St. Charles awards Central Oregon nonprofits more than $65K in grants 

BEND, Ore. — St. Charles Health System is pleased to announce it is providing $65,500 in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Central Oregon. 

Schools, cities and health and wellness programs for underserved youth are among the 11 nonprofits in the region that are helping meet the critical needs of individuals and families, providing services that prevent or end homelessness and break the cycle of poverty.

Some of the largest grants were awarded to:

• City of Madras, which received $30,000 for its Jefferson County Broadband Plan;
• Heart of Oregon Corps Inc, which received $3,000 for its Heart of Oregon Corps: Training Tomorrow's Workforce Today;
• Bend-La Pine Schools, which received $10,000 for Summit Bryt Trailhead - Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition;
• High Desert Food & Farm Alliance, which received $2,500 for Translation of Recipes for Increased Food Security;
• The 1017 Project, which received $5,000 for its Fresh beef for food banks and shelters project;

Since its inception, St. Charles Health System has been contributing to programs that benefit the communities it serves. By collaborating with other nonprofits in the area, St. Charles aims to implement and support best-practice and evidence-based initiatives that address community needs and improve the overall health of the region.

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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Travel, concert and sporting event drive-through testing no longer available

Starting Friday, St. Charles’ drive-through COVID-19 testing site in Bend will no longer provide testing for individuals needing results for the purposes of travel or attending an event. Those who are scheduled for a procedure, have a known COVID-19 exposure or are symptomatic are still encouraged to use the service.

Drive-through COVID-19 testing is available in the back of the parking lot of the 2600 NE Neff Road building every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To access drive-through testing, please follow directional signs.

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 4,200 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.

Oregon National Guard arrives Thursday in Bend to prepare for hospital assignments

Starting at 8 a.m. Thursday, 150 members of the Oregon National Guard will begin to arrive at the Armory at 875 SW Simpson Ave. to prepare for their assignments at St. Charles’ hospitals.

The Guard members, who are coming from all corners of the state, will support the health system in nonclinical roles including screening patients and visitors at entrances, running and stocking supplies, preparing and serving food and assisting patients in roles that do not require licensure.

“We are tremendously grateful for the Oregon National Guard members who are leaving their jobs and families to answer our hospitals’ call for help,” said Joe Sluka, St. Charles’ president and CEO. “While they will not be providing bedside care to patients, they are going to be bridging gaps in staffing elsewhere in the system that are critical to our operations.”

Members of the Guard—which has initially committed to supporting St. Charles through Sept. 30—will start working throughout the health system on Friday, covering both day and night shifts. 

“It’s an honor to serve in our communities, when needed,” said Stephen Bomar, director of public affairs for the Oregon Military Department. “This wouldn’t be possible without the continued support of employers and loved ones.”

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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St. Charles opening Urgent Care and drive-through COVID testing on Bend campus

To expand our ability to provide care to the growing number of COVID-19 and other patients in our community, St. Charles is opening:

• An Urgent Care clinic in the Bend East Family Care building at 2600 NE Neff Road.
• Drive-through COVID-19 testing in the back of the parking lot of the 2600 NE Neff Road building. To access drive-through testing, please follow directional signs.

Both services will start Monday, Aug. 16. Initial hours of operation for both will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, to be expanded as need arises and resources allow.

St. Charles’ Emergency Departments are the best places for care for people experiencing an acute health emergency. It is critical that patients who do not need an emergency level of care avoid the Emergency Department at this time. Community providers are encouraged to send appropriate patients to primary or Urgent Care facilities first when at all possible.

In general, emergency care is needed for life-threatening medical conditions and serious injuries. Urgent care is for same-day evaluation and management of acute conditions and worsening chronic conditions that do not rise to the level of a life-threatening emergency. Primary care is for a broad spectrum of preventive, acute and chronic condition management and health checkups, as well as other non-emergent health issues. Anyone who is unsure about the need for urgent care versus primary care should contact their primary care provider. St. Charles clinics provide care to all patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.

