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Rural communities across the nation face a critical shortage of primary care doctors and the same is true for Central Oregon. Our region’s health and well-being is in jeopardy.
This shortage can lead to patients driving long distances for care or visiting the emergency room with routine concerns. Long wait times can also make health problems worse or cause patients to forego care all together.
Relying on recruitment alone does not work well, because there are simply not enough doctors. Estimates show a shortage of more than 100 primary care doctors in the tri-county area by 2030.
After decades of working to address this issue, health care leaders got creative. St. Charles Health System, partnering with Mosaic Community Health and Indian Health Services in Warm Springs, has created the Three Sisters Rural Track Program. It’s the first graduate medical education program in Central Oregon. This program creates a pipeline of uniquely trained doctors that will significantly transform health care access in Central Oregon.
Doctors applying for this program desire to specialize in rural family medicine which, includes:
Primary Care
Family Birthing
Emergency Medicine
Behavioral Health
Hospital Medicine
These doctors spend the first year of their residency at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and the following two years treating patients at St. Charles Madras, Mosaic Community Health Madras, and Indian Health Services in Warm Springs.
Doctors in training will immediately improve access to health care in Jefferson County when they begin arriving in 2025. Each doctor will care for approximately 300-400 patients, serving 900+ in the first year of the program, and this number will grow as more doctors graduate from the program.
3 doctors
Seeing 900+ patients per year
6 doctors
Seeing 1,800+ patients per year
23 doctors
Seeing 20K-40K patients per year
Statistics show that roughly 55 percent of doctors stay within a 100-mile radius of their residency program site. This means within 10 years, the program is estimated to generate 23 doctors who would reside and care for patients across the region, serving 20,000 – 40,000 more people.
*Source: Fagan EB, Gibbons C, Finnegan SC, Petterson S, Peterson LE, Phillips RL Jr, Bazemore AW. Family medicine graduate proximity to their site of training: policy options for improving the distribution of primary care access. Fam Med. 2015 Feb;47(2):124-30. PMID: 25646984.
How you can help
By making a gift to St. Charles Foundation in support of the Three Sisters Rural Track program, you not only invest in the future of health care services in Central Oregon, you invest in the recruitment, training and education of doctors who may care for you, your loved ones, or your neighbors in their greatest time of need.
Learn more about how you can advance the future of health care in Central Oregon.
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Giving Together: One St. Charles
At St. Charles, our commitment to excellence in care extends beyond our walls and into the heart of our community. As we continue to strive for the highest standards of support and growth for our caregivers and community, we invite you to participate in St. Charles Foundation’s caregiver giving program: “Giving Together: One St. Charles.”
Why give?
Your contributions help transform health care for Central Oregon now and for decades to come. By giving through St. Charles Foundation, you play a crucial role in these key areas:
- Caregiver support: By contributing to this fund, you ensure that caregivers who are experiencing economic hardship beyond their control, have access to financial resources.
- Scholarships for nurses and caregivers: Your donations will pave the way for health care professionals by funding scholarships that enable them to receive the education and training they need to excel in their career.
- Greatest need: By making a donation to the “Greatest Need” fund, you're ensuring St. Charles has the flexibility and resources to respond effectively to emerging challenges and opportunities that arise across the system.
- St. Charles Center for Orthopedics and Neurosurgery: By contributing, you will be supporting programs, training, research, equipment, and innovations lead by the St. Charles Center for Orthopedics and Neurosurgery.
- Cancer Institute: Your donation supports life-saving cancer prevention programs, cutting-edge research and innovation, patient education, and enhanced access to world-class care.
- Heart Services: By contributing you are supporting comprehensive, patient-focused care programs from leaders in cardiac disease detection, diagnosis, treatment, intervention and rehabilitation.
- Madras General Fund: By making a recurring, one-time or ETO donation to the Madras General fund, you give us the flexibility to direct funds where they are most needed for St. Charles Madras.
- Prineville General Fund: By making a recurring, one-time or ETO donation to the Prineville General fund, you give us the flexibility to direct funds where they are most needed for St. Charles Prineville.
- Redmond General Fund: By making a recurring, one-time or ETO donation to the Redmond General fund, you give us the flexibility to direct funds where they are most needed for St. Charles Redmond.
How can you contribute?
Participation is simple. Scroll down and click the "Give Now" button to complete the Microsoft form. You can choose to make a difference through any of the following options:
- Payroll deductions: Make a meaningful impact through convenient payroll deductions either ongoing or concluding with the final pay period of the calendar year.
- One-time gift: Make a one-time donation to support the area that matters most to you. This will be drawn from the first pay period of the new year.
- ETO donation: In addition to the annual ETO cash outs, caregivers can donate their ETO to St. Charles Foundation. There is no limit to the number of times you may cash out ETO for donation, provided you have a minimum of 80 hours remaining and donate at least $250. The gross wages will be taxed at supplemental rates, and the net amount will be sent directly to St. Charles Foundation.
Join us today
Your participation in our Giving Together: One St. Charles campaign not only supports our caregivers but also strengthens our collective impact in the communities we serve.
To make your donation, simply click the button below and select the option that suits you best. Every contribution, no matter the size, plays a crucial role in building One St. Charles.
Thank you for dedication, compassion and support. Together, we can achieve remarkable things.
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A fund of St. Charles Foundation, CAN Cancer provides assistance to cover non-medical living expenses for Central Oregonians fighting all forms of cancer.
