Recent upgrades to the MRI machine at St. Charles Bend are hidden away, out of sight, in the basement of the hospital.
But patients who experience them will certainly notice them, said Director of Imaging Scott Nelson, who has worked in the field for 22 years.
“We used to have to lower the resolution of our images to get a faster scan for claustrophobic patients and patients in pain, or we could achieve higher resolution images, but scan times were longer. There were always tradeoffs with time and resolution,” he said. “With this new technology, we can speed up the scan time and still keep hi-res images, which makes for an overall better patient experience.”
Faster, higher resolution scans are largely the result of computing advances over the years, said Alex Boggs, MRI Technologist Manager at Central Oregon Radiology Associates (CORA), who is overseeing the upgrades. More recently, integration of Artificial Intelligence has further improved the MRI experience, he said.
“The software has been shown thousands and thousands of images, so it learns the difference between quality signal and noise,” Boggs said. “Once it’s learned that, you can scan faster.”
For a variety of reasons, there is no easy way to quantify how much faster scans will be with the upgrades, Boggs said, but many scan times will drop significantly. And higher resolution scans often mean a clearer look inside the body for physicians, which can lead to earlier diagnoses, quicker treatment and better outcomes for patients, Nelson said.
CORA partners with St. Charles to provide the Bend hospital’s MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, which uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the body’s organs, bones, muscles, blood vessels and other internal structures. MRI is used for many different fields of medicine, including stroke evaluation, examination of masses and ruptures of tendons and ligaments. It’s very versatile and it’s safer than CT scans because it doesn’t use ionizing radiation, Boggs said.
The improvements to the Bend hospital’s MRI extend beyond its imaging capability, too. The new machine is more comfortable, Boggs said, and the hole through which patients pass is 70 centimeters across — a 17% increase over the previous machine.
“There’s quite a bit more elbow room in there, so it’s more comfortable for everyone, and especially for people who are apprehensive about tight spaces,” Boggs said.
In recent years, Bend hospital caregivers have had to transfer some patients to Redmond because of size and weight constraints. That won’t be an issue anymore, Boggs said.
“We’ll be able to care for more people in Bend, which means they’ll get the service they need where they are,” he said. “Transferring them is expensive, it’s logistically complicated and it comes with added risk. With this new scanner, there’s virtually no reason for us to ever have to send a patient elsewhere, and that’s a good thing.”
The Heart and the Bottle - Oliver Jeffers, 2010. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of a girl who bottles up her heart after losing a loved one, and how she learns to open it again.
Where Do They Go? - Julia Alvarez, 2016. This lyrical picture book explores the concept of death and the enduring presence of loved ones.
I Miss You: A First Look at Death - Pat Thomas, 2001. Provides a gentle introduction to the concepts of death and grief, helping children understand and cope with their emotion.
You Are the Best Medicine - Julie Aigner Clark, 2010. This book helps children understand and cope with a parent’s illness, emphasizing the love and connection that remains strong even during difficult times.
The Empty Room: Surviving the Loss of a Brother or Sister at Any Age - Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn, 2004. This book provides a comprehensive look at the unique grief experienced by siblings, offering personal stories and expert insights.
Sibling Grief: Healing After the Death of a Sister or Brother - P. Gill White, 2008. White explores the emotional journey of losing a sibling and provides practical advice for healing.
Surviving the Death of a Sibling: Living Through Grief When an Adult Brother or Sister Dies - T.J. Wray, 2003. This book offers support and guidance for adults coping with the loss of a sibling, drawing from the author’s own experience.
Making Lemonade: Choosing a Positive Pathway After Losing Your Sibling - Zander Sprague, 2013. Sprague shares his personal journey of finding positivity and purpose after the loss of his sister.
The Last Time I Saw You: A Sibling Anthology: Death of a Sibling - Danielle Lee Zwissler, 2018. This anthology includes stories and reflections from various authors about their experiences with sibling loss
I Miss the Baby: A Child’s Grief Process Following the Miscarriage of a Sibling - Irma G. Prosser and illustrated by Emma Marsh, 2022. A sensitive and compassionate children’s picture book designed to help young children understand and process the grief associated with miscarriage, stillbirth, or pregnancy loss.
Once for Yes - Allie Millington, 2025. A heartfelt middle-grade novel that celebrates the power of community and the endurance of love.
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs - Tomie dePaola, 2000. A touching story about a young boy’s relationship with his grandmother and greatgrandmother, and how he copes with their passing.
