“Creating America’s healthiest community, together.”
- St. Charles Health System’s vision statement
Vision statements look good on boardroom plaques and at the top of websites.
But they look even better in action, as residents of Prineville have seen in recent months.
On March 2, St. Charles will open an expanded Family Care clinic, an expanded and upgraded outpatient rehab facility and a new Immediate Care clinic in Prineville, all located on the main level of St. Charles Prineville hospital.
The new facilities mean better access to providers, visiting specialists and rehabilitation services for members of the community, as well as – for the first time ever – same-day, walk-in appointments for anyone with unexpected health issues that are urgent, but not truly emergent.
“We’re so excited about what this means in terms of the community’s access to care,” said Todd Shields, vice president and hospital administrator of St. Charles Prineville. “Our Immediate Care clinic will be open every day of the week – including weekends – from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. That means you can be seen in a clinic setting for your urgent needs rather than going to the emergency department.”
The effort to expand and improve Prineville’s facilities would not have been possible without a generous combined donation of $4.5 million from the Prineville Hospital Foundation and the Pioneer Memorial Hospital Residual Board – two legacy organizations whose main focus was to help ensure Crook County’s health care needs are met.
That donation formed the foundation of a two-year project that renovated 2,500 square feet of space and added another 5,890 square feet of space, including 12 new exam rooms. There’s now ample space for the clinics’ staff of 16 experienced providers and roster of visiting specialists, including cardiology, endocrinology, women’s health, orthopedics, podiatry, neurosurgery, preoperative medicine, urology and general surgery.
“We’ve been busy recruiting new doctors and new advanced care providers,” Shields said. “Opening day is close, and we’re excited to now have the personnel and providers to take new patients and truly meet the needs of our community.”
Meanwhile, Prineville’s outpatient rehab clinic has been expanded to include five private treatment rooms (up from three) as well as significantly more gym space, said Laurie McCall, manager of outpatient therapy services. The clinic serves Prineville by providing comprehensive interdisciplinary rehab services including speech language pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy.
An additional physical therapist will join the facility in the near future to ensure patients have timely access to services, McCall said.
“I think this project stands as proof that St. Charles is committed not only to Crook County, but to prioritizing the health of this community,” said Dr. Maggie King, Prineville’s chief medical officer. “I couldn’t be more proud to be opening these facilities and services in Prineville, and I couldn’t be more proud of the team that has worked so hard to make today a reality.”
