Their story is our story.
The next level – 1969-1985
Some of the most profound changes in its history lay ahead of St. Charles in 1969. Under the leadership of a Catholic sister and former nurse, the humble hospital on the hill would move into a new five-story facility on the east edge of Bend.
But the change was more than bricks and mortar. The newly christened St. Charles Medical Center would expand its mission from that of a local hospital to that of a regional medical center. The new facility and a renewed commitment to providing the best care would bring more specialists, better equipment and more care options to residents of the region.
It was Sister Catherine Hellmann’s vision to build St. Charles into a first-rate medical center. A partnership with James Lussier, Roger Highland and a large cast of people from the medical staff and community made it happen.
By 1985, St. Charles would be a Level II trauma center with a full range of cardiac, cancer and surgical facilities. It would begin exploring new approaches to medicine and hospital …