St. Charles Health System

For one week this summer, 16 high school students from across Central, Southern and Eastern Oregon took a deep dive into health care careers, getting hands-on experience and learning directly from professionals, thanks to Cascades East Area Health Education Center (CEAHEC) based at St. Charles Bend. One day of the weeklong MedStars Camp is spent with St. Charles caregivers. Students learned about vital signs, phlebotomy, lab, Stop the Bleed and EKGs – all alongside caregivers from St. Charles. “Our goal is to help students grow their interest in careers in health care and connect them with resources they need to pursue their careers,” said Emily Clark, education specialist. “The students really loved the day at St. Charles and, according to their evaluations, it was their favorite day.” For Jennifer Brooks, Director of Ambulatory Care Nursing, taking part in this summer program was a great way to give back and connect students with potential career options. “This program is special as it gives people who think that they may be interested in health care a chance to try it out. There are many points of entry and endless ways to grow and develop,” said Brooks. “The leaders that taught each session seemed to really engage the students.” The experience proved meaningful for students, as well. With students saying the weeklong experience helped them gain skills to use in a future health care career, understand what education is needed to pursue a career in health care and understand the different kinds of jobs in health care. The summer intensive is just one part of the work that CEAHEC caregivers do all year. The CEAHEC regional office and its staff have been hosted by St. Charles since 2000 and are grant funded. They provide educational outreach to students throughout central and eastern Oregon to help connect students – especially those from underserved or diverse backgrounds - with health care fields. Last year, CEAHEC and St. Charles caregivers helped 86 students from the tri-county area participate in job shadowing at all four St. Charles hospitals, in addition to hosting immersive one-day learning experiences at St. Charles Bend for 44 students from Harney, Lake and Klamath counties.

Our St. Charles Heart Failure Nurse Navigators had a great time teaching at a community cooking demonstration with High Desert Food & Farm Alliance at the Cascade Culinary Institute. The class taught how healthy foods and whole ingredients can enhance your heart health, and participants learned simple, delicious recipes using locally sourced ingredients. Thank you to everyone who joined in!

Please join us as we celebrate 25 years of Heaven Can Wait - our annual run/walk fundraiser for breast cancer! Registration is now open for the 2024 Heaven Can Wait 5k happening on Sunday, October 6 at Redmond High School. Heaven Can Wait raises funds to provide love, support and compassion for breast cancer patients and their families. In honor of our 25th year, we hope to raise an additional $25K for patient support programs that help provide free wigs, post-surgical bras, transportation, education of early detection and massage therapies for those in need. Register today: https://bit.ly/4fLihfJ

This local call center is a vital component of the St. Charles care team. Named One Call, they are the friendly and helpful voices you hear whenever you call one of our clinic partners.

St. Charles caregivers enjoyed supporting local law enforcement during National Night Out events this past week alongside City of Bend Police in Bend and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office in La Pine. Thank you to all who came out in support!

Vasectomies are extremely common and safe procedures, but there are a few things to remember once you get home. St. Charles physician Dr. Mike Lavelle Jr. shares the best ways to ensure a speedy and successful recovery.

#humansofstcharles For Keith McCray, an attendant with St. Charles Bend’s Environmental Services team, the fulfillment he finds in his job comes not from his day-to-day tasks, but from the people he meets along the way. "I wake up every morning and I’m excited to go to work,” McCray said. “I get to help people when they need it most. I get to work with a wonderful team of nurses and everyone else. I get to work in a positive environment where I have the support I need. And I like being a part of that.” Among other duties, McCray’s job is to empty the trash cans, change soiled linens and mop floors. But like many of St. Charles' EVS workers, he also gives patients a chance to talk with a non-clinical caregiver – someone who isn’t in the room to discuss test results or deliver potentially worrisome news. “This is the best place I’ve ever worked, because I get to go into patient rooms and clean their rooms and talk with them,” he said. “And they’re having a bad day, man. They’re in the hospital,” McCray continued. “So to bring them a little joy and a little conversation is fantastic to me. I wish I’d known about this job when I was 21 years old, because I would’ve been doing it all along.” Read more about Keith's story at our website: https://bit.ly/3Srg7aU

As you may have seen in the news recently, St. Charles has entered into a letter of intent with The Center to explore expanding our relationship. This announcement means we are exploring the possibility of employing a substantial number of The Center physicians, providers and employees. If the transaction ultimately moves forward, The Center’s providers will become part of the St. Charles umbrella of services. Working closely with The Center’s leadership, we understand the clinic is at risk of losing additional providers without immediate financial support, which also puts St. Charles Bend’s trauma program at risk. We rely on The Center’s team of orthopedic and neurosurgeons to help us care for more than 2,000 trauma patients every year. This is, simply put, the right thing to do. While not without risk, St. Charles is in a position to step in and help support a service line that is critical to our community. Read the full story from St. Charles CEO and President Dr. Steve Gordon at our website: https://bit.ly/3Ad2qGa

Great message from Dr. Steve Gordon, our President and CEO.

Join St. Charles Heart Nurses and High Desert Food & Farm Alliance for a free and delicious cooking demonstration August 13 from 11-1 p.m. at the Cascade Culinary Institute in Bend. The class is a great opportunity to learn how healthy foods and whole ingredients can enhance your heart health, and learn tasty and simple recipes using locally sourced ingredients in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. This event is free but spots are limited. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3Sgq9vD