St. Charles welcomes Madras hospital

Transcription

1 healing in a spirit of love and compassion Spring 2013 volume 18 no. 1 St. Charles welcomes Madras hospital Healthy Lives Bringing da vinci to Central Oregon Cancer care close to home Hip replaced, life renewed Page 3 Page 5 Page 10 Page 11

2 flourish spring 2013 A vision of health James A. Diegel, FACHE President and CEO St. Charles Health System BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tom Sayeg, Chair Dan Schuette, Vice Chair Knute Buehler, MD Josh Cook, DO Dennis Dempsey, D.Ed Doug Downer Mack Gardner, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.) Megan Haase, FNP Bob Hakala, MD Jill Hoggard-Green, RN, PhD Lauri Miller Jim Diegel, Ex Officio ABOUT FLOURISH Flourish is produced four times a year by St. Charles Health System 2500 NE Neff Road Bend, Oregon Flourish Staff: Kendra Lavery Jordan Kayley Mendenhall St. Charles Health System isn t the organization it used to be. In the past decade, we have grown to four hospitals and other services that stretch to each corner of Central Oregon. We have added more than 20 outpatient clinics to our system and employ more than 100 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. We have more than 3,300 caregivers who are dedicated to serving our patients in all aspects of their care. Knowing that we have changed, our Board of Directors recently completed a comprehensive process to update and renew the organization s vision, mission and values statements. While these are internal guiding principles that will shape our strategic priorities for the next decade to come, as a community nonprofit they are also important statements for our patients to know and understand. Our bold, new vision statement is: Creating America s healthiest community, together. We realize this is a big task and we don t take the responsibility associated with it lightly. At St. Charles we truly believe that our role is to keep our patients healthy. When they need care, our hospitals are here. As the largest employer in the region, we recognize that this work begins with taking care of our own. We recently launched a wellness program for our caregivers and SharedCare members known as Healthy Lives (see page 3). The program starts with some basic health screenings to evaluate blood pressure, cholesterol levels, weight and more and connects those in need with nurse health coaches. I have personally signed up for the program and am looking forward to working with a coach on stressreduction techniques and other lifestyle changes to improve my own health. Ultimately, our goal is to offer this program to other businesses in the community to help their employees improve their health as well. This is just one of many ways we are striving to create America s healthiest community, together. We hope you ll join us on the journey and help make our vision a reality. Find health tips, links to articles and news on our Facbook and Twitter pages. Sincerely, 2

3 stcharleshealthcare.org Healthy Lives St. Charles launches wellness program During the first wave of screenings for the Healthy Lives wellness program at St. Charles Health System in February, 70 percent of the 117 caregivers tested had elevated blood pressures. According to Healthy Lives, for every $1 invested in the program, businesses can see a potential return of $4 in terms of reduced spending on health care and reductions in health-related employee absenteeism. We knew we had some opportunities to improve the health of our caregivers, said Karen Shepard, chief financial officer for St. Charles Health System who oversees the Healthy Lives program. But we were surprised by the initial numbers. People who work in health care and spend time caring for others are not always the best at caring for themselves. With the launch of Healthy Lives, St. Charles is providing incentives to its caregivers to work on improving their health as part of its overall mission to create America s healthiest community. The program starts with initial screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose levels, weight, height, waist circumference and tobacco use. Based on the results, caregivers will be assigned a nurse health coach, if necessary, to guide them in lifestyle changes to improve their health. In the fall, those enrolled in the program will be screened again to see how much improvement was made. Those who meet the program requirements of going through the screenings, visiting a primary care physician at least once