Members of the public can expect increase in first responder vehicles and personnel at the Prineville facility June 12

St. Charles Prineville will host an emergency preparedness training event in partnership with local law enforcement, Fire/EMS and public health on the evening of June 12. Members of the public can expect to see an increased presence of first responder vehicles and personnel at the hospital and Family Care Clinic June 12 as part of this training exercise.

Due to the training event, the Prineville Urgent Care and Family Care Clinic will close at 5 p.m. June 12. Visitors who come to the hospital after 5 p.m. will be escorted to the room of the patient they wish to visit by hospital staff. During the drill, visitors may experience increased noise and will hear announcements overhead to test internal systems (these announcements will always include the word “drill”).

Emergency Department in Prineville will not be impacted during this drill.

NOTE: The drill is not open to the public or media.

Making a hospital stay less stressful for children is what the St. Charles child life specialists do best. They have incredible skills to help walk kids through the worrying or confusing parts of their stay and they use a collection of toys, games, puzzles, books and movies to help support our young patients. Layla was just 7 when she was in St. Charles Bend, and she loved getting visits from Jeri Young, a child life specialist who played with her and helped make her feel more comfortable.

Now 11, Layla has never forgotten Jeri and has been working for years to find a way to show her gratitude.  

“It always made me happy to see Jeri, so I wanted to say thank you,” said Layla. “And I wanted to help other kids who were in the hospital.”

Layla worked for more than a year to raise money by walking dogs, cat-sitting, hosting bake sales and more. She took that hard earned money and used it to buy supplies that were on the child life specialists’ wish list (via St. Charles Foundation). This included new toys, books, movies, games and other supplies for pediatric patients. Layla ended up filling more than five large shopping bags with much-wanted supplies and then she and her parents delivered them to a grateful pediatric team earlier this month.

“I’ve been trying to find the words about how much this means to me for a former patient to be moved to do such an amazing act of kindness: working so hard with bake sales and lemonade stands to raise money to purchase toys and activities for other children. Layla proved through her actions just how important play is to children and especially how important play is to hospitalized children,” said Jeri. “For child life specialists, toys are the tools that help children cope with the hospital experience. For Layla to recognize that being able to play and do art made a difficult experience a little more manageable and that she wanted to do something to support us is beyond incredible. I will think of Layla and her wonderful selfless act each time I share one of the items she personally selected for us to provide a little opportunity of play for another hospitalized child.”

Layla says shopping for the items was fun and she took time to think about different things the patients might like, from tabletop foosball to movies to watch together.

Brooke Jensen, director of Women’s and Children’s Services, said, “I was just so impressed with this extraordinary young person. She had the idea to help other children needing to stay in the hospital and acted on that idea in a very meaningful way.”

To support the Child Life Specialists program, visit stcharlesfoundation.org.

For caregivers in the St. Charles Trauma Program, Memorial Day is not just the kickoff of summer – it also marks the beginning of the busiest time of year for the department, often referred to as trauma season. The onset of warm weather brings an increase in recreational activities, which means an increase in trauma patients needing emergency services in Central Oregon.

Dr. Annie Onishi says there are some key steps individuals can take to stay safe while enjoying the outdoors.

• Wear a helmet while biking or riding on any motorized vehicle.

• No driving, biking, boating, etc. while intoxicated.

• Understand the rules of the road.

• Be safe with fireworks – or better yet, just watch the big show and don’t set off any yourself.  

“In general, if you wouldn’t do something in front of your parents or your kids – don’t do it,” said Onishi. “We hope to see you on the river or the trails and not in the Emergency Department.”

St. Charles cares for approximately 2,300 trauma patients every year across its four hospitals, including injuries caused by falls, vehicle crashes, recreational accidents and more. St. Charles Bend is a level 2 trauma center, the only one east of the Cascades. The average trauma patient stays 5.5 days in the hospital and receives care from more than 200 caregivers during that time.

