Grand Rounds - Jan. 17, 2020
“Consequences of Obesity: How Obesity Increases Risk
for Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Liver Disease,
Cancer and More”

Speaker: Michael Goran, PhD

Objectives:

1. Discuss range of diseases associated with obesity
2. Discuss metabolic basis explaining the links between obesity and diseases
3. Discuss the clinical diagnosis of obesity related diseases

Accreditation: St. Charles Health System is accredited by the Oregon Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians. St. Charles Health System designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Target Audience: Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals

Accessibility/Program Questions: St. Charles Health System encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Continuing Medical Education at 541-706-4680, [email protected]. For CME or Clerkship questions, contact Sheila Jordan, MMGT, CHCP, Manager of Continuing Medical Education at 541-706-6780, [email protected].

New St. Charles Cancer Center in Redmond

1541 NW Canal Blvd.
Redmond, OR 97756

541-706-5800

Capital Project Reporting Form

"As you might imagine, anybody can walk in at any time with preterm labor, so we’re ready to go 24/7. We have dedicated teams that basically jump into action at a moment’s notice. We have ongoing training and simulation to make sure our skills are up to par and up to date and it’s an ongoing practice. So, when that mom comes in, we’re ready to go and in a sense, you bring your ‘A game.’ And in that sense, I’ve worked in multiple units and this is one of the highest functioning units I’ve ever worked in, in terms of performance, camaraderie and team effort."

- Dr. Azimi, neonatologist, talking about the ways in which the St. Charles Bend Neonatal Intensive Care Unit prepares to receive its tiny patients, many of whom are born premature

This month, St. Charles Health System is submitting an application to have all four of its hospital campuses listed on the Healthcare Equality Index.

The HEI, managed by the Human Rights Campaign, is a national LGTBQ benchmarking tool that evaluates health care facilities’ policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGTBQ patients, visitors and employees.

For the past few years, St. Charles' Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity workgroup has been working on initiatives that would allow the health system to apply for the 2020 HEI. As an example of this work, St. Charles has confirmed or added “Sexual Orientation” and “Gender Identity and Expression” to its Patient Non-Discrimination, Equal Visitation and Employment Non-Discrimination policies.

Additionally, as a requirement to apply, several members of the system's executive and leadership teams had to complete a three-part training offered by the HEI titled “LGTBQ Patient-Centered Care: An Executive Briefing.” And St. Charles' Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity class has been wildly successful, with around 350 caregivers going through the course over the past year. 

Learn more about the HEI here.

St. Charles CME dept puts on a number of educational events and accredits outside education. 

St. Charles Health System strives to provide excellent service when fulfilling requests for medical records. In order to help us provide you the records you need in a timely fashion, please see the instructions below or see our FAQs for more information.

Online MyChart

MyChart offers you secure online access to portions of your medical records. You may request additional medical records through your MyChart account. You may access MyChart here.

Please log into your MyChart account, and select the “Request Records” button. Complete the online form to request your records. Only those records for services which occurred on or after April 7, 2018 may be sent to you through MyChart (Note: Billing or Radiology images will not be available through MyChart, but you may request these items by completing an Authorization to Use and Disclose Protected Health Information).

Your records will be released to your MyChart account. Please download or print them for your future use, as they will expire 30 days after they have been released to you.

Mail or Fax

Please complete one of the following forms to request information:

Accessing MyChart Adult Proxy

Accessing MyChart Minor Proxy

Authorization for Use and Disclosure of Protected Health Information (English)

Autorización para Usar y Divulgar Información Médica Protegida (Espanol)

Complete the authorization form, include any supporting legal documentation, and mail or fax it to:

St. Charles Health System
Release of Information 
2500 NE Neff Road
Bend, OR 97701
Fax: (541) 706-6352

How to request St. Charles Health System medical or billing records for someone else (3rd party)

Please complete one of the authorization forms to request information, and include documentation which legally supports your right to request records on behalf of the patient. Examples of this documentation include Healthcare Power of Attorney which refers to medical records, Legal Guardianship, Court Order, or a designation of Healthcare Representative in an Advance Directive. Please note: many Durable Power of Attorney documents do not include language which allows a designated person to request medical records on a patient’s behalf.

Complete the authorization form, include any supporting legal documentation, and mail or fax it to:

St. Charles Health System
Release of Information 
2500 NE Neff Road
Bend, OR 97701
Fax: (541) 706-6352

How to request a birth or death certificate

Even if the patient was born or has passed away at one of the St. Charles Health System hospitals, birth and death certificates are maintained by the state of Oregon. To request a copy of a birth or death certificate, please visit the Oregon Vital Statistics website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to get my records?