during the year, exercising regularly and showing health improvement, will receive a cash incentive in 2014 as part of the St. Charles benefits plan. We find that employers of every size are really struggling with health insurance premium increases and are looking for assistance with how to stem those costs, said Dr. Stephanie Mills, president and chief executive of Franciscan Health and Wellness. Employers feel helpless and unsure of what to do. When we show them the data and help them understand what is driving their costs, they feel empowered and encouraged. Reducing costs of the health benefits plan for St. Charles caregivers is one of the motivations for bringing the program to Central Oregon, but the biggest driver for the health system is simply encouraging caregivers to take the time to care for themselves, said Jim Diegel, president and CEO of St. Charles Health System. We are all busy and spend so much time focused on caring for our patients, running our facilities and being the best health system that we can be, that we may not always take the time to monitor our own health and well-being, Diegel said. I m hoping that Healthy Lives will renew our focus on caring for ourselves so that we can better care for others. Healthy Lives is a program created by Franciscan Health and Wellness in Baton Rouge, La., that St. Charles has adopted for its caregivers and SharedCare members. Ultimately, St. Charles hopes to enroll other businesses in Central Oregon in the program to help their employees improve their health and reduce the costs of care. 3

4 flourish spring 2013 Taking the pain out of hemorrhoids Dr. David Carne practices new technique in Prineville Dr. David Carne 4 St. Charles Home Health Services and St. Charles Hospice (formerly Pioneer Memorial Hospice Prineville) recently combined services with Mountain View Home Health and Hospice to offer home care to the residents of Jefferson County in a seamless manner. The combined service focuses on process improvement, improved expense management and a streamlined workflow. Both St. Charles Home Health and St. Charles Hospice are maintaining a branch office onsite at St. Charles Madras. For more information, call St. Charles Hospice at or St. Charles Home Health at Nobody wants to talk about hemorrhoids, let alone think about having surgery to repair them. But Dr. David Carne, a general surgeon who works for St. Charles in Prineville, wants patients to know that a hemorrhoid treatment is now available in Central Oregon that takes much of the pain out of the process. Hemorrhoids are natural cushions of tissue and blood vessels located at the junction of the rectum and anus. They can cause problems for people if they become enlarged or prolapsed or bleed persistently, Carne said, which is when they require treatment. Of all of the surgeries I perform, I probably get the most post-operative calls from patients who are experiencing pain or problems with their sutures after a hemorrhoid procedure, Carne said. I haven t received a single postoperative call from the patients who have undergone this technique. The technique, known as hemorrhoid artery ligation, uses a special type of ultrasound machine to guide the surgeon to the arteries that supply blood to the hemorrhoid. Rather than cutting the hemorrhoid out, as is typical, Carne can suture the arteries leading to the hemorrhoid, which removes the blood supply. Once the blood flow is gone, the hemorrhoids shrink down on their own, Carne explained. I was trained in this procedure during my residency and I saw how much of a difference there was in recovery time and pain for patients. The procedure takes only about a half hour and patients go home the same day. It is performed while the patient is sedated. I had no pain afterward, said Jean Wintermute, a patient of Carne s who has had hemorrhoid surgery twice once the traditional way and once with the new procedure. I would recommend it to anybody. The treatment works best for those with complicated hemorrhoids, both internal and external, Carne said. He explained that he is able to suture the arteries above the nerves, which helps to reduce the pain, makes for a quicker recovery and reduces the chances of complications. We are the only hospital in Central Oregon with the ultrasound to do this procedure, said Tom Solitz, registered nurse and patient care coordinator at Pioneer Memorial Hospital. We have heard from some other physicians in the area that they are interested in learning the technique and we are willing to share the equipment. For more information, contact Dr. David Carne at St. Charles General Surgery in Prineville at

