History of St. Charles Redmond

A Hospital Built by the Community

In 1951, the small town of Redmond made history when it became the first in Oregon to form a public hospital district. Citizens voted to tax themselves $435,000 to build what was then called Central Oregon District Hospital on 20 acres north of town. The hospital opened in 1952.

The community spirit that built Central Oregon District Hospital carried on as doctors and nurses provided personal hospital care to residents of Redmond and outlying communities. The public supported the hospital with tax dollars and voters elected community leaders who faithfully served on the hospital’s board of directors.

Central Oregon District Hospital kept up with the growth in Redmond by expanding facilities in 1964 and again in 1982. A new patient care wing was added in 1989.

Changing to Meet the Needs of a Growing Community

In the 1990s, Redmond’s population exploded. Hospital leaders realized they needed to do more to meet the needs of the changing community. The hospital district did not have the capital needed for a major expansion of facilities and technology, nor could it ask taxpayers to pay the bill.

Central Oregon District Hospital merged with St. Charles Medical Center in Bend in 2001 to create a regional health system, Cascade Healthcare Community.

Redmond voters decided to dissolve the public hospital district in 2002. The hospital’s name changed, first to Central Oregon Community Hospital and then later to St. Charles Redmond.

A State-of-the-Art Hospital for Redmond

As part of a regional healthcare system, St. Charles Redmond had the resources to provide the community with a state-of-the-art hospital. Cascade Healthcare Community recently completed a $30 million expansion of St. Charles Redmond, including the 135,000 square foot JELD WEN Tower.

The recent expansion includes advanced surgical suites, private patient rooms and a warm and comfortable lobby for families, all designed with the St. Charles healing health care philosophy in mind.