In addition to the clinic opening Monday at Bend East, St. Charles operates Urgent Care facilities in the following locations across Central Oregon:

Bend South
61250 SE Coombs Place
541-706-5930

La Pine
51781 Huntington Road
541-907-7050

Prineville
384 SE Combs Flat Road
541-447-8750

We appreciate the support from our community as we all work together to ensure care is available within the hospital for our most critically ill patients.

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.

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St. Charles begins work to implement state’s new health and safety rule

Gov. Kate Brown announced today a new health and safety rule that requires employees in health care settings to provide proof of vaccination or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

The requirement—which applies broadly to health care workers who have direct or indirect contact with patients or infectious materials—will apply Sept. 30, allowing St. Charles Health System time to prepare for implementation and giving caregivers time to become fully vaccinated if they are not already and choose to do so.

“This is welcomed news, as it allows us to further protect our workforce and our patients,” said Joe Sluka, St. Charles’ president and CEO. “We’re proud that 76% of our caregivers are already fully vaccinated, but we also know that means nearly a quarter are still vulnerable. The governor said today the more contagious delta variant ‘has changed everything.’ We think that’s right, too, as the numbers we’ve seen as of late are not at all encouraging.”

Oregon health officials have reported about 6,000 new cases of COVID-19 since July 26, which is nearly double the number of cases recorded the week prior and the highest weekly count since mid-January. In Deschutes County, the previous week case count reported on July 31 was 244—a 79% increase over the week before.

Hospitalizations are on the rise, too. Today there are 37 patients with COVID-19 at St. Charles Bend—four of whom are in our ICU—the highest number the health system has seen since mid-June.

“We are deeply concerned by the abrupt rise in case numbers, which we believe is due to the delta variant,” Sluka said. “The most recent and best data available shows patients with the delta variant have 1,000 times more virus particles in their systems than the patients who had the original virus. Put another way: it’s very, very infectious.”

As the governor made her announcement just today, St. Charles is only now initiating its work on what the implementation of this rule will look like. More information will be available in the coming weeks as details are finalized.

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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Alert: Fraudsters seeking Medicare information over the phone

BEND, Ore. – St. Charles caregivers and patients have received phone calls from fraudsters identifying themselves as employees of other local health care organizations or Medicare officials who are seeking valuable Medicare information for identity theft or fraudulent billing purposes.

The caller ID may appear as a legitimate number from a local medical facility. Falsifying a caller ID number in this way is known as “spoofing” and unfortunately St. Charles cannot prevent this type of criminal activity. According to the Office of Inspector General, these fraudsters are targeting beneficiaries through telemarketing calls, booths at public events, health fairs and door-to-door visits.

St. Charles is advising the public to be extremely cautious about ever giving medical or insurance information over the phone. If you think a caller is falsely representing St. Charles, Medicare or any other local medical facility, hang up and call your St. Charles provider’s office to find out if information is needed from you. If you think you have been a victim of any kind of phone scam, please consider reporting it to one of the following organizations:

• The Federal Trade Commission is the primary government agency that collects scam complaints.

Online: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/

By phone: 1-877-382-4357

• To report suspected Medicare fraud: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
• Report caller ID spoofing to the Federal Communications Commission

Online: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us

By phone: 1-888-225-5322

• Report the scam to the Office of Inspector General

Online: https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/

By phone: 1-800-447-8477

TTY: 1-800-377-4950

If you are the victim of identity theft, visit https://identitytheft.gov/ for information on how to report it.

To learn more about how to spot and avoid Medicare scams or scams in general, visit

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/03/protect-yourself-against-medicare-scams

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 4,600 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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St. Charles’ $100,000 gift helps buy Crook County Fire & Rescue an ambulance

St. Charles Health System is donating $100,000 to Crook County Fire & Rescue to help the district with its purchase of two new, state-of-the-art ambulances. The two agencies will celebrate the donation, the purchase and their long-standing partnership during an event scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 8 outside of the St. Charles Prineville Emergency Department. Members of the media are invited to attend.