5 stcharleshealthcare.org Bringing da Vinci to Central Oregon Robotic surgical system results in faster recovery Tammy Hartwell checked in to St. Charles Bend for surgery early on a recent Wednesday morning. She went through all the typical steps to prepare her for surgery, signed the appropriate paperwork and was wheeled into the operating room where she was greeted by her surgical team including a fourarmed robotic assistant named da Vinci. I m not nervous about the robotic part of the surgery, Hartwell said minutes before she went to the operating room. It s less invasive. There is less chance of infection, less bleeding and a quicker recovery. Hartwell s physician, Dr. James Carlson, completed a total hysterectomy using the da Vinci Surgical System with Dr. Peter Palacio assisting him. Hartwell is one of more than 70 patients who have undergone surgery with the da Vinci system since St. Charles purchased the technology last summer. The da Vinci technology has been in use in the United States for about 10 years. St. Charles decided to invest in it now because the technology has been proven to work well for patients and because several local surgeons were interested in pursuing roboticassisted surgeries, said Tim Eixenberger, chief nursing officer for St. Charles Bend. We wanted to bring this technology to Central Oregon so that patients don t have to travel outside of our region for this service, Eixenberger said. So far, the system is being used mostly for urologic, gynecologic and general surgeries by several surgeons in the region. The difference between the robotic-assisted and traditional laparoscopic surgery is in the motion, Palacio explained. In a laparoscopic procedure, the physician holds the top of the instruments outside of the patient s body and moves them back and forth. The motion can cause bruising and tissue damage at the incision site. With the robotic-assisted surgery, the physician controls the instruments from a station in the corner of the operating room. A 3-D image magnified 10 times gives the surgeon a clear view of what s going on inside and the instruments at the end of the robotic arms move only at the site of the surgery itself. From my perspective, I can see better. I operate with more precision, Palacio said. The instruments are rock solid. There are no tremors. When Patsy Zinn s surgeon, Dr. Erin Walling of Bend Memorial Clinic, asked if she would consider a robotic-assisted surgery for her gallbladder removal, she didn t hesitate to say yes. Her surgery took place at 12:30 p.m. and she was back home in Prineville about four hours later. I woke up the next morning and I never from that day forward felt like I had had surgery, Zinn said. I had no loss of energy. I wasn t sore. Ultimately, Palacio said, the da Vinci should reduce the length of hospital stays for patients and make their recoveries easier. He also said that he believes he ll be able to operate for longer in his career using the robotic assistant because it s physically more comfortable for the physician. The patient benefits and the surgeon benefits, Palacio said. Hopefully, over the long term, we ll see less complications and shorter hospital stays. 5

6 Healthy Happenings Spring 2013 Register online at stcharleshealthcare.org Registration required unless otherwise noted. Call for more information. MOVEMENT AND ACTIVITY Yoga Stretch Eight-week sessions. Move into yoga gently with a class designed specifically for beginners. Class will include stretching, moderate poses and relaxation techniques. Fee: $55 Instructor: Lorette Simonet-Jones Bend: April 15 - June 10 (No class May 27) Mondays 6-7:15 p.m. Bend: April 24 - June 12 Wednesdays 4-5:15 p.m. Bend: April 23 - June 11 Tuesday (mornings) 9:30-10:45 a.m. Location: Bend Karate Club, 502 NE Revere Street Yoga for Life 10-week sessions. Increase strength, flexibility and balance while experiencing a progression of postures linked with continuous breath. Fee: $65 Instructor: Marla Green Bend: April 11 - June 13 Thursdays 4-5:30 p.m. Instructor: Lorette Simonet - Jones Bend: April 11 - June 13 Thursdays 6-7:30 p.m. Bend: April 11 - June 13 Thursday (mornings) 9:30-11 a.m. Location: Bend Karate Club, 502 NE Revere Street Restorative Yoga Eight-week sessions. This is a rejuvenating and relaxing yoga class to soothe your nervous system, quiet your mind and release deeply held tension. Poses