FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   |   Feb. 29, 2020

St. Charles asks patients and visitors to take precautions when visiting hospitals and clinics

BEND, Ore. – With flu activity still considered high and the Oregon Health Authority’s announcement of the first presumptive case of COVID-19 coronavirus in Oregon, St. Charles Health System is asking patients and visitors to take precautions when visiting its hospitals and clinics.

Individuals experiencing fever, cough or difficulty breathing should put on a mask and sanitize their hands. Those who have traveled outside of the United States within the last 14 days or have been in close contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19 should immediately notify a St. Charles caregiver.    

“To protect our community and to reduce the risk of disease transmission, we’re following CDC recommended guidelines for preparedness,” said Dawn Azevedo, a St. Charles infection preventionist. “These simple steps go a long way to keep people healthy.”

Individuals who are ill and believe they have been exposed to COVID-19 should call their health care provider in advance of their arrival to help minimize exposure.       

Other simple steps for helping preventing the spread of germs include:

• High quality and frequent hand washing with soap and water, or use of hand sanitizer
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Avoiding contact with sick people and staying home if you’re sick
• Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing
• Frequently cleaning high-touch hard surfaces, such as doorknobs, cell phones and tabletops, with a disinfectant wipe  

In addition to these steps, St. Charles is working daily with local public health departments and other key partners to coordinate preparedness efforts.

Be sure to follow St. Charles Health System on Facebook and Instagram for regularly updated information.    

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 and Sisters. 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.

                                                                        ###

St. Charles Health System is pleased to welcome two new members to its board of directors. J. Corey Schmid and Dr. John Terhes recently joined the board bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to their positions. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Corey and John to the St. Charles board and appreciate their willingness to share their time and expertise,” said Jamie Orlikoff, St. Charles board chairperson. 

Schmid, a Bend resident, is a general partner at Seven Peaks Ventures and leads the organization’s digital health investment portfolio. She is also a trusted executive innovation advisor and board member to regional health care systems, industry consortiums and startups as a venture capital partner. In addition to her role on the St. Charles board, Schmid serves on the board of directors for Amplion, Inc., is a board observer for Bright.md and is a Junior Achievement volunteer and instructor.

“I am inspired as a community member raising my two boys and building my business here in Bend, to have a positive impact on the health, well-being and sustainability of our most critical service provider, St. Charles Health System,” Schmid said. “We can raise the bar for all of our Central Oregon residents, and I'm honored to be a part of our future.”

Dr. John M. Terhes, a general surgeon in Eugene, brings expertise and passion around patient safety efforts to his board position. He also serves as a committee member for the Northwest Safety and Quality Partnership through the Washington State Hospital Association and Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems and is a board member for the Oregon Research and Education Foundation.

“I hope to help further the transformation of St. Charles Health System by actualizing the goals of zero patient harm, improving accessibility and reducing the total cost of care,” Terhes said. 

In addition to the new members, the St. Charles Board of Directors recently elected its chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary/treasurer for 2020. The new board chairperson is Jamie Orlikoff, president of Orlikoff & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in health care governance, leadership, strategy, quality, safety and system development. The new vice chairperson is Megan Haase, CEO of Mosaic Medical, which operates Federally Qualified Health Centers throughout Central Oregon. Tom Sayeg, an attorney with Karnopp-Petersen, will retain his role as secretary/treasurer for another one-year term. Orlikoff will succeed Dan Schuette, who served honorably for five years as chairperson, and Haase will succeed Dennis Dempsey, who served as vice chairperson.

“We are excited to welcome our new board members and we thank Jamie, Megan and Tom for their willingness to take on leadership roles within the board structure,” said Joe Sluka, president and CEO of St. Charles Health System. “I’d also like to thank Dan Schuette and Dennis Dempsey for their many years of steady and prudent board leadership, as well as directors Mack Gardner and Greg Van Pelt for their many years of service and dedication to St. Charles and our communities. Mack and Greg have decided to roll off the board and their passion and expertise will be missed.” 

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 and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,500 caregivers. In addition, St. Charles employs over 270 providers, and has more than 800 active and visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.

                                                                        ###
 

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.

                                                                        ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 22, 2019

St. Charles Health System is pleased to announce Jody Britton has been hired as community and philanthropy advocate for Crook County.

