growing st. charles family care

Healthy HappeningsFall Class SchedulePages 6-7

Growing St. Charles

Family Care

Undercover BossSt. Charles board member gains patient perspectivePage 5

H E A L I N G I N A S P I R I T O F L O V E A N D C O M P A S S I O N

FALL 2011 | VOLUME 16 | NO. 3

ED Diversion ProgramProgram results in reduction in Emergency Department visits Page 3

Open to AllSt. Charles Family Care opens in Bend on Sept. 70

I’ve been privileged to spend more time in the community lately, talking with local business leaders, community members and patients about their understanding of health care reform along with their wants and needs in a health system.

These conversations have been enlightening on many levels. I’ve heard stories about your own care and the care of your families along with concerns about physician reimbursement rates and the high cost of health insurance. I’m proud to say that while St. Charles Health System is faced with a variety of economic challenges, we are taking important steps toward the development of a model of care that will do more to meet those needs.

Once again this year, St. Charles has been named one of the top performing health systems in the nation in terms of quality and efficiency by Thompson Reuters. We are the only health system in the Pacific Northwest to have achieved this designation for three consecutive years. The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems recently named St. Charles Bend the most innovative hospital in the state, thanks in part to initiatives like our Emergency Department Diversion Program (see page 3) and our development of a medical home model that imbeds psychologists in our family care clinics (see page 10).

We were also recently selected by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to participate in the sixth phase of its Triple Aim Initiative, which gives us the chance to interact with some of the most creative and well-respected health systems in the nation. We have adopted the principles of the Triple Aim – better health, better care, lower cost – as the guiding philosophy in our development of an integrated delivery system.

In these pages you’ll read multiple examples of how we are making these themes a reality. Our region-wide health information exchange is already improving health and care for our patients (see page 9). We’ve added new services including a hand therapy program (see page 4) and our Foundation is supporting caregiver-driven initiatives that will improve our patients’ experiences (see page 8).

Good things are happening here. And although, like most health systems in the nation, we are making adjustments to deal with a new and different economic reality, our focus remains on building a delivery system that meets the needs of the communities in which we serve.

Sincerely,

Quality, innovation and a focus on the futureJames A. Diegel, FACHE

President and CEO

St. Charles Health System

BOARD OF DIRECTORSTodd Taylor, Chair

Thomas Sayeg, Vice ChairKnute Buehler, MD

Josh Cook, DODennis Dempsey

Jim DiegelDoug Downer

Robin GouldMegan Haase, FNPRobert Hakala, MD

Carol Woodard-KozimorLauri Miller

Dan Schuette

ABOUT FLOURISH Flourish is produced four

times a year by St. Charles Communications Department

2500 NE Neff RoadBend, Oregon 97701

541-706-2688www.stcharleshealthcare.org

Flourish Staff:Lisa Goodman

Kayley Mendenhall Kendra Lavery Jordan

Photos:Benjamin Edwards

Find health tips, links to articles and news on our Facbook and Twitter pages.

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FLOURISH | fa l l 2011

Shanell Chasteen has a history of frequent visits to the Emergency Room at St. Charles Bend.

She suffers from epilepsy and has had difficulty maintaining a relationship with a neurologist so that she has access to medication to control her seizures. She ends up in the Emergency Room, she said, because she doesn’t know where else to go.

But over the Fourth of July weekend, Chasteen called for support from a new resource. Becky Wilkinson, a community health worker, took the call and has since helped Chasteen secure an appointment with a neurologist and an obstetrician as Chasteen is also pregnant with her second child.

Since meeting Wilkinson, Chasteen has only been back to the Emergency Room once when they went together to get her medication situation stabilized until her appointment with the neurologist takes place.

“I’ve told like a million people (about Wilkinson). She’s so cool,” Chasteen said. “I probably wouldn’t be able to find a doctor without her.”

Wilkinson’s role in Chasteen’s care is part of a new collaborative program between St. Charles Health System, Mosaic Medical, HealthMatters of Central Oregon, the Accountable Behavioral Health Alliance,

Addictions and Mental Health Division, Pacific Source and Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. The group initially identified 144 people who were visiting the Emergency Department at hospitals in the Central Oregon region 10 or more times per year.

“By focusing on high-risk, high-need patients we are able to provide better options for care at a lower cost to our community,” said Robin Henderson, director of Behavioral Health for St. Charles, “and our patients are thrilled with the results.”

From January through June of 2010, this group of individuals visited the Emergency Department 796 times. Since this program went into place, that number has dropped by 44 percent to 447 visits. A second group of 205 patients has also been identified and started on the program.

