BEND, Ore. — St. Charles Health System is pleased to welcome Dr. Sanaz Askari, DO, and Shawn Degroot, president of Compliance Vitals, LLC, to its board of directors.
Dr. Askari has been providing internal medicine care for hospitalized patients in Central Oregon since 2006. She joined Cascade Internal Medicine Specialists in February 2011 and enthusiastically embarked on her full-time outpatient practice. In addition, she is involved in multiple local medical and hospital organizations serving to improve the quality of health care provided to patients in the community.
“Dr. Askari has served on both the St. Charles Finance and Strategy committees, as well as the Quality and Safety committees,” said Dan Schuette, chairman of the board. “She is committed to advancing St. Charles’ Lean journey.”
Currently an active member of the American College of Physicians and the Oregon Medical Association, Dr. Askari is a past president of the Central Oregon Medical Society and the St. Charles Hospital Bend medical staff. She is also an active medical staff member at St. Charles’ hospitals in Bend and Prineville.
“With my background in medicine and experience in leadership, I hope to contribute to the St. Charles board in ways that would improve the health care of our regional communities,” she said.
A resident of Sioux Falls, S.D., DeGroot has expertise in the field of compliance, privacy and ethics. She is joining the board after serving on the Audit and Compliance Committee for one year. DeGroot is a certified fellow in health care compliance, compliance and ethics, human subject research and privacy. She is the past president of the Healthcare Compliance Association and has served in leadership roles at several not-for-profit organizations.
“Shawn is committed to facilitating collaboration among board members, physicians and leadership to continually improve health care services for Central Oregon while sustaining St. Charles’ financial viability,” Schuette said.
DeGroot said she is looking forward to serving on the board so that she can “contribute health care experience and service in a manner that will add value to St. Charles Health System and the community it serves.”
Both Dr. Askari and DeGroot will serve three-year terms.
About St. Charles Health System
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,200 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.