My Superhero Grandpa - Michele McAvoy, 2016. This book celebrates the special bond between a child and their grandparent, offering comfort and understanding through the story of a superhero grandpa.
The Heart and the Bottle - Oliver Jeffers, 2010. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of a girl who bottles up her heart after losing a loved one, and how she learns to open it again.
Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories - Audrey Penn, 2011. After his friend Skiddel Squirrel dies, Chester Raccoon learns to cope with the loss by sharing and appreciating memories of their times together.
Ida, Always - Caron Levis and Charles Santoso, 2016. This touching story follows a polar bear dealing with the sickness and loss of a friend, offering a gentle way to discuss death and grief.
The Goodbye Book - Todd Parr, 2015. A pet fish loses a friend and copes with feelings of sadness and grief, presented in a simple and accessible way for young children.
The Invisible String - Patrice Karst, 2018. This comforting story reassures children that they are always connected to their loved ones through an invisible string made of love.
Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss - Pat Schwiebert and Chuck DeKlyen, 2005. This story uses the metaphor of making soup to help children understand and express their grief.
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death - Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown, 1998. This book uses dinosaurs to explain death and the feelings that come with it in a straightforward and gentle manner.
The Goodbye Book - Todd Parr, 2015. A pet fish loses a friend and copes with feelings of sadness and grief, presented in a simple and accessible way for young children.
Ida, Always - Caron Levis and Charles Santoso, 2016. This touching story follows a polar bear dealing with the sickness and loss of a friend, offering a gentle way to discuss death and grief.
Why Do I Feel So Sad?: A Grief Book for Children - Tracy Lambert LPC (Author), Elena Napoli (Illustrator), 2020. Illustrated kid’s book designed to help young children understand their own grief.
Everywhere, Still: A Book about Loss, Grief, and the Way Love Continues - M.H. Clark and Claire Sahara Lemp, 2023. A touching children’s book that explores themes of loss and grief.
The Thing About Jellyfish - Ali Benjamin, 2015. This novel follows a young girl grappling with the sudden death of her best friend, blending scientific curiosity with a poignant exploration of grief.
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages - Leo Buscaglia, 1982. This allegorical story helps both children and adults understand the cycle of life and death through the changing seasons of a leaf.
Fire in My Heart, Ice in My Veins: A Journal for Teens Experiencing a Loss - Enid Samuel Traisman, 1992. This interactive journal provides a space for teens to express their feelings and work through their grief with guided prompts and activities.
Straight Talk about Death for Teenagers: How to Cope with Losing Someone You Love - Earl A. Grollman, 1993. This book offers straightforward advice and support for teens dealing with the loss of a loved one, addressing common feelings and challenges.
When a Friend Dies: A Book for Teens About Grieving & Healing - Marilyn E. Gootman, 2019. This book offers compassionate advice and practical strategies for teenagers dealing with the loss of a friend to suicide.
Coping with Grief, Guided Journal for Teen Girls - Thandie Press, 2023. A supportive and interactive journal designed specifically for teenage girls dealing with grief.
As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve - J.S. Park, 2024. A compassionate guide for those navigating the complex journey of grief.
Why?: A Story for Kids Who Have Lost a Parent to Suicide - Melissa Allen Heath, PhD, and Frances Ives, 2023. A sensitive and compassionate picture book designed to help young children understand and cope with the loss of a parent to suicide.
Supporting Children After a Suicide Loss: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers - Sarah S. Montgomery and Susan M. Coale, 2015. A well-researched and thoughtful guide designed to help parents and caregivers support grieving children after a death by suicide.
My Grief is Like the Ocean: A Story for Children Who Lost a Parent to Suicide - Jessica Biles and Jillian Kelly-Wavering, 2022. A compassionate and therapeutic book designed to help children navigate the complex emotions that come with losing a parent to suicide.
The Requirement of Grief: A Memoir on the Loss of a Sister to Suicide - Danielle Ariano, 2020. A poignant and deeply personal account of the author’s journey through grief after losing her sister, Alexis, to suicide.
Someone I Love Died by Suicide: A Story for Child Survivors and Those Who Care for Them - Doreen Cammarata, 2009. This book provides a gentle and honest explanation of suicide, helping children understand and process their feelings.