awaken circulation and bring about awareness of muscular and respiratory holding patterns to create positive change. Fee: $55 Instructor: Lorette Simonet-Jones Bend: April 23 - June 11 Tuesdays 4-5:15 p.m. Instructor: Dawn Garcia Redmond: April 18 - June 6 Thursdays 5:30-6:45 p.m. Gentle Yoga Gentle Yoga provides an introduction to basic yoga poses. The class emphasizes stretching and coordination of breath with movement and attention to alignment. Gentle Yoga is for people new to yoga or those who are experiencing joint sensitivity, overall stiffness due to lack of activity or other physical limitations. Fee: $55 Instructor: Krista Floyd Prineville: April 17 - June 5 Wednesdays 5:15-6:15 p.m. Preventing Osteoporosis with Exercise Nine-week sessions (Two days a week). Activity for the prevention and reduction of osteoporosis. Classes led by licensed physical therapists. Fee: $70 Lower Impact: Bend: March 18 - May 20 (No class May 8) or May 29 - July 29 Mondays/Wednesdays, 9-10 a.m. Higher Intensity: Bend: March 19 - May 23 (No class March 26 or May 9) or May 28 - July 30 (No class July 4) Tuesdays/Thursdays, 9-10 a.m. Redmond: March 22 - May 24 (No class April 8) or May 31 - July 29 Mondays/Fridays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Fitness Ball Exercise Eight-week sessions. Exercise on a therapeutic ball enhances a full-body workout. Fee: $45 Bend: April 17 - June 5 Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Parkinson s Exercise Class Eight-week sessions. Exercises led by physical therapists. Education and discussions follow. Fee: $45 Bend: March 25 - May 13 Mondays 10:30-11:30 a.m. Tai Chi Eight-week sessions taught by certified instructors. All exercises are slow and gentle. No experience is necessary. Fee: $50 Bend: April 17 - June 12 (No class May 8) Wednesdays 1:30-2:30 p.m. Redmond: April 17 - June 5 Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Prineville: April 16 - June 4 Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Madras: April 25 - June 13 Thursdays 6-7 p.m. Movement Disorders Exercise Class Eight-week sessions designed for people who have mobility challenges and walk independently. Classes led by licensed physical therapists. Fee: $40 Redmond: March 11 - April 29 or May 13 - July 8 Mondays 12:30-1:30 p.m., March 15 - May 3 or May 17 - July 5 Fridays 12:30-1:30 p.m. Rehabilitation Exercise Class Eight-week sessions. Class focuses on improving strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. Specialized exercise for people with various ability levels. Classes supervised by licensed physical therapist. Fee $80 (two times per week) or $120 (three times per week) Bend: Outpatient Gym, April 24 - June 14 Tuesday/Thursday 12:30-1:30 p.m. Bend: Outpatient Gym, April 23 - June 15 Monday/Wednesday/Friday 8-9 a.m. or 12:30-1:30 p.m. Registration: Tetra/Paraplegia Exercise Class Focuses on maintaining strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. For people with tetraplegia or paraplegia resulting from a spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis or other neurological cause. Fee $60 Bend: Outpatient Gym. Start dates vary, please call for more information. Wednesdays 4:30-5:30 p.m. Registration: Bariatric Surgery patients (pre and post-op) Exercise class focuses on education and the safe initiation and progression of an exercise program to meet your weight-loss goals. Fee $80. (two times per week) Bend: Outpatient Gym, April 24 - June 14 Tuesday/Thursday 8-9 a.m. Registration: CANCER CARE Support Sisters/Brothers program Would you like to talk with someone who has already faced cancer? Call to be matched with a survivor or caregiver who can offer one-on-one support and hope to you and your family members FREE. DEFEATCancer This survivorship empowerment program focuses on nutrition, physical activity, education and inspiration. Light dinner served. FREE. Meets the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7:30 p.m., except August and December. Please RSVP to Coffee and Connection Meets monthly over coffee in a small group setting facilitated by a social worker. Adult survivors, family members, caregivers and friends are welcome. First Wednesdays monthly 11 a.m p.m FREE. Harvest of HOPE Food assistance program for cancer patients while in treatment. We are accepting donations of healthful non-perishables (veggies, fruits, soups, pasta sauce, etc). Collection bins in the St. Charles Cancer Center lobby and at the St. Charles Medical Oncology Clinic NE Wyatt Ct. in Bend.