The fee depends on the format of the records, and the number of pages released. St. Charles Health System Release of Information department can provide you with copies of your records in paper or electronic format. There is no charge to release records directly to your MyChart account. There is an additional cost for radiology images on a CD. (Standard copy fees will apply subject to federal and state regulations).

How long will it take to get my records?

Though Federal and State laws allow up to 30 days for processing, our goal is to have your medical records request completed as soon as possible. Once we have completed your request, if there is a fee, our team will either mail you an invoice, or call you to alert you that the records are ready.

If you are asking that your records are sent to a health care provider, it is often faster to ask the provider’s office to request that information be sent directly to them.

How will I receive my records?

If there is a charge for records, you will be mailed a billing invoice. You may either pay over the phone or by mail. We accept credit/debit, cash and checks. 

Once your invoice is paid, we will mail your records to you or you can call 541-706-7784, option 1 to discuss other methods.

If you're unable to pay the fee, please call our office at 541-706-7784, option 1.

How do I contact the Release of Information office for questions or help?

To reach the Release of Information department, please call: 541-706-7784, option 1 during our regular business hours Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. PST.

How do I request an Amendment to my record?

If you believe there is an error in your medical records, you may request St. Charles Health System review your record, and if approved, an amendment may be made. A request for amendment is not a guarantee of the change, however, you will be contacted regarding the result of the review process.

You can submit an Amendment Request by either:

• Submit an Electronic Request (email address required), or
• Complete and sign the Request for Amendment form, and return to the St. Charles Health System Privacy Officer at:

St. Charles Health System
Privacy Officer 
2500 NE Neff Road
Bend, OR 97701
Fax: (541) 706-4778

Your experience at St. Charles Health System is very important to us. If you have experienced an issue and have concerns, we encourage you to first discuss the problem with the caregivers involved in your care or the care of your family member.

If you are unable to reach a satisfactory resolution to your concerns, please contact our Patient Experience Department to discuss at:

Phone: 541-706-6316
Email: [email protected]
Mail: St. Charles Health System
         Attn: Patient Experience
         2500 NE Neff Road, Bend, OR 97701

If you are unsatisfied with the response you receive from our Patient Experience Department, you may seek assistance outside of our hospital with the following organizations:

• Oregon Health Authority, Health Care Regulation & Quality Improvement:
  1-800-273-0557
• Medicare (KEPRO):
  1-888-305-6759
• The Joint Commission:
  Report a patient safety concern or file a complaint (The Joint Commission website)
  800-994-6610

Providing and measuring quality care at St. Charles

St. Charles Health System is committed to providing the highest quality care possible for our patients. Hospitals often discuss quality by referring patients to studies, safety data and reports from third-party organizations.

Such information is vitally important to be sure. But here at St. Charles, we also recognize that the ultimate measure of quality is how our patients feel about their hospital experience. We know that in addition to outstanding performance in several measurable areas, patients also remember the doctor who took the time to answer every question and the nurse who brought an extra blanket and kind words at just the right moment.

With that in mind, we strive to provide our patients with excellent care in big and small ways — because we know it makes a difference.

Measuring quality

We are continually measuring several aspects of patient care to ensure that we aren't just talking about quality, but also consistently providing it. To that end, St. Charles has focused on three, local priorities:

• Reducing patient harm
• Reducing readmission rates
• Improving patient satisfaction

Our efforts include measuring processes and their results on a monthly, weekly and even daily basis. For example, if a patient falls, we assess how it happened and use that analysis to prevent future accidents.

In addition to our own quality initiatives, St. Charles also participates in many national quality programs including the National Partnership For Patients, an effort aimed at preventing patient injuries and complications. We use this information and much more to regularly analyze what's working in our hospitals, and to learn from what's not.

Quality focus leads to better care

Our commitment to quality care has truly benefited our patients. St. Charles has been recognized with numerous quality awards including:

• Recognized as a top performing health system for quality and efficiency by Thomson Reuters
• The American Heart Association Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award
• March of Dimes Leading Practice Award

Transparency and accountability to our community

St. Charles values transparency, and the accountability it fosters. We know we're working hard to constantly assess and improve the quality of our care, but we also want you to be able to evaluate this data and our performance yourself.