But I Didn’t Get to Say Goodbye: Helping Children and Families After a Suicide - Barbara Rubel, 2020. This book provides support for parents and professionals helping children cope with the aftermath of a suicide, with portions that can be read aloud to older children.
Living When a Young Friend Commits Suicide: Or Even Starts Talking About It - Earl A. Grollman and Max Malikow, 2010. This book offers practical advice for teenagers dealing with the loss of a friend to suicide, including how to talk about their feelings and avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms.
The Memory Box: A Book About Grief - Joanna Rowland, 2017. This book helps children create a memory box to keep mementos and memories of their loved one, providing a tangible way to remember and honor them.
After a Suicide Death: An Activity Book for Grieving Kids - The Dougy Center, 2001. This activity book offers various exercises and prompts to help children process their emotions and memories after a suicide loss.
The Grief Bubble: Helping Kids Explore and Understand Grief - Kerry DeBay, 2007. This interactive book includes activities and exercises designed to help children understand and express their grief.
My Memory Book: A Journal for Grieving Children - Gretchen Gaines-Lane. This journal provides guided prompts and activities for children to document their memories and feelings about their loved one.
Healing Your Grieving Heart for Kids: 100 Practical Ideas - Alan D. Wolfelt, 2001. This book offers 100 practical activities and ideas to help children express their grief and begin the healing process.
It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand – Megan Devine, 2017. This book offers an empathetic approach to grief, debunking myths and providing practical tools for healing.
I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping & Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One - Brook Noel & Pamela D. Blair, PhD, 2008. A guide for those dealing with sudden loss, offering support and activities to help manage grief.
The Museum of Ordinary People - Mike Gayle, 2021. A novel that explores the emotional attachments to items left behind by loved ones, providing a relatable and hopeful narrative for those grieving.
The Reality Slap: How to Survive and Thrive When Life Hits Hard - Russ Harris, 2021. This book helps readers navigate life’s tough moments, including grief, with practical advice and tools.
Four Funerals and a Wedding - Jill Smolowe, 2014. A memoir that delves into the author’s personal journey through grief and finding hope after the loss of her spouse.
A Widow’s Guide to Healing: Gentle Support and Advice for the First 5 Years - Kristine Meekhof, LMSW, and James Windell, MA, 2015. An empowering and compassionate guide for widows navigating the challenging journey of grief and healing after the loss of a spouse
Your Grief, Your Way: A Year of Practical Guidance and Comfort After Loss – Shelby Forsythia, 2020. This book offers daily reflections and practical advice to help navigate the grieving process.
The Orphaned Adult: Understanding and Coping with Grief and Change After the Death of Our Parents - Alexander Levy, 2000. Levy provides deep insights into the emotional journey of losing a parent and offers compassionate guidance.
Grief Day by Day: Simple Practices and Daily Guidance for Living with Loss - Jan Warner, 2018. Warner’s book is designed to help readers manage their grief one day at a time with practical exercises and reflections.
Loss of a Parent: Adult Grief When Parents Die - Theresa Jackson, 2016. Jackson’s book offers expert advice and healing exercises specifically for adults grieving the loss of a parent.
Blue Nights – Joan Didion, 2012. This memoir by Joan Didion explores the profound grief she experienced after the death of her daughter, offering deep insights into the emotional journey of losing a child.
The Bereaved Parent - Harriet Sarnoff Schiff, 1978. This classic book offers compassionate advice and support for parents dealing with the loss of a child, drawing from the author’s own experience.
When the Bough Breaks: Forever After the Death of a Son or Daughter - Judith R. Bernstein, PhD, 1998. Bernstein, a psychologist and bereaved parent, provides insights and coping strategies for parents facing this unimaginable loss.
Grieving the Child I Never Knew: A Devotional for Comfort in the Loss of Your Unborn or Newly Born Child - Kathe Wunnenberg, 2015. This devotional offers comfort and hope for parents grieving the loss of a child during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
A Portrait of Grief: Hope and Healing after the Loss of a Child - Cheryl Christopher, 2022. A deeply moving memoir that offers guidance and support for those grieving the loss of a child. Drawing from her personal experience of losing three sons, Christopher provides a compassionate and honest account of her journey through grief.
Healing the Broken Heart: Navigating Grief and Loss After the Death of a Child - Dee Walters, 2023. A heartfelt and courageous memoir that guides readers through the intense emotional journey of losing a child. The book is based on Walters’ personal experience of losing her 20-year-old son suddenly and unexpectedly.