The average cost for each Medicaid patient in the initial group for emergency services alone was more than $66,000 per year compared to $2,057 for a typical Medicaid consumer. By reducing the number of times a Medicaid patient visits the Emergency Room, the program has the potential to save dollars for the government-funded program along with the health system and other partners in the project.

“We’ve found that the patients are really a lot more open to help than we think they are,” said Kristin Powers, manager of the Psychiatric Emergency Services department at St. Charles. “They don’t want to go to the Emergency Room.”

The two community health workers contact patients and ask to meet with them for coffee. They ask questions about the barriers that cause patients not to keep appointments for primary care office visits. Often a lack of transportation, child care or other issues get in the way of routine health care leading to a need for emergency services – the most expensive type of care – down the line.

Once the community health worker understands the issues, he or she goes to work scheduling appointments and helping patients navigate the health care system. Wilkinson often attends appointments with her patients to help them communicate more effectively with their primary care provider.

“ I love it. It’s never the same,” Wilkinson said. “One client had been in the Emergency Room 30 times this year. I started working with her and she hasn’t been back once. She’s doing really well.”

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stchar lesheal thcare.org

Diversionary TacticsProgram results in reduction in

Emergency Room visits

Becky Wilkinson, left, and Shanell Chasteen

Michelle Wolfe fell recently while walking up a set of stairs. She landed hard on her left hand, hyper extending it and most likely causing micro-tears in the tissue.

“ I’m behind a computer all day long,” Wolfe said. “I use my hands for everything.”

Before she started a hand therapy regimen, her husband had to put her socks on for her. She couldn’t button a button or twist a lid off a jar. Now, she said, she can do all those things herself and she credits her time with St. Charles hand therapist Trish Dyer for the improvement.

The St. Charles Rehabilitation Center recently launched a hand therapy program that focuses on this specialized area of care. Dyer, who owned Cascade Hand Therapy in Bend for the past 13 years and has worked in the rehabilitation field for 30 years, joined the St. Charles team this summer. Joe Sebulsky, another experienced hand therapist, started the program in April and will serve as a back up for hand cases as needed.

“We do education, splinting and wound care,” Sebulsky said. “We do all kinds of different bracing. We see patients with arthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel, burns and frostbite, kids with congenital deformities and patients with prosthetic limbs.” The team is also available to treat people with injuries sustained on the job or through recreational activities.

Most hand therapists are occupational therapists by training with a special board certification. They treat all upper extremity injuries ranging from the shoulder down to the fingers.

“ The hand is so complex and so critical to life,” Sebulsky said. “You can’t have any room for error in the hand.”

Dyer said she’s enjoying being part of a team of therapists at St. Charles. She consults on stroke cases and helps to ensure that braces and splints fit appropriately. Working together, she said, improves the overall quality of care even for patients who may not require specific hand therapy. And by being located in the hospital, Dyer said she is also able to get involved in hand cases – particularly for burn injuries – earlier on in the course of their treatment.

At a recent therapy session, Wolfe practiced picking up one marble at a time, holding several in her hand and then placing them down one at a time to improve her dexterity. She received a dose of anti-inflammatory medication and had her right hand measured to compare with the swelling in her left.

“You don’t realize how much you use even your non-dominant hand until you really need it,” Wolfe said. “I’m getting a lot more strength back into it. I can pick up a three-pound weight, which I couldn’t do before.”

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Healing handsNew hand therapy service at

St. Charles Rehabilitation Center

New Redmond Location!

The St. Charles Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic is now open in a new location in Redmond. The clinic will continue to provide physical, occupational and speech therapy along with balance testing and vision therapy in this larger space to better accommodate its patients.

The clinic is located at 1523 NW Canal Blvd. in Redmond. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 541-516-3828.

Dennis Dempsey has been a member of the St. Charles Health System board of directors for 11 years.

He’s intimately familiar with the operations of the health system, the quality and financial data, the process of restructuring to become an integrated health care system, the mission, vision and values of the organization and much more. But in his 19 years as a Central Oregon resident, Dempsey said he had never experienced, firsthand, what it’s like to be the person in the patient bed depending on the hospital staff to get it right.

This past year, through a series of surgeries and extended hospital stays, Dempsey ended up wearing the patient gown and gained a greater appreciation for what goes on in the halls outside the boardroom.

“ I was in the surgery ward, the ER, radiology, the lab, the second floor, the fourth and fifth floors during my many visits,” Dempsey said. “I even had tests completed at St. Charles Redmond. I was blessed with amazing care.”