Policy Statement/Purpose:

St. Charles Health System (“SCHS”) embraces a philosophy of open and flexible visitation that welcomes and encourages the involvement of family members and significant others in the patient's care.

Definitions: (Definitions of acronyms or specialized terminology)

Instructions:

1. Patients may receive visitors of their choosing, including, but not limited to, spouses, domestic partners (including same-sex domestic partners), other family members, or friends.

2. Patients may refuse visitors, or may withdraw consent for one or more visitors at any time. SCHS will take reasonable measures to help patients enforce or implement their visitation preferences.

3. SCHS will ensure that all visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences. SCHS will not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability, nor will it permit anyone else to do so. However, SCHS will not allow or restrict visitation where doing so would cause SCHS to violate applicable laws or regulations, such as parental custody laws.

4. Patients may designate personal representatives to exercise their visitation rights on their behalf. Patients may designate personal representatives in any manner, including orally, in writing, or through non-verbal communications (such as pointing).

5. SCHS may reasonably restrict patient visitation when necessary to promote patient health and safety or to maintain a healing environment. Such restrictions may be based upon, but are not limited solely to, any of the following:

• (a) a court order limiting or restraining contact;
• (b) a visitor's behavior presenting a direct risk or threat to the patient, hospital staff, or others in the immediate environment;
• (c) visitor behavior or a number of visitor that is disruptive to the functioning of the patient care unit involved;
• (d) the patient's risk of infection by the visitor;
• (e) the visitor's risk of infection by the patient;
• (f) a patient's need for privacy or rest, as agreed upon by the patient and his/her physician or caregiver;
• (g) the need for privacy or rest by another patient in the patient's shared room;
• (h) any special restriction rules that apply to special patient care units (mental health/behavioral health, drug and alcohol, etc.);
• (i) when visitation would otherwise interfere with the care of the patient and/or the care of other patients; and
• (j) applicable laws and regulations.

References: (Documents or Regulatory Requirements to which this document refers, is linked to within Document Library, or from which the document was created.)

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 42 CFR Parts 482 and 485, 482.13

^{Document #3422, version 1; Effective date: 07/08/2014}

Employment at St. Charles

St. Charles is the largest employer in central Oregon and we strive to provide a great place to work for our talented caregivers. The employment policies establish guidelines for caregivers surrounding St. Charles processes and procedures and it is critical that each caregiver understands his or her individual responsibility not only to adhere to these policies, but also to promote compliance with the policies across the organization.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) 2023

Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) 2023

Workplace Pregnancy Discrimination and Accommodations Notice

Anti-retaliation Notice

Open door policy

St. Charles embraces an open door policy as an effective and timely means for all caregivers to seek solutions to work-related questions, concerns and problems. St. Charles supports informal and open communication. If a caregiver has a problem or concern with a coworker, he or she is encouraged to talk directly with the coworker, and if the issue remains unresolved, the caregiver is encouraged to go to his or her supervisor. A caregiver who encounters any work-related question, concern or problem is encouraged to discuss it with his or her supervisor. If this approach is not feasible or appropriate, the issue should be brought to the attention of the supervisor and Human Resources who will assist the caregiver with any questions or concerns. Every effort will be made to ensure confidentiality among all individuals involved in the process with exceptions governed by legal obligations or hospital necessity. St. Charles does not tolerate or allow any retaliation against a caregiver for contacting a supervisor or Human Resources to assist with this process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

St. Charles employs caregivers on the basis of their ability to fulfill departmental and patient care needs. General employment criteria include education and required licensure, experience, skills and abilities, and willingness to work in a specific health care environment. Each caregiver is responsible to maintain his or her continuing education, licensure, and certification as required by position.

St. Charles is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all caregivers. St. Charles seeks to recruit, hire, develop and retain qualified caregivers for the organization. In doing so, St. Charles will recruit, place, promote and determine compensation without regard to gender, race, color, religion, age, disability, national origin, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, genetic information or any other protected class or characteristic.

St. Charles is an equal opportunity employer.

Diversity

St. Charles is committed to giving all caregivers equal opportunities to achieve their potential. St. Charles values diversity and promotes an atmosphere of inclusion that respects and values the unique and varied perspectives, experiences and differences of each caregiver. Such an atmosphere only serves to enrich the workplace and working environment. It is the responsibility of supervisors and caregivers to ensure the workplace encourages the mutual respect of each individual’s unique qualities and perspectives.