A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss - Mel Lawrenz, 2020. A deeply personal and moving account of the author’s journey through grief after the sudden death of his thirty-year-old daughter, Eva.
It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand – Megan Devine, 2017. This book offers an empathetic approach to grief, debunking myths and providing practical tools for healing.
I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping & Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One - Brook Noel & Pamela D. Blair, PhD, 2008. A guide for those dealing with sudden loss, offering support and activities to help manage grief.
Grief is for People - Sloane Crosley, 2024. This memoir explores the complexities of grief through the author’s personal experiences, providing a relatable and insightful narrative.
Grief is the Thing with Feathers - Max Porter, 2017. A unique blend of prose and poetry, this book explores the profound impact of grief on a family through the metaphor of a crow visiting them.
The Reality Slap: How to Survive and Thrive When Life Hits Hard - Russ Harris, 2021. This book helps readers navigate life’s tough moments, including grief, with practical advice and tools.
The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief - Francis Weller, 2015. This book offers rituals and practices to help navigate the deep waters of grief.
Life After Death, On This Side of Heaven - Darcy Thiel, 2014. This book follows the journey of the Thiel-Colvin family as they rebuild their lives after losing their husband and father at an early age.
The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss - Mary Frances O’Connor, PhD, 2023. A fascinating exploration of the neuroscience behind grief.
Good Mourning: Honest Conversations About Grief and Loss - Sally Douglas and Imogen Carn, 2023. A compassionate and relatable guide for anyone dealing with grief. The authors, who met after the sudden deaths of their mothers, created this book to fill the gap.
Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart - Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD, 2021. This book is built on Dr. Wolfelt’s Ten Touchstones, which are basic principles to learn and actions to take to help yourself engage with your grief and create momentum toward healing.
No Time to Say Goodbye: Surviving The Suicide Of A Loved One - Carla Fine, 1999. This book offers a deeply personal and empathetic look at the aftermath of suicide, providing support and understanding for those left behind.
Dying to Be Free: A Healing Guide for Families After a Suicide - Beverly Cobain and Jean Larch, 2005. Written by the cousin of Kurt Cobain, this book offers practical advice and compassionate support for families dealing with the suicide of a loved one.
The Suicidal Mind - Edwin S. Shneidman, 1998. Shneidman, a pioneer in the field of suicidology, explores the psychological pain that leads to suicide and offers insights into prevention and understanding.
Grieving a Suicide: A Loved One’s Search for Comfort, Answers & Hope - Albert Y. Hsu, 2017. This book combines personal stories with professional insights to help those grieving a suicide find comfort and hope.
Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide - Kay Redfield Jamison, 1999. A comprehensive exploration of the phenomenon of suicide, this book offers both scientific insights and personal reflections from the author, who has experienced suicidal thoughts herself.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van der Kolk 2015. This book explores how trauma affects the body and mind, offering insights and techniques for healing.
Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief - Joanne Cacciatore, 2017. This book offers profound insights and support for those dealing with intense grief, written by a bereavement counselor who has experienced loss herself.
I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping & Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One - Brook Noel & Pamela D. Blair, PhD, 2008. A guide for those dealing with sudden loss, providing support and activities to help manage grief.
The Grief Recovery Handbook: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses - John W. James and Russell Friedman, 2009. This book offers a step-by-step program for recovering from grief and finding a path to healing.
Body
Jodie Mooney Senior Vice President, Chief Legal and Risk Officer
Jodie Mooney oversees the legal, compliance, risk and internal audit teams and ensures St. Charles complies with the complex and evolving laws and regulations governing health care.
Mooney spent the first 17 years of her career as a trial lawyer in private practice in Eugene. She then worked in-house for PeaceHealth – Oregon Region for seven years, directing its risk management and compliance programs. Mooney was appointed, and later elected, to the Lane County Circuit Court, where she served as a trial judge for eight years. In 2019, she was appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals, where she served as an appellate judge for nearly six years. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Oregon School of Law.
When a piece of hardware – like a screw – needs to be inserted into a patient’s spine, it’s important that it is placed in precisely the right spot.
“The margin for error is very, very small when inserting instrumentation into the spine. One to two millimeters can make a huge difference as to where you put a screw into the spine,” said neurosurgeon Dr. Raymond Tien.