7 DIABETES EDUCATION Comprehensive Diabetes Education Group and individual sessions on managing diabetes, glucose monitoring, medications, exercise, nutrition, stress and wellness, complications, pregnancy, pediatrics, insulin and pumps. Taught by Certified Diabetes Educators (nurses and dietitians). Meets national standards for diabetes education. Bend office: , Redmond office: Diabetes Support Group FREE. No registration required. Included in hour is time for question/answer session. Info: Bring your specific questions for Q/A session. May 14, 4-5 p.m. Bend: East Dining Room JDRF Type 1 Supper Club For people with Type 1 diabetes, or parents of children with Type 1 diabetes. Meets the third Monday of every month at 5 p.m., Bend Applebee s 3197 N Hwy. 97. Upcoming dates are March 18 and April 15. Info: Rita Shearer, RN, CDE, JDRF Type 1 Coffee Group For people with Type 1 diabetes, or parents of children with Type 1 diabetes. Meets the third Friday of every month at 10 a.m., 70 SW Century Dr., Bend (Behind US Bank). Upcoming dates are March 15 and April 19. Info: Penny Falck, group leader, Central Oregon Walk to Cure Diabetes Presented by the JDRF Central Oregon Council. Saturday, April 13, Riverbend Park. 10 a.m. check in, walk starts at 11 a.m. For more info call Preventing Diabetes Understand what factors increase your risk for diabetes, identify your personal risk factors and develop strategies to change your lifestyle. Learn to overcome obstacles and incorporate healthier habits for a long and healthy future. This class is NOT appropriate for with people with diabetes, but is great if you have been told you have pre-diabetes. Bend: June 19, Wednesday, 5:30-7 p.m. Pre-registration required. Fee $25 Info: or HEALTHY EATING FOR LIFE Nutrition and Cooking Series Four-week sessions. Nutrition education paired with cooking demonstrations. Learn to make good nutrition and health easy and affordable. Fee: $45 Bend: April 27 - May 18 Saturdays, 10:30-12 p.m. Location: Bend Senior Center 1600 SE Reed Market Road Eat for a Healthy Heart Reduce your risk of heart disease or continue to improve your heart health. Topics include foods to choose and how to integrate them into your lifestyle, portion sizes, physical activity and troubleshooting the heart-healthy diet. Fee: $35 Bend: April 9 5:30-7 p.m. Location: Shared Care facility 2525 NE Twin Knolls Drive, space # 9 NEW Start (Nutrition, Exercise, Wellness, Start today) 10-week sessions. Lifestyle and weight management program focused on good nutrition and exercise habits, overcoming obstacles to obtaining health and making it fit into your lifestyle. Fee: $190 per person (Program includes two individual appointments with a St. Charles nutritionist) Bend: April 15 - June 10 (No class May 27) Mondays, 1:15-2:30 p.m. or 5:30-6:45 p.m. Redmond: April 22 - June 17 (No class May 27) Mondays, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Prineville: April 24 - June 12 Wednesdays, 5:30-6:45 p.m. ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS Total Joint Replacement Classes This pre-operative class helps educate patients before they receive a total knee or total hip replacement surgery. This class is recommended by our orthopedic surgeons. To sign up or for more information call Foot Clinic Home Health Staff provide soaking, cleaning, nail trimming and filing, lotion/massage and instruction on proper foot care. Available in both Bend and Redmond by appointment. For fee information and to make an appointment, call American Heart Association Courses CPR, ACLS, PALS offered throughout the year. Living Well with Chronic Conditions Class Six-week interactive workshop designed for people who are living with chronic health conditions or for their caregivers. It teaches real-life skills for learning to live a full, healthy life with a chronic condition. Fee: $10 Classes held throughout Central Oregon. Dates and times vary. Preregistration required. Call for complete details. Bariatric Surgery Monthly Talks Post-op patients share their experiences with pre-op patients, family and friend supporters (6-6:30 p.m.) Dr. Stephen Archer gives a presentation on weight loss surgery and comorbidity health issues (6:30-8 p.m.) FREE For more information call: Bend: Third Tuesday monthly, 6-8 p.m. TOBACCO CESSATION Freshstart Tobacco Cessation Four-week sessions. Developed by the American Cancer Society, this program can help you successfully quit smoking. Fee: $35 Bend: April 16 - May 7, Tuesdays, 5:30-7 p.m. Location: Shared Care facility 2525 NE Twin Knolls Drive, space # 9 Redmond: April 22 - May 13, Mondays, 5:30-7 p.m Prineville: April 24 - May 15, Wednesdays 5:30-7 p.m. Bend: April 10 - June 5 (No class May 8) Wednesdays 10:30-11:30 a.m. Bend: April 16 - June 4 Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. SUPPORT GROUPS St. Charles offers a wide variety of support groups. Please call for more information. MANAGING STRESS Introduction to Meditation Eight-week sessions. Reduce stress levels by learning to quiet the mind and body. For all levels of meditation experience. Fee: $45 Childbirth Education Childbirth Education Classes Discover your options and become better prepared in this St. Charles class. Our package format includes; childbirth preparation, newborn care, breastfeeding and infant CPR. Classes are highly partner focused and pricing is per couple, offered as