Trauma survivors invited for day of connection and healing at St. Charles Bend

St. Charles Health System’s Trauma Program is hosting an event to honor and recognize former trauma patients Wednesday, May 15 at St. Charles Bend. The event will include a visit from therapy dogs, free barbecue lunch and the chance to connect with St. Charles caregivers, first responders and fellow trauma survivors.

The program will include a welcome from a trauma doctor and two trauma survivors will speak: Emma Vlossak will share her experience as a former trauma nurse who became a trauma patient and Richard Marcias will perform a song that he wrote during his stay at St. Charles while recovering from a fall.

Jeremy Buller, trauma program coordinator, is excited to bring the event back for a second year, after a successful first Trauma Survivor Day in 2023.

“I hope that the trauma survivors and family members can connect with each other and understand they aren’t alone in their experiences. For some people, this event helps provide a sense of closure,” said Buller. “Our caregivers also find tremendous meaning and joy when they are able to interact with former patients who are healing.”  

All former trauma survivors are invited to attend the event; RSVPs are required at the link. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the St. Charles Bend Conference Rooms A and B and the outside patio, weather permitting.

More about the Trauma Program at St. Charles

St. Charles cares for approximate 2,300 trauma patients every year across its four hospitals, including injuries caused by falls, vehicle crashes, recreational accidents and more. St. Charles Bend is a level 2 trauma center, the only one east of the Cascades. The average trauma patient stays 5.5 days in the hospital and receives care from more than 200 caregivers during that time.

St. Charles Health System announced today recipients of a variety of Community Benefit grants, awarding more than $190,000 to 35 local organizations in Central Oregon. The grants were awarded to provide basic needs, to support local diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, to sponsor local events and as part of St. Charles’ Priority Grant to increase a sense of belonging and reduce loneliness and isolation.

Organizations receiving funding to reduce isolation and increase belonging include:

• Destination Rehab, which received funding to create a new line of programs for adults with disabilities to engage in community events and activities throughout Central Oregon.

• Bend-La Pine Schools, which will use funding to support Sources of Strength curriculum in 20 middle and high schools.

• Bend Farmers Market, which will use funding to expand opportunities for underserved populations to engage with the market.

• Horses on the Ranch, which will use funding to engage diverse youth populations with therapeutic experiences on the ranch in Crook County.

“Our Community Benefit team is thrilled to provide funding for these organizations to create opportunities for welcoming and belonging in Central Oregon. Our hope is that, through these ongoing partnerships, we will see more Central Oregonians feel connected to their communities and reduce isolation and loneliness,” said Carlos Salcedo, Community Benefit manager for St. Charles.  

BEND, Oregon – Central Oregon will have a new option for people wanting to become nurses starting this summer, thanks to close collaboration among Oregon Health & Science University, St. Charles Health System and Central Oregon Community College.

The OHSU School of Nursing’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science Program has opened a new location in Bend, and the program will begin teaching its first group of eight Central Oregon-based students in July. Previously only available to Portland- and Ashland-based students, the 15-month-long program is geared toward people who want to change careers and become a nurse. It helps individuals who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in another field to quickly earn a second bachelor’s degree in nursing.

“OHSU is honored to bring our well-established accelerated curriculum option to Bend in partnership with St. Charles, Central Oregon Community College and many other local leaders,” said OHSU School of Nursing Dean Susan Bakewell Sachs, Ph.D., RN, FAAN. “The OHSU School of Nursing is proud to both help students from Central Oregon become nurses without having to leave home, and also to help the Bend area grow more of its own nurse leaders.”

“This is a huge win for our community, as we provide local access to this high-quality, in-demand accelerated program,” said St. Charles Chief Nursing Executive Joan Ching, D.N.P., RN, CPHQ. “I am excited that, through collaboration with our partners, we are increasing the pool of highly trained nurses who will live and work in Central Oregon.”

