Community Support offered after Bend school shooting tragedy. Deschutes County Health Services, St. Charles Health System, and Bend-La Pine Schools are partnering to host free, walk-in community support events on Friday, Oct. 16, following the tragedy at Silver Rail Elementary. The events will provide immediate support, connection and crisis stabilization tools, for families, staff and community members. Event details: Community Support & Healing Gathering (CISM) * When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 (Drop-in format) * Where: Deschutes Public Library - Central Library, 61956 SE Santorini St., Bend * Cost: Free and open to all students, families, staff, and community members. Community Support & Healing Gathering (CISM) * When: 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 (Drop-in format) * Where: Larkspur Community Center, 1600 SE Reed Market Rd., Bend * Cost: Free and open to all students, families, staff, and community members. "Today's events have deeply shaken our entire community, especially our families, students, first responders, and educators at Silver Rail Elementary," said Behavioral Health Director Shannon Brister-Raugust, "and we want our community to know the resources they have and that we are here to help." "We know that healing takes time, and we are committed to working alongside our local partners to provide the safe spaces, emotional support, and care that our neighbors need right now," said Molly Wells Darling, Senior Director for Behavioral Health with St. Charles. What is CISM? The events will use Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) frameworks. CISM is a structured, short-term supportive discussion designed to help individuals process the acute physical, mental, and emotional reactions that naturally follow traumatic experiences. CISM is not psychotherapy or clinical counseling; rather, it provides a safe, compassionate environment to understand normal stress responses, share experiences, and learn practical coping tools from trained peers and professionals. At each event, professional crisis response staff and peers will lead small-group discussions, offer guidance on how to talk to children about traumatic events, and connect people with local resources. Immediate Family and Crisis Resources: For families and staff seeking immediate help before or after this event, several specialized county and regional systems remain fully operational: * Walk-In Care: The Deschutes County Stabilization Center is open 24 hours a day at 63311 NE Jamison St., Bend. * Local Crisis Line: Call 541-322-7500 ext. 9. * National Hotline: Call or text 988 any time.

St. Charles lays off 22 employees. Published 11:26 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026 St. Charles Health System laid off 22 people in leadership roles throughout the nonprofit on Tuesday. According to St. Charles, the layoffs were a result of the health care provider "reassessing" leadership roles and responsibilities. In addition, 23 vacant positions throughout the organization will be left unfilled. According to St. Charles CEO Michael Hartke, the positions were eliminated at the same time the health system has experienced "rapid growth in the service and amount of care provided throughout Central Oregon in recent years." The layoffs came after an evaluation of top leadership titles in the organization. "Changes are being made to fairly balance responsibilities for those in leadership positions across the health system and to structure the system for continued growth," Hartke said. The decision to eliminate the roles was not an easy one, said Hartke. "I want to sincerely thank those impacted by these changes for their time and dedication to St. Charles, our patients and to each other," he said. No one laid off Tuesday was providing direct patient care, according to a release from Alandra Johnson, St. Charles spokesperson. St. Charles did not answer any follow up questions about the layoffs. St. Charles is the largest employer in Central Oregon with over 4,900 employees across hospitals in Bend, Redmond, Madras and Prineville. This is not the first time the hospital has issued layoffs. In 2022 the health system laid off 107 people, including two executives, and eliminated 76 vacant positions due to skyrocketing supply and equipment costs.

St. Charles restructures to support ongoing growth. June 23, 2026 St. Charles Health System has experienced rapid growth in the services and amount of care provided throughout Central Oregon in recent years. The growth is aligned with increases in population and demand for care in the region and has mostly occurred in the outpatient and specialty services areas of the organization. "We have been in a position to step in and support maintaining some key services in the region in recent years including orthopedics and neurosurgery, pharmacy, urology, gastroenterology and specialized cancer care, just to name a few," said Michael Hartke, incoming president and CEO. "As a nonprofit, local health care organization, we have the responsibility and the privilege of ensuring our patients have access to the care they need and we are proud to be able to provide it." To maintain this growth and ensure the organization is set up for success over the long term, St. Charles recently completed an evaluation of leader spans of control, titles and market alignment - for all supervisors and above - throughout the health system. Changes are being made to fairly balance responsibilities for those in leadership positions across the health system and to structure the system for continued growth. As a result, a small number of leadership positions in support services areas of the organization will be eliminated. This includes 22 positions that are currently filled and 23 positions that are vacant. In addition, ongoing work will occur to bring titles into alignment over time. No direct patient care positions are impacted by these changes, which affect less than 1% of the St. Charles workforce. "I want to sincerely thank the people being impacted by today's hard news for their incredible contributions to St. Charles and wish them nothing but the best going forward," Hartke said. "The changes we are making today are about setting ourselves up for a more sustainable and scalable structure for the future and I want to reassure our community that St. Charles is strong, stable and committed to meeting community needs."