Forms & Information
Learn more about pandemic planning and ethical decision-making during a crisis.
General anesthesia provides complete absence of pain and total loss of consciousness during surgery. Our anesthesia team is very skilled in safely administering anesthesia medications to children of all ages.
Congratulations on your new baby! We've put together a list of helpful information and links to access Providence postpartum care services.
Data collected by Providence’s Regional Cancer Registry provide detailed information about key tumor types, as treated at our major Providence hospitals in Oregon.
Links to websites offering support and information for caregivers of Alzheimers patients.
This booklet is free and discusses the following:
- Stages of Alzheimer's disease
- How to care for a person with Alzheimer's
- Caring for yourself
- When to get help
- Medications and common medical problems
- Copping with late stage Alzheimer's
For a hard copy of the booklet, contact the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center at 1-800-438-4380 or www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers
The visitation policy for the children’s inpatient units at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center is designed to protect our patients, their families and other visitors.
This handout discusses what to expect in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.
(Rev.) John F. Tuohey, Ph.D., authored "Redefining Death as a Way to Procure More Vital Organs: A Response," which was published in the spring 2009 issue of Health Care Ethics USA.
Providence Center for Health Care Ethics is pleased to offer EventCasts on selected topics in health care ethics. An EventCast can be viewed simply by having access to the Internet. Please note that all presentations are recorded live. To view our library of EventCasts and past video presentations, please visit EventCasts. All viewings are free unless otherwise noted. Please review the instructions for both upcoming and archived presentations before visiting the site.
Stroke – there's treatment if you act FAST. Learn an easy way to identify the signs of a stroke.
Before your child is released from the hospital, you will meet with the pediatric staff to review instructions for home care, transportation, medications, physical therapy and follow-up appointments. Make sure you are comfortable with all aspects of your child’s home care, and feel free to ask questions.
This website is a good source of information on:
- Seizure first aid
- Living with Epilepsy
- Treatment options
This booklet discusses the safety concerns of persons with Alzheimer's disease, safety interventions for the home environment, driving, and planning for emergencies. It was produced by the National Institutes on Aging Alzheimer's Disease Education and Research (ADEAR) Center. Hard copies of this booklet are available by calling: 1-800-438-4380 or by online request at www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers.
See Providence Guest Services' recommended neighboring hotels.
This handout describes common bathing issues and helpful interventions for making it a more enjoyable experience.
The visitation policy for the maternity department is designed to protect our patients, their families and other visitors.
Pediatric patients and their famlies can borrow movies free of charge while staying at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
Because of our core values – compassion, justice, respect, excellence and stewardship – we believe that as a patient you have certain rights. At the same time, because we consider you an active partner in your health care, we acknowledge that you also have some responsibilities.
Preparing your child for surgery.
Ready to have your baby? Here's everything you'll need to prepare for delivery at a Providence hospital or medical center.
To make sure you get the best, safest care possible, we need some important information about you. Before your child comes to the hospital for surgery, please complete and bring with you a copy of this Pediatric Health Status Summary for children under the age of 13.
Prostate cancer, once it spreads to lymph nodes and bones, generally is not curable. But basic and clinical researchers at Providence are working on this challenge.
A listing of Providence Hospice Bereavement Support Groups offered in Portland, Yamhill and Clackamas county areas.
If you smoke, one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health is to quit smoking. Providence Health & Services supports you in this effort. The resources below can help you stop smoking for good.
If your child needs to have surgery, you may be nervous about the procedure and anxious about preparing your child to handle the situation. These guidelines will help you know what to expect and, hopefully, ease your anxiety.
Learn more about pandemic planning and ethical decision-making during a crisis.
Having a sick child is never easy. The people of Providence want to help you care for your children in the right place. Some illnesses may require a trip to a doctor or a hospital. Other illnesses can be treated best at home.
From the experts
Lymphedema may affect up to 60 percent of women after breast cancer treatment. This abnormal accumulation of fluid, or “edema,” is caused by a blockage of the lymphatic system. Often first noticed as a swelling, heaviness or tightness in the arm, hand, wrist, fingers, breast or torso on the same side as the affected breast, it can happen right after surgery or radiation, or years later.
Q: I enjoy a glass of red wine with dinner each night and thought it was good for my health. Now I hear having a glass of wine each day can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. Is that true?
Answer from the expert staff of the Ruth J. Spear Breast Center at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center:
Q. I recently had a benign breast lump removed. It turned out to be a “fibroadenoma,” and my doctor said it was totally benign. Still, I’m worried – does this mean I’m at an increased risk of breast cancer?
Answer from the expert staff of breast cancer research at the Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center at Providence Portland Medical Center:
Q: How long does it take for breast cancer to grow? My doctor just examined my breasts a month ago (no lumps), and today I found a lump. Is it possible that breast cancer could have developed so quickly?
Answer from the expert staff of breast cancer research at the Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center at Providence Portland Medical Center:
Q. I didn’t realize until recently that men can also get breast cancer. How common is it? If the women in my family have a history of breast cancer, should I be concerned?
Answer from the expert staff of breast cancer research at the Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center at Providence Portland Medical Center:
Q. I’m a young woman who tries to do breast self exams (BSE's) every month. But I often put them off because they make me so nervous. I just heard that not all health care organizations recommend monthly BSE's. What do you say?
