.

Medications

What if I didn’t stop my over-the-counter medications the week before?


Please call our office to discuss.

What do I do with my prescription medications?


Please contact your prescribing provider. Our office may not be fully aware of why you are taking that medication. Your prescribing provider will know best how to manage it before a procedure.

Scheduling

What if I need to cancel or reschedule?


Please contact our office as soon as you know you will be unable to make your appointment. We request a minimum of one week’s notice.

Results

When should I expect my results?

If biopsies were sent to pathology during your procedure, per the CURES Act results will be made available to you as soon as they are finalized. Please be aware providers may take 10-14 days to review and provide follow-up information.