As the pandemic evolves, St. Charles updates COVID-19 vaccination policy for health care workers  

Unvaccinated health care workers who apply for and receive a medical or religious exception from the state’s vaccine mandate can provide patient care if they wear a N95 respirator 

St. Charles Health System is now allowing unvaccinated people who apply for and receive a medical or religious exception to the state’s vaccine mandate to work in a health care setting if they wear a N95 or higher filtering respirator—or other reasonable accommodation to the extent applicable—while providing direct care. 

“With the use of this type of personal protective equipment, we believe we are taking reasonable steps to ensure unvaccinated providers and staff are protected from contracting and spreading COVID-19 to coworkers, patients and visitors in a manner consistent with state and federal mandates,” said Joan Ching, St. Charles’ chief nursing executive.  

When unvaccinated employees are in a St. Charles health care setting but are not rendering direct patient care, they will be expected to wear a medical grade procedure mask. Masks can be removed to eat in a break room, but physical distance of 6 feet or more is expected to be maintained. 

St. Charles’ infectious disease subject matter experts—who convene regularly to review the latest scientific literature and the organization’s internal policies—recently concluded that because of  

revised CDC guidance, the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, the severity of the current strains of COVID-19, availability of personal protective equipment, COVID-19 treatment options and immunity levels in the community, the health system could make reasonable accommodations that allow unvaccinated people who apply for and receive a medical or religious exception to work in a St. Charles health care setting. 

“As the pandemic evolves, it is important that St. Charles evolve with it,” Ching said. “We believe we’re now in a place where we can reasonably allow unvaccinated people to work in a health care setting—without putting others at significant risk—if they wear a N95 respirator.” 

Unvaccinated people who were previously granted an exception but could not be reasonably accommodated in a St. Charles health care setting are invited to apply for available positions for which they are qualified. St. Charles will use its regular hiring practices to assess re-employment as well as wages and benefits for successful candidates. New candidates interested in working for St. Charles who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be given the opportunity to apply for a medical or religious exception as allowed by the Oregon state mandate, which remains in effect.  

“To be clear, we believe staying current on your vaccination series remains the very best way to protect yourself from the virus,” said Dr. Cynthia Maree, medical director of infection prevention. “The data tell us that staying current on recommended boosters prevents infection, severe disease and death. The bivalent COVID-19 vaccine is now available and is designed to provide broad protection against the Omicron variant. We strongly encourage people to talk to their health care provider about receiving it.” 

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, La Pine, 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, 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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After two years in a virtual format due to COVID-19, Heaven Can Wait – the popular annual 5K walk/run and fundraiser for Sara’s Project – will return as an in-person event at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2.

And that’s not all that’s new: This year, the event will start and end at Redmond High School’s stadium, with a course that takes participants through Redmond’s scenic Dry Canyon.

“It is our hope that bringing Heaven Can Wait to Redmond will provide a more central location for community members who have been touched by breast cancer to come together, wherever they are in their cancer journey,” said Anna Contreras, events and development specialist with St. Charles Foundation. “The Central Oregon community has been steadfast supporters of this event and St. Charles Foundation and event volunteers are thrilled to be bringing the walk to Redmond.”

Heaven Can Wait raises money for Sara’s Project, a fund of the St. Charles Foundation that helps provide vital support services to people in Central Oregon who are battling breast cancer. Over its 23-year existence, the event has raised approximately $100,000 annually for assistance to under-insured patients, as well as integrative therapies such as therapeutic massage, acupuncture, yoga, and reiki.

Heaven Can Wait has also become an important opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate cancer survivors while also remembering loved ones.

“It has been almost three years since the community last gathered to support this powerful event,” said Mari Shay, administrative director of cancer services for St. Charles. “This will be my first Heaven Can Wait, and I look forward to meeting more cancer survivors and our community partners as we stand together to support those who are battling breast cancer.”

To participate or volunteer in the 5K walk/run, register at HeavenCanWait.org. For questions related to the event, contact Anna Contreras at 541-788-2940 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, La Pine, 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, 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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After nearly eight years as president and CEO of St. Charles Health System, Joe Sluka has announced his intention to step down from the role.

“I am so proud of this organization and the more than 4,500 employees who put their hearts into caring for our communities every single day. This is a very difficult decision,” Sluka said. “At the same time, after leading through more than two years of a global pandemic and the corresponding recovery I feel it is time for me to step aside, recharge and provide the opportunity for new operational leaders to guide St. Charles forward.”