Dempsey’s journey began with a surgery for diverticulitis. Due to no fault of his medical team, he experienced complications and ended up needing a second surgery in the middle of the night. At that point, he said, he truly wasn’t certain he would survive. He spent nine days recovering and over the next two months ended up in the Emergency Room twice. Eight months later, Dempsey had a third surgery and spent another six days in the hospital and last May he underwent a final surgery resulting in a four-day stay.

“It took a team of very dedicated doctors who worked together for long hours, including many sleep-deprived nights, to coordinate my care and facilitate my healing,” Dempsey said. “This amazing team included surgeons, internists, cardiologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists and more.”

Through it all, he said, his biggest complaints about his time in the hospital were incredibly minor – the size of the TVs could be bigger and the position of the clock on the wall, when you have nothing to do but look at it, made the days feel longer than most.

“What impressed me the most was the care I was given by the nurses, the technicians, the CNAs, chaplains, custodial and food staff,” Dempsey said. “No matter how sick I was, and I was really sick the first nine days I spent at St. Charles, the staff went out of their way to care about me as a person, provide positive reinforcement and spiritual support.”

As part of his recovery, Dempsey also became acquainted with the St. Charles Home Health team and was equally impressed by their skill, compassion and knowledge of state-of-the art wound care. Before this past year, Dempsey’s experience with the health system beyond being a board member was limited to witnessing his family’s care. His wife received excellent cancer care four years ago and two of their three daughters gave birth to three of their four grandchildren at the Family Birthing Center. During his own medical treatment, he came to realize that when patients are in crisis, their familes are in crisis as well. He was amazed at the support his family received from the St. Charles Intermediate Care Unit staff.

“ I’ve been on the board side for 11 years. I’ve seen how my family has received outstanding service and now I’ve seen it for myself,” Dempsey said. “St. Charles is an amazing place. Can we continue to do better? You bet. Are we doing a great job already? Absolutely.”

4 5


Undercover BossSt. Charles board member

gains patient perspective

Dennis Dempsey

Healthy HappeningsRegister online at stcharleshealthcare.org Registration required unless otherwise noted. Call 541-706-6390 for more information.

F A L L 2 0 1 1

HEALTHY EATING FOR LIFENutrition and Cooking Series – Back to School (New!) Four-week sessions – Nutrition education paired with cooking demonstrations. Learn to make good nutrition and health easy and affordable. | Fee: $40 Bend: Sept. 22 – Oct. 13 Thursdays, 5:30 - 7:15 p.m.

Heart Healthy Nutrition – (New!) 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 per person For more information call 541-382-4321 ext. 7154 Bend: Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 5:30 p.m.

N.E.W. Start (Nutrition, Exercise, Wellness, Start today!) Weight management program focused on good nutrition and exercise habits, overcoming obstacles to obtaining good health and making it fit into your lifestyle! 10-week program. Fee: $190 per person Begins September 2011 For more information or to register call 541-382-4321 ext.7154. Bend, Redmond, Prineville

TOBACCO CESSATIONFreshstart Tobacco Cessation – Four-week sessions Developed by the American Cancer Society, this program can help you successfully quit smoking. | Fee: $35 Bend: Tuesdays, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Sept. 20 – Oct. 11 or Nov. 15 – Dec. 6 Redmond: Sept. 19 – Oct. 10, Mondays, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Prineville: Sept. 21 – Oct. 12, Wednesdays 5:30 – 7 p.m.

CANCER CARESupport 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. www.stcharlescancer.org Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

DEFEAT Cancer This survivorship empowerment program focuses on nutrition, physical activity, education and inspiration. Meets the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., except August and December, and is broadcast to Redmond. FREE. www.DefeatCancer.info Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

Family Cancer Support Group Family support group with break-out sessions for survivors and caregivers; child care provided. Fourth Tuesdays – September, October and November; 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. A light supper will be served. FREE. Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

Men’s Cancer Support Group – NEW LOOK! A new date and time for this men’s group – provides education, counseling and support to men with any type of cancer. Third Thursday of each month September-May: 5 – 6:30 p.m. in the St. Charles Cancer Center Library-Bend, FREE. Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

Women Surviving with Cancer Open to women diagnosed with cancer – whether in treatment or out. Meets the first Thursday of each month; 1 – 3 p.m.; Ronald McDonald House, 1700 NE Purcell Blvd., Bend. FREE. Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

SUPPORT GROUPSSt. Charles offers a wide variety of support groups. Please call 541-706-7730 for more information.

MOVEMENT AND ACTIVITYYoga 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 Bend: Sept. 19 – Nov. 7 Mondays 6 – 7:15 p.m. and Sept. 21 – Nov. 9 Wednesdays 4 – 5:15 p.m. Instructor: Lorette Simonet - Jones.