“Central Oregon Community College is pleased to be able to lease our nursing lab and simulation space to OHSU’s accelerated BSN program,” said Julie Downing, Ph.D., an instructional dean at COCC. “We’ve been working collaboratively with St. Charles and OHSU to increase the number of bachelor’s degree-prepared nurses in Central Oregon. And with COCC soon starting an RN-to-BSN program, OHSU’s efforts perfectly complement our own, as each institution is reaching different students with different prior education credentials.”

The program’s arrival in Bend is the result of conversations among OHSU Provost Marie Chisholm-Burns, Pharm.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., FCCP, FASHP, FAST, FACHE, Oregon State University Provost Edward Feser, Ph.D., and Ching. Chisholm-Burns and Feser organized a series of meetings with leaders from the OHSU School of Nursing, St. Charles, COCC, OSU-Cascades and other community organizations. The group collectively determined that bringing an accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing program to Bend would be an effective way to meet Central Oregon’s pressing nursing workforce needs, and would also complement COCC’s planned new RN-to-BSN program. Chisholm-Burns said she is appreciative of the support received from the community, including St. Charles, COCC and OSU.

While OHSU nursing students occasionally have community-based learning opportunities in the Bend area and the OHSU School of Nursing has five regional campuses throughout the state, the school hasn’t had an official presence in Central Oregon until now.

The Bend location for the OHSU School of Nursing’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science Program will be based out of COCC’s campus. Following classroom instruction and practicing techniques in a simulation lab, OHSU students will have hands-on learning opportunities at St. Charles and other community clinics. Bridgette Bochner, Ph.D., RN, who has worked locally as a nurse for 24 years, has been hired to serve as the OHSU program’s Bend-based leader.

Applications for the OHSU program’s first group of Bend-based students are being accepted through April 15. More information is available on the OHSU School of Nursing website.

In addition to tuition, the program’s Bend location is supported by funding from the OHSU Provost’s Office, which is leading efforts to grow and diversify OHSU’s health profession student body. Scholarship opportunities are available for eligible students based at all OHSU School of Nursing locations, including Bend.

COCC’s registered nurse program has long offered associate degrees in nursing. Now, COCC is also developing a bachelor’s degree in nursing program that could welcome its first students as soon as 2025. Their new program is being designed for students who haven’t previously earned a bachelor’s degree, which will make it distinct from and complementary to OHSU’s accelerated bachelor of science program.

Hospice and Bereavement team guide new walking groups starting April 8 in Prineville, aimed at those who have lost a loved one

New walking groups in Prineville aim to provide innovative support to individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Healing Hearts walking events, which begin April 8, invite individuals experiencing grief to participate in a series of guided walks led by caregivers from St. Charles’ Hospice and Bereavement team in partnership with Crook County on the Move.

Every other week, the group will gather at St. Charles Prineville for a guided walk that will focus on a different topic including understanding grief, six needs of mourning, support networks, leveraging self-care and more.

Aaron Contreras, the bereavement coordinator for St. Charles Hospice, said the idea for the walks came from someone who had experienced a loss. “She wanted to have a group that let her work through her loss, while also having a community to do something active with. Our hope that a walking group like this might be helpful to those who are managing a loss in their life while also engaging in a great self-care activity in the community.”

Contreras will lead the walking groups alongside Mindy Laidlaw, supervisor of home-based care support services for St. Charles.

The walking groups are in partnership with Crook County on the Move, a local group that aims to keep residents healthy and active. The group has numerous events planned this spring, including general walking groups, community garden party, a community-wide Cancer Awareness Walk June 1 (which will feature a walk-through colon from St. Charles), and Heart Health 101 classes taught by a St. Charles provider.

Learn more about all the of upcoming activities at Crook County on the Move’s website. The Healing Hearts walking groups do not require registration. Interested individuals can meet at 1p.m. in the healing gardens at the north end of St. Charles Prineville.