Now, thanks to donors to St. Charles Foundation, spinal surgeons in Central Oregon are the first in the state to have access to a new, state-of-the-art spinal navigation system to help ensure that spinal surgeries performed at St. Charles are incredibly accurate. The SeaSpine 7D spine navigation system arrived last fall and it allows surgeons to see the spine in three dimensions while inserting a piece of hardware.
Tien recently used the system to place hardware in the spine of a patient.
“The procedure went perfectly and faster than it would have gone previously. It’s eye opening how accurate this system is and how easy it is to use,” said Tien.
Patients may need this kind of procedure due to a degenerative or congenital condition or medical trauma, like a fall or car crash. When placed correctly, hardware can help stabilize an unstable spine.
For the past 20 years, surgeons performed spinal surgeries using an X-ray unit in the Operating Room to help them visualize the anatomy. Tien says surgeons took many X-rays of the spine to create as complete a picture as possible. However, he says, the two-dimensional images are not as accurate as 3D images – and the process exposed everyone in the room to a lot of radiation.
With the new system, patients get a high-resolution CT scan prior to surgery. That scan is uploaded to the computer as a reference. Surgeons then place a marker on the patient’s spine that a camera can see. The navigation system has an array of lasers and light-emitting diodes that take a flash photo of the marker exposed in the spine. With those images, surgeons then have an accurate 3D model of a patient’s spine.
“We can see directly on the computer where we are touching and see in very high fidelity where we are inserting the hardware and make adjustments on the fly,” said Tien. “This tool provides us an incredible level of accuracy and precision.”
St. Charles Foundation Executive Director Jenny O’Bryan says this piece of equipment is the largest investment the organization made in 2024 – spending nearly $700,000 to bring the SeaSpine 7D spinal navigation system to Central Oregon.
“Our donors want to ensure that Central Oregonians are receiving the best care possible from the best providers, utilizing the best equipment available. If you or your loved ones need spinal surgery, you want to know that your surgeons have the best equipment on hand. Thanks to our donors, that’s the case,” said O’Bryan.
In addition to its precision, Tien says the new tool also helps save time for patients. He also believes it will allow for surgeons to take on more complex cases.
“There is a real tangible value in the level of patient care that we can provide now that we weren’t able to prior to this,” said Tien. “Without a doubt, we are very grateful for what the donors to the Foundation have been able to do for the hospital and for the community.”
Our one-on-one sports nutrition sessions are designed to help athletes meet their performance goals by creating customized fueling strategies that align with their training demands, recovery needs and lifestyle.
What to Expect
Initial Session: Setting the Foundation
In our first session, we’ll dive deep into your current training regimen and performance goals. Together, we will:
Identify potential gaps in your fueling strategy
Explore your current eating and exercise habits
Review lab work and recommend any necessary micronutrient support
Discuss financial or lifestyle factors that may impact nutrition choices
Provide foundational sports nutrition education
Customize your nutrition plan based on your sport, goals and daily routine
Encourage energy, diet and training tracking to assess patterns and make data-informed decisions at future sessions
Follow-Up Sessions: Continued Support and Optimization
Ongoing sessions are tailored to support your evolving needs and keep you on track. These may include:
Reviewing your food and training logs
Assessing progress and outcomes from previous recommendations
Identifying and addressing barriers to success
Offering targeted nutrition education
Refining goals and updating your fueling plan as your training progresses
Whether you're aiming for peak performance, improved recovery or simply want to feel your best during training and in daily life, we’ll work together to build a plan that fits your unique needs.
St. Charles Health System announced today recipients of a variety of Community Benefit grants, awarding more than $100,000 to 31 local organizations in Central Oregon. The grants were awarded to provide basic needs, sponsor local events and as part of St. Charles’ Priority Grant to increase a sense of belonging and reduce loneliness and isolation.
From funding food boxes in schools to community activities at a local senior center, the grants will help communities across Central Oregon with a wide range of needs.
Hearts Unknown Education, a local nonprofit that supports art and music for at-risk youth, received $7,500 to expand its programming. The local nonprofit offers a safe, welcoming space for students to create art and music, while also providing support for positive mental health.
“Many kids need a place to feel like they can be themselves and feel free to express themselves through art and music in an environment where they are appreciated for being themselves,” said Nicola Carpinelli, director of HUE, which serves more than 100 youth every week through a variety of programs. “This funding is going to help us maintain and expand offerings and we are grateful for the support from St. Charles.”
Learn more about St. Charles Community Benefit program on our website.