Yoga for Life – 10-week sessions Increase strength, flexibility and balance while experiencing a progression of postures linked with continuous breath. | Fee: $65 Bend: Sept. 15 – Nov. 17 Thursdays 4 – 5:30 p.m. Instructor: Marla Green Bend: Oct. 6 – Dec. 15 (No class Thanksgiving week) Thursdays 6 – 7:30 p.m. Instructor: Lorette Simonet - Jones

Preventing Osteoporosis with Exercise – Nine-week sessions Activity for the prevention and reduction of osteoporosis. Classes led by licensed Physical Therapists. | Fee: $70 Bend: Lower Impact: Oct. 17 – Dec. 14 Mondays/Wednesdays, 9 – 10 a.m. Bend: Higher Intensity: Oct .11 – Dec. 13 (No class Thanksgiving Day) Tuesdays/Thursdays, 9 – 10 a.m.

Fitness Ball Exercise Exercise on a therapeutic ball; enhances a full-body workout. | Fee: $45 Bend: Sept. 28 – Nov. 16 Wednesdays 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Redmond: Sept. 28 – Nov. 16 Wednesdays, 5:30– 6:30 p.m.

Tai Chi This eight-week class is taught by certified instructors. All exercises are slow and gentle. No experience is necessary. | Fee: $50 Bend: Sept. 21 – Nov. 9 Wednesdays 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Redmond: Oct. 20 – Dec. 15 Thursdays 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Prineville: Sept. 20 – Nov. 8 Tuesdays 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Parkinson’s Exercise Class Exercises led by physical therapists. Education and discussions follow. Fee: $45 Bend: Sept. 26 – Nov. 14 Mondays, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Beginners Total Body Fitness This eight-week fitness class is designed for adults interested in starting a fitness routine. Fee: $55 Bend: Sept. 20 – Nov. 8 Tuesdays, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Bend: Sept. 22 – Nov. 10 Thursdays, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Rehabilitation Exercise Class Specialized exercise class for people with various ability levels with a focus on improving strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. New participants must complete a free orientation and provide a release from their physician. eight-week session is $80 (2 times per week) eight-week session is $120 (3 times per week) New sessions will begin approximately every nine weeks. St. Charles Bend Outpatient Gym For registration or more information, contact Lizanne at 541-706-2739 Fax 541-706-4915.

Movement Disorders Exercise Class People with Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological disorders are encouraged to attend. eight-week session is $40 New sessions will begin approximately every nine weeks. St. Charles Redmond Outpatient Gym. For registration or more information, call 541-516-3828.

HEALTHY EATING FOR LIFENutrition and Cooking Series – Back to School (New!) Four-week sessions – Nutrition education paired with cooking demonstrations. Learn to make good nutrition and health easy and affordable. | Fee: $40 Bend: Sept. 22 – Oct. 13 Thursdays, 5:30 - 7:15 p.m.

Heart Healthy Nutrition – (New!) 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 per person For more information call 541-382-4321 ext. 7154 Bend: Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 5:30 p.m.

N.E.W. Start (Nutrition, Exercise, Wellness, Start today!) Weight management program focused on good nutrition and exercise habits, overcoming obstacles to obtaining good health and making it fit into your lifestyle! 10-week program. Fee: $190 per person Begins September 2011 For more information or to register call 541-382-4321 ext.7154. Bend, Redmond, Prineville

TOBACCO CESSATIONFreshstart Tobacco Cessation – Four-week sessions Developed by the American Cancer Society, this program can help you successfully quit smoking. | Fee: $35 Bend: Tuesdays, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Sept. 20 – Oct. 11 or Nov. 15 – Dec. 6 Redmond: Sept. 19 – Oct. 10, Mondays, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Prineville: Sept. 21 – Oct. 12, Wednesdays 5:30 – 7 p.m.

CANCER CARESupport 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. www.stcharlescancer.org Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

DEFEAT Cancer This survivorship empowerment program focuses on nutrition, physical activity, education and inspiration. Meets the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., except August and December, and is broadcast to Redmond. FREE. www.DefeatCancer.info Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

Family Cancer Support Group Family support group with break-out sessions for survivors and caregivers; child care provided. Fourth Tuesdays – September, October and November; 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. A light supper will be served. FREE. Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

Men’s Cancer Support Group – NEW LOOK! A new date and time for this men’s group – provides education, counseling and support to men with any type of cancer. Third Thursday of each month September-May: 5 – 6:30 p.m. in the St. Charles Cancer Center Library-Bend, FREE. Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

Women Surviving with Cancer Open to women diagnosed with cancer – whether in treatment or out. Meets the first Thursday of each month; 1 – 3 p.m.; Ronald McDonald House, 1700 NE Purcell Blvd., Bend. FREE. Please RSVP: 541-706-7743

SUPPORT GROUPSSt. Charles offers a wide variety of support groups. Please call 541-706-7730 for more information.