Financial burdens are a common source of stress for those with cancer. Survivors attest that fighting the disease requires every ounce of their emotional and physical strength. Your support helps provide financial assistance for expenses such transportation, food or lodging--allowing patients the ability to focus on fighting cancer. CAN Cancer was established by Gil, Stu and Corinne Martinez of Wilderness Garbage in cooperation with the Central Oregon Haulers.
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Fundraising for St. Charles Foundation
St. Charles Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for our patients and their families and meeting the urgent health care needs of our community.
You are playing a direct role in improving the lives of your loved ones and neighbors by providing critical dollars that will go towards programing and resources to ensure our care is accessible when the community needs it most.
This toolkit has been designed to provide you with resources and information needed to plan and execute events and projects in alignment with federal and state regulations, as well as St. Charles’ own policies and procedures. We believe that attention to detail is paramount, and this toolkit serves as a valuable resource to ensure you have everything you need to plan a successful fundraiser.
To help ensure that community events and promotions are successful, make the best use of limited staff resources and are coordinated with our other activities, please carefully review our fundraising guidelines and submit a proposal well in advance of the proposed event or initiative for required approval by St. Charles Foundation.
Your dedication to supporting our work is deeply appreciated by all of us at St. Charles Foundation. It is through your efforts that we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. Together, we can continue to enhance the quality of health care and positively impact our community.
What is a Community Organized Fundraiser?
A Community Organized Fundraiser is a fundraising event/initiative organized by any person, group, or organization not employed by St. Charles Foundation or volunteering in an official capacity for a St. Charles Foundation organized event.
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Support the Children's Heart Fund
The Children’s Heart Fund of St. Charles Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of Central Oregon children through prevention, education and family support programs.
Strong Hearts, Strong Teens: Each year, thousands of teens die when their heart suddenly stops beating without warning. But these kinds of cardiac events can be preventedthrough awareness, education and direct intervention. When heart conditions are detected early, appropriate measures can be taken to manage and treat them, significantly reducing the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
That’s where the Strong Hearts, Strong Teens screening program comes in. Hosted by St. Charles Cardiology and The Children’s Heart Center ofCentral Oregon, Strong Hearts, Strong Teens provides families with a comprehensive heart evaluation, including a blood pressure reading, electrocardiogram test, limited ECHO and CPR/AED training.
Supporting families with congenital heart disease: The fund provides financial support services, funds a case manager to assist with care coordination and access to community services, coordination of neurodevelopmental follow-up, and educational lectures for health care professionals for families with children who live with congenital heart disease.
A few examples of family support services:
- A three-month-old baby with heart failure was temporarily transferred to a Seattle Hospital for two months. The Children’s Heart Fund helped his Central Oregon family with travel expenses and temporary lodging so they could be near their heart warrior.
- The family of a toddler with an erratic heartbeat was making nearly weekly trips to Portland with multiple-day hospital stays, which eventually forced the mother to quit her job. The Children’s Heart Fund helped the family with gas and groceries so they could focus on helping their little one heal.
A teenager from Eastern Oregon, who is also a partial provider for his family, needed to travel to Bend for several heart-related appointments. The Children’s Heart Fund made transportation possible and helped close the financial gap for the family by providing grocery cards.
To donate: Send checks to St. Charles Foundation, 2500 NE Neff Rd, Bend, OR 97701 (mark checks for Children’s Heart Fund) or donate online and choose Children’s Heart Fund in the drop-down menu.
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2023 Saints Gala a resounding success!
St. Charles Foundation's annual Saints Gala was held Feb. 4 at the Riverhouse Convention Center in Bend, where around 300 attendees helped raise more than $200,000 for Cancer Wise: Know Your Risk, a St. Charles program designed to identify those at increased risk for cancer through personalized assessment, genetic testing and education. The theme of the evening was "Hats and Horses," and a good time was had by all. Thank you to all who attended and donated, and especially to the caregivers who worked hard to bring this fun event to life!
NICOLE GEE PHOTOS PHOTO BOOTH PHOTOS
2023 Beneficiary
Cancer Wise, Know Your Risk is a program of St. Charles Health System. The expanded program is designed to identify those at increased risk for cancer -- through personalized assessment, genetic testing and education.
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Cancer Wise: Know Your Risk
St. Charles Cancer Center’s program “Cancer Wise: Know Your Risk” is a leading-edge approach to care, designed to identify people at increased risk for cancer through personalized assessment, genetic testing and education. With the support of the community, St. Charles Foundation’s annual Saints Gala raised more than $220,000 in 2023. The Foundation’s goal is to raise an additional $40,000 to ensure this program is available to everyone in Central Oregon regardless of where they live or their ability to pay.
Helping our community become more “Cancer Wise” includes:
- Expanded genetic testing, helping identify people with a greater risk for cancer and designing a personalized plan for medical management.
- Expanded community outreach so that everyone has equal access to testing and follow-up services. Where someone lives or what kind of insurance they have should not be a barrier to receiving the best cancer care possible.
- Promotion of lifestyle modification strategies for cancer prevention and risk reduction, with focus on healthy habits of nutrition, exercise and smoking cessation.
You can help support the St. Charles Cancer Center program for cancer prevention and early detection by making a monetary donation. Simply click the Donate button below and select the "Cancer Wise" designation in the drop-down menu. If you've prefer, you can mail a check to St. Charles Foundation, 2500 NE Neff Rd., Bend, OR 97701.