Physician Associate Mandi Bryson went into family care medicine because she wanted to help people. “I love building relationships with patients,” said Bryson, who works at St. Charles' Bend East Family Care Clinic.
But in recent years, Bryson found herself tied to her computer more and more, due to increasing documentation requirements, inbox messages and phone calls to return. “There was a mental burden of all the stuff that you have to do that’s not taking care of the patient in front of you,” said Bryson. She found herself leaving the clinic about 6 p.m. and then spending an additional hour or two at home every night completing required documentation on the computer.
Last spring, the stress became so overwhelming that Bryson considered leaving the profession all together.
“I was desperate. The demands were so heavy, I was looking for other jobs. I knew I couldn’t continue to do this to myself. What was a life-giving job had become too much. I thought, ‘Either I get something that helps me, or I have to leave this work that I love,’” she said.
Bryson got help with the burdens of technology from an unlikely source - new artificial intelligence software called DAX. Not only has this technology cut charting time significantly, but it has also allowed Bryson and other physicians to better connect with patients during exams. That’s because the technology completes the documentation, allowing providers to focus all their attention on their patients.
“This has been a game changer. I’ve stopped applying to different jobs,” said Bryson, who says she is now leaving work by 5:30 p.m. with notes done and an empty inbox. “I love my work. There are still challenging aspects, but documentation isn’t one of them. I can focus more on the parts that bring me joy.”
She is one of approximately 55 primary care providers at St. Charles now using DAX and there are plans to bring the service to other clinical areas.
“DAX allows providers to get to do what called them to medicine in the first place – caring for patients,” said Dr. Matt Clausen, ambulatory chief medical informatics officer, who led the effort to bring DAX to St. Charles.
DAX is more than a transcription service; it uses artificial intelligence to summarize and provide accurate notation within a patient’s electronic health record. Physicians using DAX first get permission from patients to use the service – then, they pull the app up on their phone as they walk into a patient’s room. The provider conducts the exam with the patient as usual – but there is no need to take notes or sit by a computer. Instead, the physician can focus entirely on the patient while DAX listens in the background and fills in the patient’s chart. Providers review the notes to ensure accuracy, but it significantly cuts down the time spent charting.
Clausen says burnout among physicians has increased in the past few years and he believes that is directly linked to the demands of documentation. This AI tool was brought in specifically to help with burnout and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.
Before using DAX, 47% of St. Charles primary care providers said they were “definitely burning out” and experienced more than one symptom of burnout. After implementing the DAX program, that dropped to just 7 percent of providers. Physicians using the technology also reported higher job satisfaction (88%), that they are more likely to continue practicing medicine (75%), that they have better documentation quality (88%) and better work-life balance (75%).
“We are early adopters for this technology and we are already seeing it help us with recruitment and retention,” said Clausen.
But perhaps the most significant aspect of this technology is its impact on patients. Eighty-nine percent of patients said that their provider was more focused during their visit when they used DAX and 100% said their provider spent less time on the computer.
Dr. Nathan Thompson, a family care physician in Redmond, says doctors have a choice: Do I chart in the room and look at my computer or do I give my attention to the patient and try to remember everything they are saying to document later? “It’s a horrible tension,” he said.
Now, with DAX, that tension is gone.
He said documentation used to take him up to 20 minutes per patient before DAX. Now it’s down to minutes of review. For Thompson that means he now has time to volunteer coaching soccer at a local high school and he is more able to be present mentally, physically and emotionally to his family.
Thompson worried that some of his patients might be skeptical of the technology. “I worried a lot of people would not go for it, but it’s been the complete opposite. I am very grateful to our community for accepting it. I want them to know this is only something we use to be more present as humans. It’s allowing us to be more human in the room.”
Bryson agrees that her patients have also been very supportive of the technology.
“I’m hearing from patients, ‘you were really listening; it felt like you weren’t rushed; I’ve never had an appointment like this.’ It’s so nice to not have a computer between me and them,” she said. “St. Charles really offered something that helped me where I needed it most. Day-in and day-out, this is making a difference and I am very grateful for that.”
As a physician and as a parent, I’ve never seen a case of measles. I’m not alone. The World Health Organization declared measles eliminated in the United States in 2000, thanks largely to an extremely effective vaccination program.