Britton, a resident of Prineville, brings a deep professional background in marketing and community engagement. She owned Northwest Marketing Strategies and previously worked for Zolo Media. She also volunteers in the community, most recently creating and organizing the Black and Blue golf tournament to raise money for Shop with a Cop.

“I am so excited to be a part of St. Charles,” said Britton. “Prineville is a giving and involved community, and now I get to build bridges between individuals, businesses, nonprofit groups and the hospital. I’ve only been working at St. Charles a few weeks, but have learned so much about the incredible health care provided in Prineville, the expansion of the clinic and all the ways St. Charles is involved in the community.”

Todd Shields, vice president of hospital administration for St. Charles Prineville, said Britton is a great addition to the community engagement team.

“We’re doing great things here at St. Charles Prineville and Jody will be out in the community meeting with folks, providing support to community activities and finding ways to help everyone in Crook County become healthier. Between the two of us, we hope to connect with everyone in the county.”

Britton can be reached at 541-447-8417 or [email protected].

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.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 22, 2019

St. Charles Health System is pleased to announce Marcus Thompson has been hired as Jefferson County community and philanthropy advocate.

Previously a community health educator for St. Charles Madras, Thompson’s new responsibilities include cultivating relationships to more closely link the community with the Madras hospital.

A resident of Madras, Thompson is a graduate of Oregon State University with a degree in human development.

“I love working for St. Charles Madras and am excited for this new role,” he said. “I’ve worked pretty closely with the human services organizations and groups in the county, and now I will get to expand that network to include individuals and businesses.”

David Golda, vice president of hospital administration for St. Charles Madras, is excited to add Thompson to his team.

“We want everyone in Jefferson County to be healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. Marcus will be a key caregiver working with me to support community wellness, raise money for St. Charles Madras and participate in important community conversations and events.”

Thompson can be reached at 541-460-4112 or [email protected].

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.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 11, 2019

BEND, Ore. – In a special presentation Wednesday, St. Charles Bend’s new patient tower will be named for Jim Lussier, whose 34-year career at St. Charles Health System culminated in his role as president and CEO from 1989 to 2004.

The James T. Lussier Patient Tower honors the leadership role Lussier played in growing St. Charles’ services, strengthening the health system’s relationship with the community and investing in caregivers.

“A lot of people have said Sister [Catherine Hellmann] had such vision, but her biggest trait was selecting an executive team that could carry out that vision, and that was Jim Lussier,” said Rick Martin, who worked with Lussier at St. Charles and retired as a vice president after a 38-year career with the organization. “[He] truly transformed the hospital from a community hospital to a regional medical center that brought so many services across the mountain so people wouldn’t have to travel for their health care.”

The presentation will also recognize the Tykeson Family Foundation, which provided a $1 million challenge grant to the St. Charles Foundation to help fund the project. The grant was not only an investment in the facility, but also inspired additional contributions from the community. Altogether, nearly 1,000 donors gave more than $5.3 million to help build the tower.

Opened in May, the three-level tower is located on the north end of the Bend campus and houses a 24-bed Intensive Care Unit, a 28-bed Progressive Care Unit and shell space for future development. The $66 million addition was critical in helping relieve some of the Bend hospital’s capacity challenges. Last year alone, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was forced to transfer nearly 100 patients to other facilities for care.

The Oct. 16 presentation will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in St. Charles Bend conference rooms A, B, C and D. Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to Michelle Solley at [email protected].

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.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 8, 2019

BEND, Ore. – St. Charles Health System is hosting a medication take-back event on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its St. Charles Bend hospital campus at 2600 NE Neff Road.

The take-back event is intended to help households dispose of medications that could be ingested by someone other than the person for whom they were prescribed and to prevent medications from ending up in the water table.

In 2018, the first year the event was held, St. Charles collected more than 280 pounds of medication.

No questions will be asked. Individuals can drive through the parking lot and drop off medications right from their car window. Bend police officers will accept the medications, then give them to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispose of safely.

Any medications will be accepted. Liquids, pills, powders, patches, creams, prescriptions or over-the-counter medicines can be dropped off.

Representatives from St. Charles pharmacy will also be on-site to answer questions.

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.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 22, 2019

BEND, Ore. — St. Charles Foundation and St. Charles Health System invite members of the community to nominate outstanding local physicians for this year’s North Star Physician of the Year Award.

Presented at the Foundation’s signature annual event, the Saints Gala, this award recognizes an actively practicing physician in Central Oregon whose work has been defined by compassionate patient care, professionalism and a commitment to improving the lives of Central Oregonians.