one, all-day Saturday course or two evening courses. Fee: $49 per couple Bend: April 27 or May 18, Saturdays 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Bend: March 26 and 27, April 23 and 24 or May 28 and 29 Tuesday/ Wednesday evenings 6-9 p.m. Breastfeeding Class (New class!) This class provides families with the information they need prior to birth, while in the hospital and at home. The class will also cover returning to work and breastfeeding successfully. Fee: $25. (Registration fee includes support person) Bend: April 2 or May 7 Tuesdays 6-8:30 p.m. Madras Childbirth Education This six-week course provides an understanding of the process of labor and delivery, breathing, relaxation and support measures for mother and coach. Discuss newborn behavior, care, feeding and management of respiratory emergencies. Fee $40. *Free for babies delivered at St. Charles Madras Instructor: Janet Bissell, RN IBCLC Madras: April 3 - May 8 Wednesdays 7-9 p.m. Register at: ext Warm Springs: April 3 - May 8 Wednesdays 12-1 p.m. Register at: ext. 4162

8 flourish spring 2013 Drs. Tsai, Hughes, Land and Hartley St. Charles Surgical Specialists Health system welcomes Redmond surgeons to the team Registration is now open for Spark Your Heart, the annual 5k walk/ run that takes place in the Old Mill District on the Fourth of July. Proceeds from the event go to support adult and children s heart services in Central Oregon through the St. Charles Foundation. For more information, visit stcharlesfoundation.org. Every patient who has surgery performed by Dr. John Land receives a flower from him on the day of the operation. I appreciate them trusting me to operate on them. It s something I like to do to give back to them, Land said. Everybody gets a flower. That personal touch is something Land didn t want to lose when he and his partners at Surgical Associates of the Cascades decided to join St. Charles Medical Group and changed their name to St. Charles Surgical Specialists in January. He was pleased that the flowers were not an issue for St. Charles leaders and said it s just one of many indications that the partnership is working out well. They are letting us do medicine, Land said. That s what they should let us do and they are. We get to take care of people. Conversations between St. Charles and the Redmond surgeons including Land, Dr. Jack Hartley, Dr. George Tsai and Dr. Ngocthuy Hughes have been underway for several years. The surgeons have been supportive of St. Charles vision and mission focused on providing better health and better care to the community. By becoming part of the health system, Hartley said he and his partners felt they would have greater guidance in navigating the changes in the business side of health care. We can concentrate on providing good care and not have to worry about running the business, Hartley said. The operational and the legal parts of medicine are undergoing a massive change, even without the Affordable Care Act. The hospital will help us with access to technology and we get to help with planning for the future of surgery in this area. Already the surgeons said they are enjoying being a part of the regional health care strategy. They are helping to cover surgeries in Madras and work closely with the Prineville physicians as well. The group specializes in general surgery and uses advanced laparoscopic techniques for gallbladder removal, hernia repair and colon resections among other procedures. Hughes specializes in bariatric or weight-loss surgery. The physicians also perform endoscopies, colonoscopies, vascular surgeries and more. We re a little, small clinic, but I think we take really good care of patients and when you combine that with what the hospital has to offer, it s a good combination, Land said. We re going to still provide good, quality surgical care and they will help us continue to do that. We have respect for each other and we are building a system that hopefully, someday, might be a model for other people. 8

9 stcharleshealthcare.org A change in name St. Charles welcomes Madras hospital Janet Bissell, Madras caregiver Lindsy Abendschein has worked as a registered nurse at Mountain View Hospital in Madras for the past 13 years. When the hospital changed its name to St. Charles Madras in January and officially became a part of St. Charles Health System, Abendschein said she was worried about how the transition would affect her job. I haven t noticed a lot of uncomfortable changes at all, Abendschein said recently. I m able to take care of patients the way I m used to. It s all the same employees, the same doctors nothing changes in terms of what we do. When people ask me, What s really going to change? I like to tell them, We re just going to get better. Nothing changes but the name, Gentry said. It s the same people, the same services, but now we ll be able to grow. As part of the asset transfer agreement between St. Charles and the Mountain View Hospital District Board of Directors, St. Charles agreed to invest at least $10 million over the next four years to upgrade and enhance the Madras hospital facility. They might seem like small things, but they are a great start. They show people that already things are starting to improve, Gentry said. Our big focus this year is going to be implementing electronic health records. We couldn t have done this without St. Charles. We would