One of the new ambulances is already in service and the other is expected to arrive in September. They cost about $250,000 each and will come equipped with several new features that will reduce strain on EMTs’ bodies and make both patients and EMTs safer and more secure, said Crook County Fire & Rescue paramedic and Battalion Chief Jeremiah Kenfield. Those features include airbags in the back of the ambulance, a restraint system that secures EMTs while allowing them to move around and provide patient care, and most prominently, a mechanical apparatus that loads the heavy patient cot into and out of the ambulance.

The loading apparatus is a “game-changer” for the EMTs, Kenfield said, because it will save them thousands of cot lifts every year and almost certainly reduce back injuries.

Safer, healthier EMTs are music to the ears of Crook County Fire & Rescue Chief Matt Smith, who said St. Charles’ donation is an opportunity to take money that was earmarked for an ambulance and spend it elsewhere in a growing district where tax revenues don’t cover the increasing level of service needed.

“We don’t have the ability to snap our fingers and build capacity any more than anybody else does,” Smith said. “So, when unexpected money comes in, we can put it to use elsewhere in the district to increase the capacity of our services and try to keep up with the growth in our community.”

For St. Charles, the donation isn’t just about maintaining the current level of care, but planning for the future of the community, too.

“We’re fortunate to enjoy such a positive and productive history of working with Crook County Fire & Rescue,” said Shannon Edgar, chief nursing officer at St. Charles Prineville. “We certainly value their partnership and we look forward to building on it for many years to come.”

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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Image above used with permission from Partners In Care and credited to ALSC Architects and DKA Architecture

St. Charles’ $400K contribution helps Partners In Care reach campaign milestone

St. Charles is contributing $400,000 to Partners In Care to support the construction of a 12-bed specialty hospital—called Hospice House—that is designed for hospice patients who need short-term end-of-life care in a homelike environment.

The gift is the third largest made to Partners In Care, helping the organization pass the $4 million mark in its $6 million fundraising campaign.

“We are enormously grateful to St. Charles for this leadership gift and will use it wisely as we complete construction of Hospice House. It represents the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship that dates all the way back to 1979 when (former St. Charles president and CEO) Sister Catherine Hellmann championed for hospice care in Central Oregon,” said Eric Alexander, president and CEO of Partners In Care.”

The gift—which is being jointly made by the St. Charles Foundation and St. Charles Health System’s Community Benefit Program—will help Partners In Care replace its current six-bed unit with a new 14,600-square-foot standalone facility on Partner In Care’s campus in Bend. The iconic chapel will be dedicated to the legacy of Sister Catherine and overlooks the unique water feature and “wispy” garden.

Once open, Hospice House will double the number of available beds at Partners In Care, essentially ending its waitlist for services. That means more patients from St. Charles and other hospice providers can be admitted when the need arises for more intensive end-of-life care.

“The St. Charles Foundation’s contribution to the new Partners In Care in-patient facility is a commitment to compassionate care for all members of our communities,” said Connie Newport, chair of the St. Charles Foundation Board of Directors. “It is also a step in solidifying our partnership with Partners In Care and we congratulate them on this achievement. Most families will experience the need for this type of support at some point and we encourage them to take a tour and consider a personal donation.”

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 4,600 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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Masks, social distancing and screening will continue at St. Charles facilities beyond June 30

BEND, Ore. – Though Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is planning to reopen the state June 30, leaving it up to individual counties to make decisions about masking and social distancing requirements, all St. Charles Health System hospitals and clinics will continue to require masking and social distancing. Screening for COVID-19 symptoms and checking temperatures will also continue at entrances regardless of a person’s vaccination status.

St. Charles appreciates the community’s help keeping patients and caregivers safe by continuing to adhere to these infection prevention guidelines.

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 4,600 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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St. Charles nurses honored with DAISY Award for outstanding, compassionate care

The following 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: Caitlin Reid, Critical Care
• Madras: Yvonne Sullivan, ED
• Prineville: Kaitlynn Thomasson, Medical Services
• Redmond: Melodin Trammel, Main OR

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, 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.

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