Because of the Centers for Disease Control’s recommended childhood immunization schedule, measles has been an afterthought for decades in America — if families thought about it at all. For many, receiving the MMR vaccine, which stands for measles, mumps and rubella, has been as routine as getting dressed in the morning and brushing teeth at night.
However, measles remains a serious disease: Airborne and extremely infectious, it can cause severe illness, complications and even death. Before there was a widely available vaccine, an estimated 48,000 people were hospitalized and 400 to 500 people died of measles in the U.S. each year.
Because it is so contagious, measles is a significant community health problem, and I firmly believe community challenges require collective solutions. With that in mind, I hope you’ll watch this video:
Our Central Oregon health care community is small, but strong. Our providers often work across organizations on important issues that impact us all. A handful of local pediatricians meet regularly to discuss emerging public health concerns for our kids. When Dr. Suzanne Mendez, a pediatric hospitalist at St. Charles, said this group was concerned about measles and wanted to work together on messaging that would encourage curiosity and conversation between parents and providers, we jumped at the chance to help.
I want to personally thank Dr. Julie Ansbaugh of Central Oregon Pediatric Associates, Dr. Michelle Mills of Summit Health and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Ellie Millan of Mosaic Community Health for joining Mendez and her fellow St. Charles physician, Dr. Carey Allen, in the video. And I want to thank COPA, Summit and Mosaic for their vital partnership as we all work together to ensure Central Oregon is a safe and healthy place to live.
Community challenges require collective solutions. Here it is in action.
Just one day old, Gracie Abbott was swaddled and cozy, taking turns snuggling in the arms of her dad, Brennan, and her mom, Teagan, in a private room in the Family Birthing Center at St. Charles Bend. These tender early moments were particularly sweet for the Abbotts, as Gracie came close to spending her first days of life in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
When Gracie was born, she had fluid in her lungs, struggled to breathe and her oxygen level was low. But thanks to a newly implemented treatment called Interpulmonary Percussive Ventilation (IPV), respiratory therapists were able to remove the fluid and Gracie was able to safely stay with her parents.
“Without that machine Gracie would’ve been in the NICU. It was pretty scary; it felt like we almost lost her,” said Brennan Abbott, a Prineville resident.
Gracie is one of 116 infants who received IPV therapy since the treatment was implemented at St. Charles in March of 2024. The treatment is now available for infants born in Bend and Madras. Of those 116, 60% (70 infants) were able to stay with their parents and avoided the NICU.
“We see this as a tremendous success,” said St. Charles neonatologist Dr. Sue Ann Smith. “When infants are able to stay with their mothers, there are so many benefits – I call it the ABCs. It helps attachment, breastfeeding and it helps keep costs down for families.”
It also keeps those NICU beds open for infants who are in greater need.
How IPV works
Blake Andrews, manager of respiratory therapy at St. Charles, explains that with IPV, a mask is placed on the infant and then a pulsating airflow is pushed into the lungs. These little jets of air help move fluid out of the airways.
“The small bursts of air get around and behind the fluid trapped in the lungs, forcing those secretions out,” said Andrews. “It’s a pretty short intervention for a pretty big outcome.”
IPV was already used with adult populations, but was rarely used on infants, explained Smith. After attending a training by a NICU doctor from Legacy Salmon Creek hospital, Smith thought it was worth bringing to St. Charles.
Smith says infants often get fluid in their lungs, as the womb is a fluid-filled environment. This is especially common with babies born via C-section, as the fluid is often pushed out of the lungs in the birth canal.
“Sometimes babies have trouble making the transition and retain fetal lung fluid or meconium,” said Smith. If a baby is struggling with fluid in the lungs, the first step is to use a CPAP machine, a device that uses mild air pressure and is commonly used to treat sleep apnea.
“We need to get the air in there to keep the lungs open between breaths,” said Smith.
If after 20 minutes the baby is still in distress, they used to be sent to the NICU, where they receive more intensive care and treatment by specialized caregivers. But now, respiratory therapists can use the IPV treatment. The treatment is used for 10 minutes and then if there’s no positive change, babies are moved to the NICU.
The therapy is also available at the Family Birthing Center at St. Charles Madras, which allows infants to stay in Madras rather than having to transfer to St. Charles Bend for the NICU.
“We really want our babies to get to stay with their mothers, so this is really exciting,” said Smith.
And for the Abbott family, keeping Gracie close by during her first few days of life meant the world.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to leave her. I’m so glad we got to stay together,” said Teagan Abbott.
