St. Charles CME dept puts on a number of educational events for hospital staff and outside providers.

You can find our full event calendar and register for events here: 

Portal - CE Calendar

Featured Upcoming Courses: 

ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) Full 2-day credentialing course October 14th and 15th in Bend https://www.eventbrite.com/e/atls-advanced-trauma-life-support-two-day-in-person-course-tickets-1154821455059?aff=oddtdtcreator

Class questions, registration or to sign up for interests lists please email [email protected] 

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.

Summary of Services

The Caregiver Assistance Program (CAP) is a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL benefit that can assist you and your eligible family members with any personal problems, large or small.

Counseling

Twelve (12) counseling sessions face-to-face, over the phone or virtually for concerns such as:

• Relationship conflict
• Conflict at work
• Depression
• Stress management
• Family relationships
• Anxiety
• Alcohol or substance misuse
• Grieving a loss
• Professional development

Resources for Life

Canopy will help locate resources and information related to childcare, eldercare, caregiving and anything else you may need.

Legal Consultations/Mediation 

Contact Canopy for a free thirty-minute office or telephone consultation. A 25% discount from the attorney’s/mediator’s normal hourly rate is available thereafter. 

Financial Coaching 

Coaches will provide unlimited financial coaching to help develop better spending habits, reduce debt, improve credit, increase savings, and plan for retirement. 

Identity Theft 

Up to 60-minute free consultation with a Fraud Resolution Specialist™ (FRS) who will conduct emergency response activities and assist with restoring their identity, good credit, and dispute fraudulent debts. 

Home Ownership and Housing Support 

Assistance and discounts for buying, selling, and refinancing. Resource retrieval for housing assistance. 

Coaching 

Twelve (12) phone or video sessions with a Coach to support goal setting, healthy habits, and personal development. 

Pet Parent Resources 

Free pet information and support, including pet insurance discounts, new pet parent resources, and bereavement support. 

Wellbeing Tools

• Fertility health support
• Online legal tools
• Will kit questionnaire
• Wellness and gym discounts

Member Site 

Innovative educational tools, chat for support, take self-assessments, view videos and webinars, access courses, download documents and more. Access at my.canopywell.com, register as a new user or log-in. For new users, enter your company name when registering: 

Current caregivers: St. Charles - current caregiver 

Past caregivers: St. Charles - past caregiver 

Crisis Counselors are available by phone 24/7/365 call: 800-433-2320 visit: my.canopywell.com text: 503-850-7721 

Canopy is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and equitable society for all.

Grand Rounds - Dec. 13, 2019
“An Update on APA Guidelines for Alcohol Use Disorder”

Speaker: John W. Tsuang, M.D., Director of Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program Harbor‐UCLA Medical Center Department of Psychiatry, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health

Objectives: 1) Describe the epidemiology of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and outline current and evolving diagnostic criteria 2) Describe challenges to the successful identification of patients with AUD 3) Review the appropriate process for transitioning a patient from Emergency Care to outpatient treatment. 4) Review the co-morbidities commonly associated with AUD 5) Identify the treatment modalities currently available for management of AUD and apply them to patient cases using evidence-based medicine 6) Develop strategies for recognizing and improving therapeutic adherence in patients treated for AUD

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].

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   |   Dec. 13, 2019

BEND, Ore. — St. Charles Foundation’s 28^th Annual Hospice Auction in Prineville on Dec. 7 at the Crook County Fairgrounds Indoor Arena netted more than $110,000 to help provide crucial support services for hospice patients and their families.

The annual Prineville tradition includes dinner, a silent auction and raffle, plus a live auction featuring handmade quilts and elaborately decorated Christmas trees.

The top selling tree was “Christmas Around the Fire,” donated by Rosendin Electric, which sold for $7,250. It featured an elaborate outdoor entertaining set, with a handcrafted bar and table, fire pit and a chainsaw-carved pine tree. This top-seller was also voted the “crowd favorite” tree by guests at Friday night’s open house.

The top selling quilt, “Three Crowns,” was an artful double-sided quilt, made and donated by Yvette Thomas in memory of Darrell Tappert, Jeannie Thomas and Joseph Thomas. It featured floating pine trees stitched on a subtle white snowflake background, which with creative long-arm quilting, resembled a snowy ski slope. It was the “crowd favorite” quilt, and sold for $5,200.

“I am always reminded at this event of the generosity of the people of Crook County,” said Lisa Dobey, executive director of community and philanthropy at St. Charles. “The people who came together to make this event a success help provide comfort and dignity to their neighbors during end-of-life care. We are grateful for their support.”

About St. Charles Foundation

As the philanthropic arm of St. Charles Health System, the Foundation works to support and improve health care in Central and Eastern Oregon. Private donations raised by the Foundation allow St. Charles to build new medical facilities, purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment, keep pace with the latest technological advances and deliver exceptional patient care in a healing environment. The Foundation does more than just raise money for bricks and mortar. The organization also raises money to support many programs that benefit low-income and uninsured patients.

                                                                        ###

What is hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is defined as low blood glucose of 70 mg/dL or below.

Causes:

• Too much insulin or diabetes pills
• Not enough food, skipped or late meals
• Unusual amount of exercise

Symptoms:

• Feeling shaky
• Cold sweat
• Erratic/fast heartbeat
• Headache
• Hunger
• Uneasy feeling/anxious
• Irritability
• Slurred speech
• Blurred vision
• Confusion
• Poor coordination
• Behavior change (i.e. combative, belligerent)

Call your doctor if:

• You have hypoglycemia for no known reason or if it happens more than once a week