DIABETES EDUCATIONComprehensive 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: 541-706-4986 Redmond office: 541-526-6690

Diabetes Support Group Bend: FREE, No registration required. Included in hour is time for question/answer session. More info: 541-706-4986

UPCOMING TOPICS:

• “Can you change your blood sugar with exercise?” Local certified exercise leader and diabetes educator Luann Lehnertz RD, CDE, will discuss exercise and techniques for diabetics to improve their health and fitness. Date: Tuesday, Sept. 13, 4 – 5 p.m. Bend: East Dining Room

• “Balancing stress-related eating with diabetes” Frankie Mauti, a St. Charles diabetes educator, dietitian and counselor will discuss management of stress-related eating patterns and diabetes. Date: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 4 – 5 p.m. Bend: East Dining Room

Bakestarr Type 1 Diabetes Support Group Offering support, resources and discussion topics on Type 1 diabetes. Free. No registration required. Third Monday of every month. Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19 at 5 - 6:30 p.m. The Poet House 55 NW Minnesota Bend More info: 541-526-6690

Preventing Diabetes This program is designed to help you prevent diabetes by providing information and strategies that will direct your efforts to reduce risk for development of the disease. Learn to overcome obstacles and incorporate healthier habits for a long and healthy future. This class is NOT appropriate for people with diabetes, but is great if you have been told you have pre-diabetes. Pre-registration required. | Fee: $25. Info: 541-706-4986 or 541-706-3753 Wednesday, Nov. 9, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

MANAGING STRESSMeditation For Relaxation

• Introduction to Meditation: For all levels of meditation experience. | Fee: $45 Bend: Sept. 29 – Nov. 17 Thursdays, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Bend: Sept. 27 – Nov. 15 Tuesdays, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

• Advanced Meditation: Ongoing class for those individuals with previous meditation experience. (Prerequisite “Introduction to Meditation”) | Fee: $50 Bend: Sept. 27 – Nov. 15 Tuesdays, 7 – 8:30 p.m.

Expecting Multiples (Classes offered in Bend, Redmond and Prineville) A parenting preparation class designed for the unique needs of families who are expecting a multiple birth. It is taught by a St. Charles health care professional and a mother of triplets. Plan to attend this class early in your pregnancy. Fee: $95 per couple *Dates and times to be determined. Bend, Redmond and Prineville

ADDITIONAL OFFERINGSTotal 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 541-706-4922

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 541-706-7796.

American Heart Association Courses CPR, ACLS, PALS offered throughout the year.

Living Well with Chronic Conditions Class A six-week interactive workshop designed for people who are living with chronic health conditions or their caregivers. It teaches real-life skills for learning to live a full, healthy life with a chronic condition. | Fee: $10 Bend: Thursdays, 2 – 4:30 p.m. Sept. 22 thru Oct. 27. To register, call 541-322-7430

Bariatric Surgery Monthly Talks Post-op patients share their experiences with pre-op patients, family and friend support-givers (6 – 6:30 p.m.) and Dr. Stephen Archer presents on Weight Loss Surgery and co-morbidity health issues (6:30 – 8 p.m.). | FREE Bend: Third Tuesday monthly, 6 – 8 p.m. For more information call 541-322-1765

Better Breathers Club An American Lung Association Educational Group for people with chronic lung conditions. | FREE Last Wednesday of every month 1:30-2:30 p.m. location: St. Charles Bend, Heart Center conference room For more information call 541-706-4865

MOVEMENT AND ACTIVITYYoga 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 Bend: Sept. 19 – Nov. 7 Mondays 6 – 7:15 p.m. and Sept. 21 – Nov. 9 Wednesdays 4 – 5:15 p.m. Instructor: Lorette Simonet - Jones.

Yoga for Life – 10-week sessions Increase strength, flexibility and balance while experiencing a progression of postures linked with continuous breath. | Fee: $65 Bend: Sept. 15 – Nov. 17 Thursdays 4 – 5:30 p.m. Instructor: Marla Green Bend: Oct. 6 – Dec. 15 (No class Thanksgiving week) Thursdays 6 – 7:30 p.m. Instructor: Lorette Simonet - Jones

Preventing Osteoporosis with Exercise – Nine-week sessions Activity for the prevention and reduction of osteoporosis. Classes led by licensed Physical Therapists. | Fee: $70 Bend: Lower Impact: Oct. 17 – Dec. 14 Mondays/Wednesdays, 9 – 10 a.m. Bend: Higher Intensity: Oct .11 – Dec. 13 (No class Thanksgiving Day) Tuesdays/Thursdays, 9 – 10 a.m.

