Credit union gives $50,000 to new St. Charles patient tower
Mid Oregon Credit Union has announced it will make a $50,000 gift toward St. Charles Bend’s new patient tower, which is scheduled to open May 19.
“St. Charles is a key community asset that benefits all of Central Oregon, providing access to health care for our members,” said Bill Anderson, CEO of Mid Oregon Credit Union, which serves more than 33,000 people in the region. “Mid Oregon is proud to support the new tower expansion at St. Charles, which will improve access to critical care for our local communities.”
In February, the Tykeson Family Foundation pledged a $1 million contribution toward the project if St. Charles Foundation raises a total of $4 million by April 30. Mid Oregon’s gift is a major step toward helping St. Charles Foundation meet that goal.
“For more than 23 years, Mid Oregon has partnered with us to bring high quality health care to Central Oregon,” said Joe Sluka, president and CEO of St. Charles Health System. “We deeply appreciate the support of Mid Oregon Credit Union and its members, especially as we work to meet the Tykeson family’s challenge.”
St. Charles Health System is responding to the rapid growth of Central Oregon by building the $66 million patient tower, which will feature a 28-bed Progressive Care Unit and 24-bed Intensive Care Unit, as well as another 20,000 square feet of shell space that will be available for future development.
The impact of this investment will be immediate. Increasing the Bend hospital’s overall capacity for inpatient care will alleviate bottlenecks throughout the entire health system and help patients receive the focused care they need.
The only level II trauma center east of the Cascades, St. Charles Bend is currently beyond capacity. Nine out 10 inpatient beds are occupied most days. Last year alone, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was forced to transfer nearly 100 patients to other facilities for care.
For more information about the new patient tower or to make a gift to the St. Charles Foundation, contact John Jepson, senior philanthropy officer, at 541-706-6953 or jcjepson@stcharleshealthcare.org .