Dr. Steve Gordon, an experienced health care executive and former member of the St. Charles Board of Directors, will take on the interim CEO role as Sluka transitions to a strategic advisor position. Gordon, a primary care and internal medicine physician by training, has worked as a health care management consultant with Point B, Inc. since 2016. Previously, he served in executive leadership roles for PeaceHealth in Vancouver, Wash., Providence Health and Services in Portland and Salem Health. He is a graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

“Having spent several years on the St. Charles Board of Directors, I understand the unique role our health system plays in the Central Oregon community. I am energized to build on Joe’s legacy and advance and strengthen St. Charles despite the current challenges the health care industry faces,” Gordon said. “I will continue to work closely with Joe in his strategic advisor role and am grateful that I’ll have his support, insight and ideas moving forward.”

During Sluka’s time at the helm, St. Charles has grown into a robust regional health care system. Some highlights include:

• Implementation of a Lean management system focused on a culture of continuous improvement
• Construction of a new patient tower, including state-of-the-art ICU, at St. Charles Bend
• Transition to the Epic electronic health record platform
• Expansions and remodels of both St. Charles Madras and St. Charles Prineville campuses
• Expansion of services in Redmond including robotic surgery
• Opening of additional outpatient clinics in La Pine and Bend South
• A long list of patient safety and quality awards for hospitals and clinics throughout the system

“Joe’s leadership through a period of growth for the health system and throughout the past very challenging two years of a global pandemic have been exemplary,” said Jamie Orlikoff, chairman of the St. Charles Board of Directors. “He has been a reassuring and trusted voice to the Central Oregon community and has also been an important advocate for health care resources at the state and national level. On behalf of the entire board, I would like to thank Joe for his service.”

In addition to his role as president and CEO of St. Charles, Sluka also served as chairman of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems Board of Directors for two years through the height of the pandemic.

“Joe served as OAHHS board chair for the two most challenging years of the pandemic, 2020 and 2021. During that time, he guided the association through uncharted waters, as Oregon’s hospitals and health systems collaborated to take care of patients during surges, to navigate changing regulatory requirements, to vaccinate Oregonians, and to serve as the only door that was always open when Oregonians needed care,” said OAHHS CEO Becky Hultberg. “He has been a leader, a trusted colleague, a friend and mentor to Oregon hospital leaders throughout the state. It is with sadness and our deepest gratitude that we wish him well on his departure from St. Charles Health System.”

The leadership transition will take place this week and the St. Charles Board will begin a national search for a permanent replacement.

St. Charles Family Care clinics to start offering COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months and older

Central Oregon’s youngest children can begin receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at St. Charles Family Care clinics starting Monday, June 27.

The vaccine is free and can be given to children 6 months to 4 years of age. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling a Family Care clinic or via the MyChart patient portal.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved COVID-19 vaccination for young children who are at least 6 months old.

“This is important progress in our fight against COVID-19,” said Dr. Cynthia Maree, St. Charles’ medical director of infection prevention. “Vaccines continue to be effective at preventing severe illness and hospitalization. In children, they also help prevent multisystem inflammatory syndrome and may prevent long COVID.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization because clinical trials—which included more than 4,500 children and continued during different phases of the Omicron wave—proved it is safe and effective. The FDA also gave emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine, but for efficiency, St. Charles is only offering the Pfizer vaccine.

For the 6-months to 4-years-old age group, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered in three doses, with two doses spaced three weeks apart and followed by a third dose at least two months later. Each shot has less vaccine in it than the dosage for older children and adults. Vaccination is considered most effective seven days after the third dose.

“COVID-19 is still in Central Oregon and is still a threat to our children,” Maree said. “I strongly recommend parents discuss vaccination with their pediatrician if they have more questions.”

To schedule an appointment:

Bend East Family Care Clinic
2600 Northeast Neff Road
541-706-4800

Bend South Family Care Clinic
61250 Southeast Coombs Place
541-706-5935

La Pine Family Care Clinic
51781 Huntington Road
541-907-7040

Madras Family Care Clinic
480 Northeast A Street
541-475-4800

Prineville Family Care Clinic
384 Southeast Combs Flat Road
541-447-6263

Redmond Family Care Clinic
211 Northwest Larch Avenue
541-548-2164

Sisters School-Based Health Center
535 N Reed Street
541-526-6623

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, La Pine, 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, 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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DAISY Award winners honored for extraordinary nursing

Four St. Charles Health System nurses have been honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®, recognizing the outstanding, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day:

• Bend: Kathryn Phillips, Medical Services
• Madras: Kate Goodling, Family Birthing Center
• Prineville: Julie Rariden, Emergency Department
• Redmond: Susie Tuttle, Emergency Department

Nominated by patients, families and colleagues, the award recipients were chosen by a committee at St. Charles.