Fitness Ball Exercise Exercise on a therapeutic ball; enhances a full-body workout. | Fee: $45 Bend: Sept. 28 – Nov. 16 Wednesdays 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Redmond: Sept. 28 – Nov. 16 Wednesdays, 5:30– 6:30 p.m.

Tai Chi This eight-week class is taught by certified instructors. All exercises are slow and gentle. No experience is necessary. | Fee: $50 Bend: Sept. 21 – Nov. 9 Wednesdays 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Redmond: Oct. 20 – Dec. 15 Thursdays 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Prineville: Sept. 20 – Nov. 8 Tuesdays 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Parkinson’s Exercise Class Exercises led by physical therapists. Education and discussions follow. Fee: $45 Bend: Sept. 26 – Nov. 14 Mondays, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Beginners Total Body Fitness This eight-week fitness class is designed for adults interested in starting a fitness routine. Fee: $55 Bend: Sept. 20 – Nov. 8 Tuesdays, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Bend: Sept. 22 – Nov. 10 Thursdays, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Rehabilitation Exercise Class Specialized exercise class for people with various ability levels with a focus on improving strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. New participants must complete a free orientation and provide a release from their physician. eight-week session is $80 (2 times per week) eight-week session is $120 (3 times per week) New sessions will begin approximately every nine weeks. St. Charles Bend Outpatient Gym For registration or more information, contact Lizanne at 541-706-2739 Fax 541-706-4915.

Movement Disorders Exercise Class People with Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological disorders are encouraged to attend. eight-week session is $40 New sessions will begin approximately every nine weeks. St. Charles Redmond Outpatient Gym. For registration or more information, call 541-516-3828.

Children who stay at St. Charles Bend are often here for days or weeks at a time. And if they have a contagious illness or compromised immune system, they may be confined to their rooms.

Recognizing the toll this can take on children — isolation can lead to physiological stress, prolonging illness — the Pediatrics Department wanted to create a more healing environment for its young patients through play.

Thanks to a $3,000 “mini-grant” through the St. Charles Foundation, the department now has plans to provide mobile carts stocked full of age-appropriate toys and activities.

“A lot of kids, especially our cancer kids, end up here for a long time and are unable to use our playroom because of the strict health precautions they must follow,” said Shannon Ogden, clinical practice coordinator for Pediatrics.

“ Play is therapeutic for children and truly helps the healing process. I am excited that this program is helping bring the pediatric play cart and other caregivers’ ideas to life.”

The St. Charles Foundation’s Board of Directors set aside $100,000 of donations to fund caregiver-initiated projects at the Bend, Redmond and Prineville campuses. These mini-grant projects were identified as ones that could help better serve the community and the patients in their care.

The overarching goal of the Mini-Grant Program is to support a wide array of projects that further the goals of the Triple Aim: Better health, better care, lower costs, said Lisa Dobey, the Foundation’s executive director.

At the same time, “it’s a way for us to involve caregivers in the work of the Foundation,” she said. “Many caregivers give to the Foundation and we’re excited to fund worthwhile projects they’ve helped us identify. Funding for these grants comes from the annual Caregiver Campaign and the community.”

The response to the Mini-Grant Program was overwhelming: The Foundation received 116 applications for a total of $477,118, said Senior Philanthropy Officer John Jepson. A seven-person volunteer committee, which included representatives from each hospital campus and the Foundation board, selected grant recipients. “There were so many great applications,” he said. “We look forward to offering these grants again in the spring.”

Starting next year, the Foundation will accept Mini-Grant Program applications twice a year, once in late March and again in late September. Awards will then be made in April and October.

Along with the Pediatrics toy cart, the Foundation selected a variety of additional projects for funding this year including a system-wide hand hygiene awareness campaign, free mammography coupons for underserved women in Crook County, art and stress reduction activities for cancer patients and antepartum carts for pregnant women on bed rest to make them more comfortable during long hospital stays.

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Foundation awards mini-grants to caregiver and patient programs

Pet Partners Team Training ClassLearn the skills needed to visit safely with your animal in hospitals, nursing homes, classrooms, and other facilities. Twelve hours of classroom instruction prepares you to be independently tested by a Delta licensed animal evaluator (not included in class). Must attend all 12 hours. No dogs allowed during sessions.

Class Registration Cost: $90, includes required Delta Society Pet Partners Team Training Manual. Registration required by Oct. 12. Contact Selina Witt, Licensed Delta Society Instructor at 541-312-8663 or [email protected]. Location: St.Charles Bend

First session: Saturday, Oct. 22; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Second session: Tuesday, Oct. 25; 6 to 8 p.m. Third session: Thursday, Oct. 27; 6 to 8 p.m.