not be able to afford it. In August, all St. Charles hospitals will go live with a new hospital information system. The system will integrate medical records, billing and registration for all St. Charles campuses in order to provide better coordination of care for patients. Moving to an electronic system will make the information available at the click of a mouse. It will reduce the unnecessary duplication of tests and, ultimately, the cost of care for patients. We didn t have the money to do anything to our facility that needed to be done. St. Charles is going to help us make that a reality, Gentry said. You need to be able to do those things so that you can grow and provide services closer to home. The sentiment is one that Jeanie Gentry, CEO of St. Charles Madras is also working to help the community understand. The decision to become part of St. Charles Health System was made, in part, because the Madras hospital was not sustainable financially on its own but the heart of the hospital, the people providing the care, has stayed the same. Although large-scale plans for the building are still in the early phases of discussion, smaller upgrades are beginning to take place. St. Charles has already worked to update the fire alarm system and is upgrading the main boiler that provides heat to patient rooms. The boiler is original to the building and went out for several hours on New Year s Eve, leaving the Right now, we have a lot of information on patients in Jefferson County, but it is in several different locations locked in filing cabinets, Gentry explained. In the middle of the night, when grandma comes to the Emergency Room, we don t know what medication she s allergic to. How do we best take care of her? staff scrambling to find space heaters. 9

10 flourish spring 2013 Dr. Linyee Chang, Lorri and Todd Taylor Cancer care close to home St. Charles Foundation seeks community support for new Cancer Center Everybody knows somebody who away, said Allison McCormick, director When you know the facts and figures, has had cancer. In fact, these days, of the St. Charles Cancer Center of Care. it makes it easier to be a champion for everybody probably knows more than This project will bring all of our services this cause, Todd Taylor said. Everyone one cancer survivor. including our integrative therapies to has some sort of a tie back to cancer, one location making treatment seamless therefore we better understand the We know that as our population ages, for our patients. effect it has on our community. Patients with chronic lung conditions, their caregivers and families are invited to attend the Better Breathers Club, a free educational group. The information is geared toward people with COPD, emphysema, pulmonary hypertension and lung cancer. The format includes speakers and discussion, health and therapy resources and camaraderie with others living with lung conditions. the number of deaths from cancer is expected to increase. By 2025, cancer is projected to surpass heart disease as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, said Dr. Linyee Chang, medical director of the St. Charles Cancer Center. In Deschutes County, the incidence of cancer is higher than the statewide or national incidence, due to our population having an older median age. The center which will be a twostory structure near The Heart Center entrance at St. Charles Bend is expected to cost about $13 million and the St. Charles Foundation is hoping to raise $5 million from the community to support the project. Chang is working alongside community volunteer campaign chairs Todd and Lorri Taylor to bring awareness of the project to Central Chang said having the support of community leaders like the Taylors and others, who are serving on the capital campaign committees, helps to highlight the importance of this fundraising effort. The Taylors, in turn, said that Chang has helped them understand the need for a comprehensive cancer center so that they can educate others. The group meets the last Wednesday of each month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Contact Amy Cavallaro, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation supervisor, at for more information. To address the increasing need for cancer services in Central Oregon, St. Charles Health System plans to break ground on a new Cancer Center on the Bend hospital campus in July. The center which is designed to be almost 17,000 square feet will bring all St. Oregon residents and to appeal for financial support. As a former member of the St. Charles Health System Board of Directors for five years, Todd Taylor said he had the opportunity to learn first hand St. Charles is a community-based hospital, Todd Taylor said. We all, as a community, own this hospital and I believe have a responsibility to support it. For more information on the Charles cancer services under one roof how important cancer care is in the St. Charles Cancer Center capital to better coordinate care for patients Central Oregon region and how having campaign, contact the St. Charles and their families. an integrated center will improve the Foundation at patient care experience. He has been Currently, our radiation services are impressed by St. Charles outcomes in housed at the Bend hospital, while treating cancer patients and wanted to 10 medical oncology is located five blocks be involved in the campaign.

