About St. Charles’ 100 Years of Providing Care for All
Presented
by Todd Shields and Rick Martin
In
1918, the story of St. Charles began when the first hospital in Bend officially
opened on the banks of the Deschutes River. It started with five Sisters of St.
Joseph whose mission was to care for all or care for none. This presentation
starts with those early days of providing health care to a raw logging town
(including the sisters’ battle with the Spanish Flu epidemic) and traces the
changes in the community as they relate to the history of the medical
institution. Hear about the impacts of “Hospital Hill,” the Great Depression,
World War II, and booming population growth—on this journey of St. Charles’
evolution from pioneer hospital into the regional health system it is today.
About
the Speakers:
Todd
Shields came to Bend 22 years ago, starting at St. Charles as a radiology
transporter (where the legendary Sister Catherine Hellmann led his
orientation). Currently Senior Director of Operations in Redmond and a member
of the Bend and Redmond Executive Team, he has a passion for the history of St.
Charles, saying, “The spirit of compassion and service from those early days is
an integral part of the way we continue to provide care today.”
Rick
Martin served St. Charles Health System in many leadership roles over nearly
four decades. He worked closely for many years with Sister Catherine Hellmann,
the visionary former CEO of St. Charles, who propelled St. Charles from a quiet
local hospital to a regional health center, and he has many stories to share
from those days. He retired last year, and loves to fish, hunt and camp.
With
hospitals in Bend, Redmond, Prineville and Madras, St. Charles Health System is
the largest provider of medical care in Central Oregon.