The nurses—who represent all four St. Charles hospitals in Bend, Redmond, Madras and Prineville—were recognized with a ceremony on their respective units and presented with a certificate, a pin and a "healer's touch" sculpture by their hospital’s chief nursing officer. The DAISY honorees will also receive ongoing benefits, such as special rates for tuition and ANCC certification. 

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

"When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night,” said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, president and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation. “Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at St. Charles are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.

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, La Pine, 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, 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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St. Charles’ mounting financial challenges lead to workforce reductions 

Faced with skyrocketing contract labor, equipment and supply costs—and flat revenue—St. Charles Health System leadership has made the difficult decision to reduce its workforce. The reduction will impact 105 caregivers through layoffs. An additional 76 positions that are currently vacant have also been eliminated.  

The 105 layoffs—which will take place over the next three days—are targeted to mostly non-clinical areas where the organization found through a benchmark data review process that it has more staff than other health systems of a similar size.  

“For the past two years, our caregivers have taken on and conquered unprecedented challenges to care for our community, which is why it feels particularly unfair that we now find ourselves in this position,” said St. Charles President and CEO Joe Sluka. “While our financial situation isn’t unlike many other health systems around the country, this decision hurts. These are our people.” 

Even after taking aggressive steps to address its current financial challenges, which have included both reducing expenses and identifying revenue improvement opportunities, the health system hemorrhaged $21.8 million through April. Year to date, St. Charles is facing a –6.7% operating loss. 

The organization’s expenses and revenue began deteriorating in the spring of 2020, when its contract labor, equipment and supply costs began to soar at the same time it was forced to significantly reduce the number of surgeries it performed due to pandemic-related restrictions and the need to preserve bed capacity to care for critically ill COVID-19 patients. This imbalance persisted through 2021 as St. Charles experienced three significant surges of COVID-19 patients—at times operating up to 107% of its capacity—making it difficult to resume its pre-pandemic level of surgeries and other services. Further compounding St. Charles’ financial stress is the repayment of the more than $95 million in federal funds it received over the last two years to support its operations. 

Though the workforce changes the health system is making this week are projected to reduce its expenses by approximately $20 million annually, St. Charles will still end 2022 with a substantial operating loss. With a sustained focus on improving the efficiency of its operations, the organization is working toward achieving a positive operating margin by the end of 2023 or early in 2024.  

“It has taken two long years of the pandemic to get us into this situation,” Sluka said, “and it will take at least two years for us to get out of it. But we will. And we will continue to take excellent care of our community now and in the future.” 

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, La Pine, 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, 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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Over the past two years, St. Charles caregivers have worked tirelessly to care for the people of Central Oregon when they needed it most: during a global pandemic – a public health crisis unprecedented in our lifetime.

They turned a parking lot into a COVID-19 testing site.

They converted an empty conference room into a community vaccine clinic.

They’ve taken care of the sickest COVID-19 patients in our hospitals and provided the latest treatments at our clinics.

Along the way, St. Charles – with support from the community – did everything we could to take care of our caregivers, so that they could take care of you.

All of that, of course, came at a price:

• Our labor costs have skyrocketed, largely due to our need to bring in expensive contract clinical staff from other areas of the country to help us meet the community’s needs.
• Equipment and supply costs have also increased, as they have in every industry.
• Our surgery volumes have been down for two years, which means significantly decreased revenues.
• Last but not least, we are now paying back federal pandemic relief funds to the tune of more than $1 million every week.

We’ve been working hard to reduce expenses for a few months, and those efforts have helped. But they are not enough to dig us out of this financial hole. We ended the month of April with a $21.8 million loss.

We are now at the point where we have to take additional action to ensure the long-term financial stability of the health system.

It pains me to tell you that we must reduce our workforce this week. We are eliminating 76 positions that were already vacant, but that isn’t enough. We are also reducing 105 positions that will result in layoffs.

First and foremost, that is not just a number. Those are our colleagues and our friends. We are grateful to them for their dedication to our community and we are saddened to see them go.

Over the past few weeks, we have gone through a thorough process in which we compared every area of our organization to industry benchmark standards.

Where we are out of line with those standards, we must make changes. In particular, many leadership positions are being eliminated to bring our structures into alignment with other health systems of our size.

These reductions are projected to reduce expenses by more than $20 million annually.

Still, we will likely end 2022 in the red. It has taken us two pandemic years to get us into this situation, and it will take at least two years for us to recover. And sadly, we are not alone. Organizations across Oregon and the country are facing similar financial challenges.

To the communities we serve, I want to reassure you of a few things:

• We have a responsibility to ensure our community has access to high-quality health care and are focusing these reductions in mostly non-clinical areas to minimize the impact on patients.
• We are still recruiting and hiring new caregivers to rebuild our workforce and reduce our need for expensive contract labor.
• We are reviewing all of our service lines to ensure they are financially sustainable, which could result in additional changes.