Dr. Marty Smart, a family practice physician for Mosaic Medical, can be working at the clinic in Prineville and with the click of his mouse check lab results from Madras or Bend patients. Thanks to a partnership between Mosaic and St. Charles Health System, the clinics are now equipped to send and receive lab results from the hospital entirely through the electronic medical record.

“ To have access to patient information no matter where you are within the clinic is phenomenal,” Smart said. “I can review labs in a timely fashion and act on those. I can do that at home or at all three of our clinics. I can instantaneously see the lab data no matter where I am.”

This connectivity is the first step in St. Charles’ development of a regional health information exchange through a Relay Health system, explained Bill Winnenberg, Chief Information Officer for St. Charles Health System. It is improving the workflow for the clinic and creating a system that is faster, safer and more reliable when it comes to lab orders and results.

Physicians receive lab results as they are completed, which allows their electronic medical record to track whether their patients have followed up and received the tests that were ordered, said Mary Dallas, physician informaticist for St. Charles.

“ This really is just the beginning of our Health Information Exchange development,”

Dallas said. “We are planning to add pathology results, radiology results and more in the future.”

On the surface, it may seem like a simple thing to have lab orders transfer from Mosaic to St. Charles and for the results to come back again through an electronic system, said Megan Haase, CEO of Mosaic. But in reality, three different computer systems have to be able to talk to each other to make the process a success.

“In the old world, the lab result would be faxed. It would be reviewed by a provider, the chart would be pulled and the patient notified. It took multiple steps to get the information to the provider and the patient,” Haase said. “Now, the result goes into the provider’s box instantly, they get a notification that it is there and they can see it. It cuts out all those extra steps.”

Since the system went into place in June, already providers have noticed multiple cases where care was improved because of the speed in which test results were received. In one example, Haase said the provider had prescribed an antibiotic that, once the lab results came in, they realized would be less effective than a different medication. They were able to make a change and get the patient on a more effective drug faster to treat the problem.

Smart said he has had several cases of patients with renal inflammation and once a medication was changed their kidney function improved.

“ From a direct patient care standpoint it is going to significantly decrease the time in which a provider evaluates the laboratory data and acts on them,” Smart said. “You can do that literally within seconds.”

Health Information Exchange Improves Efficiency, Safety

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With 18 newly renovated exam and visit rooms, St. Charles Family Care in Bend is set to open Sept. 7 and is currently accepting new patients.

The clinic, located at 2965 NE Conners Ave. in Bend, will employ six family practice physicians incorporating a mix of doctors with experience in the community with those new to the area.

Drs. Joe Bachtold, Steven Greer and Nancy Brennan have practiced in Central Oregon for years at different clinics in the region, while Drs. Peter Leavitt, Meghan Brecke and Mark Gonsky are moving here for the job.

“I think it’s really exciting to have this range of physicians who are all incredibly qualified and committed to quality care, coming together at the Bend clinic,” said Dr. Jeffrey Absalon, Chief Physician Officer for St. Charles Health System.

“ These physicians are dedicated to fundamentally changing how care is provided in Central Oregon.”

The St. Charles Family Care clinics in Bend, Redmond, Prineville and Sisters are developing a medical home model that combines physicians, medical assistants, nurse case managers and behavioral health specialists all working together to provide a customer-friendly, better-care concept.

“This kind of concept of bringing the patients in and giving them a more comprehensive experience in their medical home, can hopefully improve their overall health and keep them healthy,” said Greer, who has spent four years working on a medical home project in Alaska. “It’s not a panacea but hopefully it’s one step toward lowering costs and improving care.”

Many of the physicians made the decision to join St. Charles Family Care, in part, because they believe in this model of care.

“I did my residency training at Dartmouth and they really focused on the medical home model. When I got out into real life and the real world, it was anything but. It has been a buzzword in the medical community, but no one has really embraced it,” said Leavitt, who has spent the past seven years practicing for Great Works

Family Practice in South Berwick, Maine. “That’s definitely part of the attraction. I have a strong interest in full-spectrum family practice.”

Brennan, who has practiced in Central Oregon for 18 years, said she’s excited to join the St. Charles staff because she likes the idea that the health system’s family care clinics take all patients regardless of their insurance coverage or ability to pay. She said she often has patients who have lost their insurance or can’t afford to pay for their prescriptions and she sees a larger need in the community.