“The North Star Award singles out a talented physician who has made it his or her life’s mission to provide patient-focused care,” said Lisa Dobey, executive director of community and philanthropy at St. Charles. “It is an excellent opportunity to honor someone who has enriched the field of medicine in Central Oregon.”

Dr. Helenka Marcinek, medical director of AirLink Critical Care Transport and Bend Fire Department, was recognized with last year’s award. 

The winner will be presented with the award at the Saints Gala on Nov. 2 and a $5,000 scholarship will be awarded in the physician’s name to a student who is pursuing education for a career in health care.

Physician nominations may be made by any individual. The deadline to submit nominations is Sept. 27.

For more details and to download an application, visit stcharlesfoundation.org.

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.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 22, 2019

BEND, Ore. – For Alex Banayan, it’s simple: “When you change what you believe is possible, you change what becomes possible.”

In a special St. Charles Health System-sponsored event at Mount Bachelor Village on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m., the only bestselling business author under 30 in America will share how some of the world’s most successful people broke through and launched their careers.

His book, The Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World’s Most Successful People Launched Their Careers, has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Over the course of his seven-year journey, Banayan interviewed the most innovative leaders of the past half-century, including Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, Larry King, Maya Angelou, Steve Wozniak, Jane Goodall, Jessica Alba, Quincy Jones and more.

The day before his freshman-year final exams, Banayan hacked The Price is Right, won a sailboat, sold it and used the money to fund his larger-than-life adventure to find out how some of the world’s most notable people achieved success.

Since then, Banayan has been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, Business Insider’s Most Powerful People Under 30, and been featured in major media, including The Washington Post, Fortune, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News and NBC News.

An acclaimed keynote speaker, Banayan has presented the Third Door framework to business conferences and corporate leadership teams around the world, including Apple, Google, Nike, IBM, Snapchat, Salesforce and Disney.

Tickets for this exclusive speaking engagement are $13 and on sale now at http://bit.ly/AlexB-MtBach. A copy of The Third Door is included in the price of the ticket.

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.

###

BEND, Ore. – St. Charles Cancer Center is teaming up with The Joy Team to host Chalk the Walks on Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help spread positive messages through sidewalk chalk art.

The event, which will take place near the cancer center entrance and in the Healing Garden at 2500 NE Neff Road in Bend, will also feature live entertainment by musician Shireen Amini and Hawaiian dancers, as well as snacks, a chalking contest and balloons.

Chalk the Walks is an annual international event that takes place with the sole purpose of infusing as many people as possible with some much-needed joy and inspiration. The event began in Vancouver, Wash., in 2011 and has spread to all 50 U.S. states and 11 other countries around the world.

“The words ‘you have cancer’ are life changing. Facing a cancer diagnosis and going through treatment can be physically, emotionally and financially draining,” said Wendy Rudy, survivorship and community education coordinator. “Both the cancer survivor and their family can feel afraid and alone. We are bringing Chalk the Walks back to St. Charles Cancer Center in order to bring joy, share love and offer hope to our courageous cancer fighters and their families.”

In addition to St. Charles Cancer Center in Bend, St. Charles Cancer Center in Redmond and Heart ‘n Home Hospice & Palliative Care in Bend and La Pine will also be hosting Chalk the Walk events Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“The concept seems so simple, yet last year we saw first-hand the impact our community had when it came out and chalked positives messages of hope and inspiration around the cancer center healing garden,” Rudy said. “Not only did they bring smiles to everyone entering the cancer center, but also something positive changed inside them as well.”

For more information about Chalk the Walks, contact Wendy Rudy, survivorship and community education coordinator, at [email protected] or 541-706-2969.

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 and Sisters. 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.

About The Joy Team 
Founded in February 2010, The Joy Team is a 501c3 corporation based in Vancouver, Wash., with the mission of building community by spreading joy, optimism and inspiration. Projects of the positive thought organization include putting up 1,469 positive messages (and counting) on billboards, delivering over 2,450 Happy Packets to the staff of organizations serving the community through The Junior Joy Team, giving over 4,400 jars of joy-wrapped peanut butter to hungry kids through the PB & JOY Project and the annual international Chalk the Walks event. Learn more at thejoyteam.org, like them on Facebook.com/TheJoyTeam or follow them on Twitter @TheJoyTeam or Instagram @the.joy.team.

###