Dozens of traveling nurses opt to make St. Charles their permanent workplace, citing strong culture and competitive pay

In the past year, St. Charles Health System has seen a major turnaround in the strength of its workforce, according to a variety of metrics: Vacancy rates have decreased from near 20% to approximately 6-7% for acute nursing; in 11 of the past 12 months, the number of hires has been more than the number of caregivers leaving the system; and St. Charles has significantly decreased its reliance on high-cost temporary traveling nurses to fill needed positions. In the first two month of 2024, St. Charles hired just 5 temporary traveling nurses, compared with 196 in Jan/Feb of 2022.

Additionally, many traveling nurses are opting to make St. Charles their permanent home by securing positions with the health system.

“These are highly skilled nurses who could find a home anywhere. They are choosing St. Charles – that speaks to our strong culture and competitive rates of pay,” said Rebecca Berry, Chief Human Resources Officer for St. Charles. 

Chris Collins, a Client Relations Manager for FocusOne, which provides traveling nurse staffing for hospitals across the country, says that the percentage of travelers converting to be permanent nurses at St. Charles is notable. “With many of our clients typically experiencing conversion rates of less than 5%, St. Charles definitely stood out with their impressive 12% conversion rate in 2023. There are several likely factors that helped contribute to that success. Notably, St. Charles offers attractive pay packages and is situated in a location known for its picturesque scenery. However, it's the culture St. Charles has created that sets them apart and makes them attractive to those looking for a permanent position.” 

Michael Teeters spent more than six years as a traveling nurse before becoming a permanent staff member at St. Charles last month. He’s one of 14 traveling nurses to be hired as a permanent caregiver in 2024.

“St. Charles feels like home, like where I’m meant to be. The people that work here are incredible,” said Teeters.

Learn more about Teeters and additional stats.

St. Charles Foundation’s annual Saints Gala co-sponsored by Genentech and CORA was a resounding success, raising nearly half a million dollars to enable St. Charles to continue providing world-class health care services. This year’s special appeal focused on the Three Sisters Rural Track Program (RTP), the first graduate level residency program in Central Oregon which will provide training for rural family medicine doctors.

“Watching our community come together from across Central Oregon to support this new program was inspiring and heartwarming,” said Jenny O’Bryan, executive director of the Foundation.

The theme for this year’s event was Puttin’ on the Ritz, with décor and music from the 1920s. The event includes a silent and live auction along with dinner. The Foundation received two significant matching gifts: an anonymous donor gave $50,000 in honor of the Sunriver Wood Chuckers volunteer program and the Bean Foundation from Madras gave $25,000.

Learn more about the RTP program and how it will impact Central Oregonians: Video, Website

About St. Charles Foundation
The mission of St. Charles Foundation is to support St. Charles Health System in the delivery and advancement of world-class health care in Central Oregon and in achieving its strategic goals. St. Charles Foundation works with the community to develop and steward philanthropic resources to fund programs and capital projects that improve health, prevent disease, enhance quality of life and provide the highest quality care possible for all St. Charles patients now and in the future. Learn more about the efforts of St. Charles Foundation: https://foundation.stcharleshealthcare.org/. 

February is American Heart Month, and a great time for everyone to review basic tips to keep their heart healthy. 

St. Charles' team of Heart Failure Nurse Navigators are leading several free classes throughout Central Oregon to share tips during the month of February. The events are all free and open to the community. Attendees at the Heart Health 101 classes will learn how to improve heart health while developing skills to prevent or manage cardiovascular conditions. The class will include information about how the heart works, how to recognize signs of a heart attack, nutrition tips and more. 

Classes take place at the following times and locations:

Feb. 15, Bend Larkspur Community Center noon to 1:30 p.m.

Feb. 15, Sisters Parks and Recreation, noon to 1 p.m.

Feb. 27, La Pine Senior Center 10 a.m. to noon

April 30, La Pine Senior Center 10 a.m. to noon