Answer from the expert staff of breast cancer research at the Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center at Providence Portland Medical Center:
Q: “A friend forwarded an article to me suggesting that vitamin D can reduce the risk of getting breast cancer. Is this true?”
Answer from Alison Conlin, M.D., medical oncologist, Providence Cancer Center:
Q: I'm undergoing chemo, and though I am experiencing heavy-duty fatigue, I am also suffering from insomnia! Sometimes it's hard to fall asleep; other nights I wake up around 3 a.m. for an hour or two. My medical oncologist said chemo can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle and prescribed Ambien. I don't like the idea of relying on a sleeping pill. Anything else I can do?
Answer from Miles Hassell, M.D., director of Providence Integrative Medicine at Providence Cancer Center:
Q: Could past drug use put me at increased risk for a stroke? I stopped using illegal drugs more than 10 years ago.
Q. I've just been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS.) I've heard it described as "stage 0" breast cancer. What does that mean? How worried should I be?
Answer from the expert staff of breast cancer research at the Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center at Providence Portland Medical Center:
Q: A friend of mine is taking folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements to lower her homocysteine levels and help prevent a stroke. What exactly is homocysteine? Should I be taking vitamin supplements if I’m worried about having a stroke?
Q. I am a breast cancer survivor. Is it safe for me to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?
Answer from the expert staff of breast cancer research at the Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center at Providence Portland Medical Center:
What procedures do you use robotic surgery for?
Q. If a hormone-positive breast cancer survivor wants to be proactive in her cure, should she avoid/limit as many phytoestrogens as possible, or just soy and flax, which seem to be high in these estrogen mimics?
Answer from Miles Hassell, M.D., director of Providence Integrative Medicine Program at Providence Cancer Center:
Q: I’ve read that stress can increase your risk of having a stroke. Does this warning relate only to anxiety experienced during times of crisis or extend to everyday stress as well?
“Is a TIA truly a stroke, or is it caused by other problems? What is the process for finding a good specialist?"
Q: “It has been two weeks since I was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma, and I have not had my MRI, PET, CT or follow-up. Everyone says, ‘You have time.’ How do they know I have time? How do they know that my cancer cells aren’t dividing right now? Why aren’t breast cancers taken out immediately and patients treated for any cancer spread right away?”
Answer from Stacy Lewis, M.D., medical director, Providence Cancer Center, and oncologist, Providence Oncology and Hematology Care Clinic:
Bringing science education to life, Providence School Outreach Program hosted more than 125 Portland-area high school students to watch a live “Brain Watch” surgery as Dr. Vivek Deshmukh, neurosurgeon with Providence Brain and Spine Institute, clamped a brain aneurysm in a 4-hour operation.
Q: An e-mail is going around that says if you think someone may be having a stroke, you should ask him to perform three tests: to smile, to raise both arms and to speak a simple sentence. Can these tests really indicate a stroke, or is this an urban legend?
James Beckerman, M.D., explains how competitive players or weekend warriors can now receive cardiac screenings at Providence Sports Care Center at JELD-WEN Field.
Heath Munger's brain aneurysm was dangerous and complex. A skilled Providence neurosurgeon and a new device repaired the damage and gave this father a future.
Studies find that the relatively new care model for critically ill neurological patients decreases mortality and shortens hospital stays. – By John Zurasky, M.D., neurointensivist
Rachel Frazier is a jogger, golfer and power walker. She’s used to the odd muscle and joint aches that come with being physically active. But the pain that came the winter of 2012 was something entirely different. It started in her upper left arm and radiated downward to her thumb, and it kept getting worse.
After your baby is born, the vital records technician at the hospital will give you a birth certificate worksheet that must be completed during your stay as an in-patient of the hospital and returned to the staff before you are discharged from the hospital.
The risk factors for cardiovascular disease and heart attack can be both obvious and hidden.– By James Beckerman, M.D., cardiologist
Inside your body, standing at attention in your blood, tissues, and organs, there are millions of tiny troopers mobilized against invaders.
Jo Anne Coonrod's illnesses used to send her to the hospital. Thanks to home palliative care, she's getting treated before an emergency.
New noninvasive assessments can help determine surgical candidates and locate the precise area of the brain causing the seizures. – By Julia Toub, M.D., epileptologist
Improving care for patients with multiple sclerosis
Stanley Cohan, M.D., Ph.D., and researchers from Providence Multiple Sclerosis Center presented two posters at the 4th Cooperative Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) in San Diego, California from May 30 - June 2, 2012. In this poster presentation, they shared promising results for a more affordable and less risky therapy for patients with relapsing MS.
Improving care for patients with multiple sclerosis
Stanley Cohan, M.D., Ph.D., and researchers from Providence Multiple Sclerosis Center presented a poster at the 4th Cooperative Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) in San Diego, California from May 30 - June 2, 2012. They shared findings from the Pacific Northwest MS Registry from the last four years.
This 12-page guide helps caregivers and family members understand the emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of the days and moments before death.
The significance of the Kleenex boxes placed on every tabletop isn’t apparent at first. But 15 minutes into this lunchtime gathering of doctors, nurses and a host of other health care workers, the reason becomes clear.
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center is home to the world’s most advanced operating suite for brain tumors.
Recommended Resources