Behavioral Health at the Center for Women's Health

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”- World Health Organization

Integrative medicine can help women achieve well-being across the lifespan, as supported by rich research spanning decades. There are many things women can do every day to promote healthy living and aging.

Lifestyle changes such as improvements in diet and exercise, sleep behavior, and developing mindfulness -- a skill to live in the moment without judgment -- can be beneficial to wellness, disease prevention and improved health at any age.

Whether you are interested in developing skills for improved wellness, disease prevention, or you are coping with a medical or mental health condition, integrative approaches can help. Our skilled, knowledgeable and relatable behavioral health consultants at St. Charles Center for Women's Health are available. Talk to your provider about scheduling an appointment today.

What is the Behavioral Health Consultant?

Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) services at St. Charles Center for Women's Health are offered to you as part of your obstetrics and gynecological services. This service is meant to complement your care by helping you gain a more holistic perspective of your issue(s) and develop skills to improve your management of stress, worry, lifestyle habits or emotional concerns about obstetric or gynecological issues. Screening may also be offered prior to surgical procedures to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes.

The BHC and your OB/GYN provider work together as a team to consider the medical, behavioral and emotional aspects of your health to help you determine a course of action that will work best for you.

What kind of concerns can a behavioral health consultant help me address?

The BHC can help reduce symptoms associated with various OB/GYN conditions, or help you cope with these conditions. A few of these conditions are:

• Perimenopause or menopause
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Sexual function concerns
• Management of STDs
• Diabetes
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Infertility
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• High blood pressure
• Recurrent abdominal pain
• Pregnancy and post-partum related concerns
• Intimate partner violence
• Obesity and weight loss
• Sleep issues
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• LGBT and gender identification
• Smoking/tobacco cessation

The BHC can also help you develop skills to effectively manage emotional or behavioral difficulties that affect your health, pregnancy, relationships and/or parenting such as: Anger, anxiety, bereavement/grief, depression and stress.

What should I expect when I see the behavioral health consultant?

Your BHC will spend 15 to 30 minutes with you. You will be asked specific questions about your physical symptoms, emotional concerns, health history and behaviors. This evaluation will help determine what kind of care you may need. You may continue to see the BHC until your concern is resolved, or the BHC may make other recommendations.

No matter what stage of life you're in as a woman, we can help. At the St. Charles Center for Women's Health, we partner with our patients to treat, educate and encourage you in your journey.

We offer comprehensive guidance and treatment for women's health needs.

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Women from Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras and surrounding areas of Oregon visit our Center for Women’s Health for comprehensive gynecologic and obstetric care.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2019

BEND, Ore. – Central Oregon health care providers and public health departments are working together to raise awareness of safe sleep practices in response to troubling data that suggest the number of infants dying while sleeping is on the rise.

Between 2012 and 2017, 14 Deschutes County children died by suffocation or strangulation while sleeping, according to statistics provided by the state of Oregon. Five of those deaths occurred in 2016 alone, compared to one death in 2012.

The Deschutes County Child Fatality Review—a team of multidisciplinary community agencies that convene twice a year to identify trends and possible interventions—was motivated by the concerning rise in sleep-related infant deaths to create awareness of the problem.

Spearheaded by KIDS Center and St. Charles Health System, a collaborative effort has begun to more proactively share information about safe sleep practices on social media channels and in clinics through the end of June. Summit Medical Group Oregon, Central Oregon Pediatric Associates (COPA), Mosaic Medical and public health departments in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties are also participating.

Dr. Nancy Heavilin, a pediatrician and KIDS Center’s medical director, said the number of infant deaths is a sobering reminder of the importance of safe sleep practices.

“In reviewing the data, it became clear our community needs to talk more about how to safely prepare a baby for sleep,” she said. “With proper education, fatal circumstances can be prevented.”

The leading cause of death for infants 1 month to 1 year old is Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), which includes sleep-related deaths and SIDS, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Logan Clausen, chief medical officer at COPA, said more than 95 percent of SIDS cases are associated with one or more risk factors. The most common risk factors for babies are sleeping on a soft surface, sleeping on their stomach and exposure to parental smoking. Premature babies and low birth weight babies are also at higher risk, as are those who sleep in the same bed as their parents.

