St. Charles Health System

We're excited to celebrate the #PowerofRural on National Rural Health Day! Todd Shields, VP Hospital Administrator of Madras and Prineville, and Kimberli Munn, Chief Nursing Office of Madras and Prineville, visited the Madras and Prineville campuses with treats to celebrate the hardworking caregivers who serve our rural communities. Since 2011, the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) has set aside the third Thursday of November to celebrate the "Power of Rural" on National Rural Health Day. This day is an opportunity to bring attention to and honor the incredible efforts of rural health care providers, communities, organizations and other partners dedicated to addressing the unique health care needs of rural America. Thank you to our caregivers and to our wonderful communities! We love being your partners and providing excellent health care for our rural communities.

Our Heart Failure Nurse Navigators always do an incredible job of leading community classes! Here are some shots from the Holiday-themed Heart Health 101 class they put on last week for community members, which provided heart health education and tips for navigating the holidays with heart disease and chronic conditions. To stay up to date on the various programming we offer, visit our Classes and Events page: https://bit.ly/40XoLmO

If you hear the sound of a bell ringing in the St. Charles Cancer Center in Bend, that’s a signal to smile. The new bell – hung in the Infusion Room – is there for patients or family members to ring whenever they want to celebrate or recognize a meaningful milestone. The new bell is a gift from Sam and Shane Coleman, both St. Charles caregivers. It’s a personal gesture for Sam, who completed her last round of chemotherapy for breast cancer last summer. Read more about their story and the inspiration behind the new bell at our website:

If you hear the sound of a bell ringing in the St. Charles Cancer Center in Bend, that’s a signal to smile. The new bell – hung in the Infusion Room – is there for patients or family members to ring whenever they want to celebrate or recognize a meaningful milestone. The new bell is a gift from Sam and Shane Coleman, both St. Charles caregivers. It’s a personal gesture for Sam, who completed her last round of chemotherapy for breast cancer last summer. Sam isn’t sure where she first heard about the idea of ringing a bell after finishing cancer treatment – possibly a show or story she read. She wanted to ring a bell when she completed chemotherapy, but the Cancer Center didn’t have one. She and Shane offered to purchase one, so that future patients could experience a ringing moment of celebration together. “I want it to be really inclusive. If someone got great news after surgery – go ring the bell; if you survived the first round of chemo – go ring the bell. I want people to be able to celebrate big and small wins. I hope it’s a happy thing,” said Sam. “I want something that’s a little bit more meaningful for everyone, not just those of us who are lucky enough to be done. I hope people find their reason to ring it.” Shane hopes that hearing the sound will bring people a feeling of hope – for caregivers, patients and families. “I hope families hear the bell and think, ‘Oh, that’s a happy thing.’” Read more of the Sam and Shane's story at our website: https://bit.ly/4fzsafZ

We loved seeing the amazing turnout for the land acknowledgement ceremony and artisan Native Market last week at St. Charles Madras. A dozen vendors from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs brought displays of incredible handcrafted items and food. The land acknowledgment ceremony included a drum and song performance, local students speaking and teaching the Kiksht, Numu and Ichishkiin language with the audience, and St. Charles President and CEO Dr. Steve Gordon sharing why it was meaningful for St. Charles to make a land acknowledgment. Thank you to everyone who came and helped make this event special!

Several of our caregivers recently traveled to Albany to represent St. Charles Health System at Linn Benton Community College’s 2nd Annual Diagnostic Imaging Career Fair and Meet and Greet. The team sat down with LBCC Diagnostic Imaging students to talk to them about what it's like to work at St. Charles, the advancement opportunities we offer, and why they love working here. Thanks to Ann-Marie, Sarah and John for hitting the road and being the smiling face of St. Charles!

The Native Market at St. Charles Madras is officially open for business! Come by today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to see all the incredible items for sale from artisan vendors from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and sample some complimentary fry bread tacos. There will also be a land acknowledgment and artwork presentation taking place at 1:15 p.m. During the event, St. Charles President and CEO Dr. Steve Gordon will share why a land acknowledgement, which was developed in partnership with members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Spring, is important to St. Charles and surrounding communities.

A fall from a ladder can cause serious injuries, particularly to those over the age of 65. St. Charles Trauma Surgeon Jon Roberts brings you his advice for using ladders safely that will help you avoid a trip to the hospital.

Today, on Veterans Day, we want to honor and thank the service members of the United States Armed Forces, as well as celebrate the veterans who are a vital part of the St. Charles family. Mark Welch, patient services representative at St. Charles’ Bend South Family Care clinic, is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he served for 20 years on submarines patrolling the Pacific Ocean. He worked as a machinist mate and engineering laboratory technician on Naval submarines, which essentially means he was the on-board nuclear chemist and radiation specialist. He also earned his “Dolphins” — a qualification pin given to those with the ability to operate every system on the ship. While Welch loves his current job in patient access and being the smiling face of the clinic, today he is also thinking about the job he used to have — and that millions of others had, and still have, too. "Veterans Day is the day I get to say thank you to my fellow veterans for being willing to write a check for these United States (and) for their sacrifice for their country, including being willing to give their life,” he said. “And to know that no matter what branch we all served in we always had each other's back. I was and am a part of the greatest military on our planet.” Learn more about Mark at our website: https://bit.ly/3ACRH8H

Caregivers and community members are invited to a day of celebration in recognition of Native American, American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage month at St. Charles Madras on Thursday, Nov. 14. The celebration will include a Native Market with many artisan vendors from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, complimentary fry bread tacos and a presentation of the new land acknowledgment and artwork in the hospital’s Galleria. The Native Market is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the land acknowledgment presentation will take place at 1:15 p.m. During the event, St. Charles President and CEO Dr. Steve Gordon will share why a land acknowledgement, which was developed in partnership with members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Spring, is important to St. Charles and surrounding communities. The land acknowledgment and accompanying artwork will be on permanent display in the main entrance at St. Charles Madras. In the coming months, the acknowledgment will also be installed at other St. Charles locations. Learn more about St. Charles land acknowledgment at our website: https://bit.ly/48Hmspz