Major St. Charles Bend remodel gets underway
St. Charles Bend began a major remodel Monday that hospital officials say will extend the lifespan of the 39-year-old facility while improving privacy and comfort for patients, families and caregivers.
As part of the $27.7 million project — known as the Bend tower remodel — patient rooms on the third and fourth floors of the hospital will be 30 percent larger, the majority of bathrooms will increase in size and many will meet ADA requirements.
Aging electrical, plumbing and ventilation systems will be updated and the new windows will be double glazed to allow better control of temperatures in the rooms. The core areas in the middle of the floors will be redesigned to support the work process of caregivers and to improve the overall flow.
The project will be completed in eight phases over a two-and-a-half year period. Patient rooms will be remodeled 12 at a time, and designated rooms elsewhere in the facility will make up for that bed space.
“This is the biggest project I’ve been involved with, in terms of potential disruption and the length of time,” said Rick Martin, vice president of construction and real estate for St. Charles Health System, who has worked for the organization for 36 years. “The benefits are going to be great when we are done.”
Teams have spent months designing the new rooms to ensure maximum efficiency, said Jim Walker, director of construction and real estate for St. Charles. In addition, an acoustic engineer has been engaged to consult on the project and provide expertise on how to reduce the noise in the rooms adjacent to the construction.
At times, it is possible that patients will be placed in double occupancy rooms. Those in rooms close to the construction zones will be offered ear plugs, sound machines and other amenities to ensure their stay is as pleasant and healing as possible.
“We want people to understand that we are doing this project to improve our patient care experience and to expand the life of this hospital, which truly is a community asset,” Martin said. “Essentially, in the end, we will have a new hospital that will last at least another 30 years.”
About St. Charles Health System
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras and Redmond, and leases and operates Pioneer Memorial Hospital. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 3,400 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.