11 stcharleshealthcare.org Hip replaced, life renewed Program provides joint replacements to patients in need Cynthia Forbes Cynthia Forbes was born with one leg shorter than the other. Although she spent four months in a full-body cast as a child, her hip socket on the left side simply didn t form correctly. It worked OK until I was 47, Forbes said, explaining she sought medical help at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades because she could barely walk and she didn t have health insurance. VIM referred me to Dr. James Hall. He said, The only thing that will help you is a total hip replacement. It would be an injustice not to do the surgery for you. Hall, an orthopedic surgeon at The Center, donated his time and St. Charles Bend donated the costs associated with the operating room and hospital stay. Forbes was one of the first patients to benefit from a collaborative effort between St. Charles Health System, Volunteers in Medicine and local orthopedic surgeons to provide total joint replacements to patients in the community who would not be able to afford them otherwise. For the past several years, we had noticed an increase in the number of our patients who were requesting total joint replacements, said Kat Mastrangelo, Executive Director of Volunteers in Medicine. We decided to pull a group together to talk about how we could formalize the process for requests and referrals and to see if we could get grant funding to support these surgeries. Ultimately, the group would like to roll out the program community-wide, but for now it is focusing on VIM patients. The clinic accepts patients between the ages of 19 and 64 who have been residents of Deschutes County for at least 90 days, have no health insurance of any kind including government payers and who have some income, but make less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. We have four more patients on the waiting list, said Nancy Simonson, nurse manager of the Ortho/Neuro department at St. Charles Bend, who has been part of the team working to make the donations possible. We believe there will be nine to 12 patients each year that can benefit from this service in our community. Simonson said the group is working with six different medical device companies in an effort to get the hardware associated with the surgeries donated as well. Local anesthesiologists and physical therapists are also involved in making the program a success. Having a total joint replacement is a life-changing experience for people, Simonson said. After the recovery, patients no longer have pain they have lived with for years. For some of them, that might mean they are able to re-enter the workforce, become more active and improve their health and well-being. For Forbes, the surgery meant she could dance with her husband at their 25th wedding anniversary. She can play with her grandchildren and can put on her own socks and shoes things she didn t think would ever be possible. There isn t a day that goes by that I don t think about VIM and all the people that helped me, Forbes said. I feel like my hip was a gift from God. 11

12 ST. CHARLES HEALTH SYSTEM, INC NE Neff Road Bend, OR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER Nonprofit Org ECRWSS US Postage PAID Bend OR Permit No 473 Scan this QR code with your smartphone to learn more about St. Charles Health System through our Facebook page. You can also like us while you are there for regular updates on health system happenings, classes, health news and more. Reducing osteoperosis fractures St. Charles Health System recently launched its Orthopedic Center of Care in an effort to better coordinate care for orthopedic patients. As part of this effort, the health system received a grant from PacificSource to hire two ortho nurse navigators. These nurses are focused on following up with patients who have had fractures to learn whether the fractures are caused by osteoporosis. If our population follows national trends, osteoporosis will cause fragility fractures in 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men in our region, said Nancy Simonson, manager of the Ortho/Neuro unit at St. Charles Bend. Through in-hospital steps, outpatient followup and community education we hope to reduce the number of re-fractures related to osteoporosis. Mended Hearts St. Charles Health System s Cardiovascular Services is starting a new chapter of Mended Hearts, a national cardiac support group. Mended Hearts support groups help heart patients, their families and others affected by heart disease understand that there can be a rich, rewarding life after a heart event. For more information on Mended Hearts, contact Carey Pulido, St. Charles heart failure nurse navigator, at