While these decisions are incredibly difficult, we are making them because we are committed to becoming a more efficient health system that is well-equipped to continue what we’ve done for the past 104 years: Care for the people of Central Oregon.

As always, we greatly appreciate your support.

Sincerely,
Joe

Heaven Can Wait 5K walk and run postponed to October

The event will also now be held in Redmond

Heaven Can Wait, a 5K walk and run that was originally scheduled for June 5 at Drake Park, will now be held sometime in October in Redmond.

The changes were made due to unforeseen logistical challenges in trying to hold the event at Drake Park.

Information including the new date and location will be announced as soon as details are confirmed. At that time, participants will have the option of keeping their registration, receiving a refund, deferring their registration until next year or donating their registration fee to the St. Charles Foundation.

A time-honored tradition for the community, Heaven Can Wait brings together and celebrates cancer survivors while also remembering the loved ones who have been lost. The event raises funds for Sara’s Project, which provides support services for Central Oregonians battling breast cancer.

“While we are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused our participants who have already registered, we are excited about bringing Heaven Can Wait to Redmond, which will make the race more accessible to people throughout Central Oregon,” said Mari Shay, Administrative Director Cancer Services. “It will also be held in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time devoted to educating everyone about breast cancer.”

For updates on the event or to register, visit HeavenCanWait.org.

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, La Pine, 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, 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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St. Charles Cancer Center hosts survivorship series for young women with breast cancer

Starting June 7, St. Charles Cancer Center will offer a series of workshops for young women diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 45.

A national nonprofit organization that provides information and community support to those impacted by breast cancer, Living Beyond Breast Cancer selected St. Charles Cancer Center and just 18 other sites to host the series.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s four-part Survivorship Series for Young Women will provide answers and resources on some of the most common concerns for young women such as sex and intimacy, early menopause, the long-term effects of treatment and selfcare after breast cancer.

The organization’s national needs assessment of young women diagnosed with breast cancer revealed their survivorship needs were not being adequately addressed. Living Beyond Breast Cancer developed the Survivorship Series to address the identified need for more survivorship patient education and enhance the skills of the oncology nurses to address the needs of their young patients

The series of sessions will be offered Tuesdays in June, from 5 to 7 p.m., at St. Charles Bend in the Heart and Lung Center conference room. There is no cost to attend, but RSVPs are required by June 1 to Michele Halligan at 541-706-6715 or [email protected].

Session topics include:

June 7 -- Hot and Bothered: Coping with Early Menopause

Hot flashes, mood changes and trouble sleeping are just a few of the annoying symptoms of early menopause due to breast cancer treatment. During this session, participants will learn more about the impact of early menopause and tips on how to manage the symptoms.

June 14 – Stay Alert: Managing the Long-Term Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment

The side effects of breast cancer treatment may last many years following treatment. Some common concerns include heart problems, pain, fatigue, numbness and weight gain. During this session, participants will learn what to watch for, what to report to their provider and when to call them.

June 21 – Let’s Talk About Sex and Breast Cancer

Changes in a person’s sex life are common after a breast cancer diagnosis and during treatment. In this session, participants will learn how to talk about these concerns with their health care provider and partner, and get tips on how to improve their sexual health and satisfaction.

June 28 – Self-Care After Breast Cancer

During this session, participants will learn ways to take care of themselves physically, mentally and spiritually. The important role exercise, nutrition, alcohol consumption, cancer and genetic screening and emotional support can play in a person’s health will be discussed.

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, La Pine, 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, 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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St. Charles’ hospital visitor policy changes next week

Starting Monday, April 4, St. Charles’ hospitals will no longer require visitors to show proof of vaccination, though wearing a mask will still be mandatory.

Signage posted at hospital entrances will encourage some visitors to leave, including those who have respiratory symptoms, have a pending COVID-19 test or who have been in contact with a known or suspected COVID-19 case in the last 14 days. Visitor screening does not apply to those seeking medical treatment or COVID-19 testing.

Additionally, all patients—including those who are positive for COVID-19—will be allowed two visitors at a time, who may come and go from the hospital as needed. The exception is the Emergency Department, where only one visitor will be allowed.

In some cases, visitors may be required to wear additional personal protective equipment for their safety.

“Two years ago, we instituted visitor restrictions to keep our caregivers and patients safe,” said Debbie Robinson, chief nursing officer, St. Charles Bend Campus. “We’re in a different place now. The number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are low in our community, and we have vaccines and many effective treatments available.”

Door screeners will continue to be posted at hospital entrances through April 8 to help educate the community as this transition takes place.

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, La Pine, 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 4,600 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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