“We have a significant population in Bend that doesn’t have a primary doctor to go to. This group includes the insured and uninsured. These folks are left to use the ER and the Immediate Care Clinic for their care – the most expensive form of medical care,” Brennan said. “St. Charles is responding to a need in the community that can’t be met or isn’t being met elsewhere.”

St. Charles Family Care opens Sept. 7 at 2965 NE Conners Ave. in Bend. Call 541-706-4800 for information or to make an appointment.

Open to All St. Charles Family Care

opens in Bend Sept. 7

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REDMOND541-548-2164

PRINEVILLE541-447-6263

SISTERS541-549-1318

BEND541-706-4800

A lot of patients make appointments at St. Charles Family Care in Redmond for what Dr. Dan Murphy said he would call minor complaints.

“Often, once you get into it, it’s much more complicated,” Murphy said. “Maybe someone in their life has been told they have a serious illness, the patient is struggling with substance abuse or domestic abuse. But when they call the office, they say they have a stomachache.”

In the past, Murphy would try to refer these patients to Deschutes County Mental Health or a private psychologist. Knowing that insurance coverage for these services could be difficult and that it was unlikely the patient would follow up, he would also often prescribe antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication to help get them through their current crisis.

Now, he simply calls for Kim Swanson, a clinical psychologist embedded in the St. Charles Family Care Clinic in Redmond. She is introduced to patients by the family physicians and does an evaluation to determine if there is an underlying cause of their complaint.

“Depression is really common in patients with chronic health conditions,” Swanson said. “With some biological disorders you might have systematic metabolic changes. You do get some depression with that. Your whole life changes.”

A patient who is diagnosed with diabetes might have really liked to eat pie, she said, and that isn’t an option anymore, which can feel like a huge loss. Adolescents can look like they have attention deficit disorder when they are actually struggling with depression. And she has found that patients will often divulge their substance abuse to her, when they wouldn’t discuss it with their primary care physician.

Having a psychologist available on site is part of the new St. Charles Family Care medical home model. Psychologists Ryan Dix and Brian Evans currently serve the St. Charles

Family Care Clinic in Prineville and the Mosaic Medical clinics. There are also plans to imbed behavioral health specialists in the St. Charles Family Care Clinic in Bend in the future.

“To our knowledge, we are the only health system in the nation rolling out this model throughout our entire community,” said Robin Henderson, director of Behavioral Health Services for St. Charles Health System.

So far, physicians and patients at the Redmond clinic have been incredibly receptive to the idea. Swanson said in her six months on the job only two patients have refused to talk with her. The physicians and clinic staff feel that her presence has been life changing from a clinical care perspective.

“I’ve noticed, personally, that it has changed the way that I practice medicine in that when I was in a bind with people who were very anxious or felt like their lives were falling apart and I could not arrange rapid care for them, the tendency is to prescribe something for them as a patch,” Murphy said. “You try to get them through while we arrange for better care for them. For acute depression, anxiety and for chronic pain, what I’ve found is that I’m prescribing less.”

Swanson’s mantra is “skills not pills.” She teaches relaxation techniques for patients with anxiety and prescribes exercise and nutrition regimens to help patients with depression.

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A new perspective Pyschologists embedded in family care clinics

“ We’re planting seeds and you never know when those seeds will grow,” she said. “I try to send that message that mental health is part of your whole health.”

Kim SwansonClinical Psychologist

ST. CHARLES HEALTH SYSTEM, INC.2500 NE NEFF ROADBEND, OR 97701-6015

Nonprofit OrgECRWSS

US PostagePAID

Bend ORPermit No 473

RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER

Butternut Squash Soup with Red Pepper PureeThis soup from St. Charles Executive Chef David Tankersley is a healthy dish, perfect for cool, fall evenings.

At St. Charles Health System, we are privileged

to be a part of our patient’s lives at every step

along the journey. We are here for their births, for

their health needs through the years and, in some

cases, for the sacred moment of their death.

Every time a baby is born or a patient dies

at St. Charles Bend or St. Charles

Redmond, a chime will sound

through the common areas

of the hospitals. The tone of

the chime, which is a single

note, will be the same when

honoring a birth or a death.

We hope that when the chime

sounds, caregivers, visitors, patients,

physicians and volunteers will pause for a

moment and reflect on the sacred cycle of life.

1 butternut squash about 2.5 pounds, peeled seeded and diced

3 cloves garlic chopped

1 medium white onion diced

6-8 cups chicken stock or veggie stock

1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme

1 teaspoon orange zest

Salt and white pepper to taste

Simmer first four ingredients for 30 minutes, add remaining ingredients, puree.

Red pepper Coulis

1 roasted seeded and peeled red bell pepper

1 tablespoon virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

Puree, drizzle over soup

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.

growing st. charles family care

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