“The safest way for babies to sleep is on their back on a firm mattress without any crib bumpers, stuffed animals, thick blankets or pillows in the sleeping area,” Clausen said. “Exposure to any second-hand smoke should also be limited.”

The best way to prevent SUID is to:

1. Put babies to sleep on their back. When they’re too young to turn themselves over, this is the safest way to sleep.
2. Put them to sleep in the same room as their caretaker, but in their own space.
3. Use a firm, flat mattress.
4. Keep the sleep surface clutter-free (skip the bumpers, blankets, pillows and toys.)

Dr. Brooks Booker, a pediatrician at Summit Medical Group Oregon, added, “Be sure to schedule and go to all well-child visits. Your baby will receive important immunizations at these doctor visits. Recent evidence suggests that immunizations may have a protective effect against SIDS.”

For more information about how to help babies sleep safely, visit HealthyChildren.org/SafeSleep. 

About St. Charles Health System
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond, Sisters and La Pine. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,200 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.

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Sexual dysfunction refers to a problem occurring during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual or couple from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual activity. The sexual response cycle traditionally includes excitement, plateau, orgasm and resolution. Desire and arousal are both part of the excitement phase of the sexual response.

While research suggests that sexual dysfunction is common - 43 percent of women and 31 percent of men report some degree of difficulty - it is a topic that many people feel uncomfortable discussing. Treatment options are available for many of these issues. We welcome your concerns and the opportunity to help you achieve satisfaction in your sexual life.

Sexual dysfunction generally is classified into four categories:

• Desire disorders —Lack of sexual desire or interest in sex
• Arousal disorders —Inability to become physically aroused or excited during sexual activity
• Orgasm disorders —Delay or absence of orgasm (climax)
• Pain disorders — Pain during intercourse

Women with sexual concerns most often benefit from a combined treatment approach that addresses medical, as well as relationship and emotional issues.

The Behavioral Health Specialist can help evaluate the possible psychological, social and behavioral aspects of your specific concern and partner with your OB/GYN or midwife for a holistic, integrative understanding and treatment approach.

Since Dr. Wendy Hatcher started working in the St. Charles Center for Women’s Health office in Bend she’s noticed a trend. Not only are the physicians referring patients to her for behavioral health care – the front desk staff and medical assistants are also identifying patients who may be struggling with life changes or health-related news.

“They’ll notice that an 18-year-old who just found out she’s pregnant is really having a hard time and they tell her, ‘Hey, we’ve got Dr. Hatcher here and she’s great to talk to,’” said Hatcher, a clinical psychologist embedded in the clinic.

“The work is totally amazing. It makes my heart sing.”

St. Charles Medical Group began integrating psychologists into its family care clinics five years ago. Now the model is expanding to include specialty clinics like the Center for Women’s Health. Having psychologists in the same location as physicians gives patients ready access to care for their physical and mental health needs.

“Some issues affect women disproportionately more than men. Depression is one of those things,” said Dr. Kim Swanson, a clinical psychologist embedded in the St. Charles Family Care and the Center for Women’s Health clinics in Redmond. “Depression can affect clinical outcomes for lots of things including surgery. Until now, people weren’t thinking about that as a potential barrier to getting a good outcome from a C-section or hysterectomy.”

Hatcher and Swanson perform pre-surgical evaluations on patients and through a variety of screening tools can better gauge if a woman is prepared emotionally for the procedure she is facing. Sometimes it is as simple as making sure the patient has a clear understanding of what to expect after the surgery that sets her up to recover well.

While post-partum depression is a common diagnosis in the women’s health clinics, Hatcher said she also works with women throughout the lifespan and during every phase of life. For some, times of major transition like menopause can be difficult to navigate emotionally as well as physically. Others may have just received a cancer diagnosis and still others are young, healthy women thinking about having a baby and how that might impact their lives.

“Women take care of everything,” Hatcher said. “In our culture, it’s not OK to be depressed. Very few people can listen and hold the space for women. I feel like the experience here is a village. We are all collaborating to take care of the whole person.”