St. Charles to staff Mt. Bachelor urgent care clinic

Published 12:48 pm Wednesday, July 30, 2025

St. Charles Health System will staff a health clinic at Mt. Bachelor ski area starting this winter.

Providers from the St. Charles Urgent Care clinics will staff the St. Charles Mountain Clinic in the ski patrol building in the West Village area Friday through Sunday and on holidays, according to a statement from the health system. The clinic is be available to skiers and staff at the ski area.

The ski area has offered medical care for the past 30 years,  said Lauren Burke, Mt. Bachelor director of marketing and communications. Services were provided by Summit Health, previously called  Summit Medical Center.

St. Charles Health System confirmed that there is a need for health services, but has not identified precisely what that looks like beyond urgent care and imaging. When the weather is good, it takes about a half hour to drive the 26 miles from the West Village to St. Charles Bend.

“The St. Charles and Mt. Bachelor teams will work together over the next few months to determine what level of services will be provided, levels of staffing and more before ski season opens,” said a statement from Mt. Bachelor.

Previously, the clinic treated injuries such as sprains, fractures, minor cuts and illnesses, according to its website. “Digital x-ray equipment is on-site for those times when the mountain got the better of you!,” the site says.

“For decades, the clinicians in our community have proudly coordinated with our region’s amazing first responders, including our intrepid ski patrol,” said Dr. Steve Gordon, St. Charles Health System president and CEO. “We’re excited to see how we can now build on this community collaboration with Mt. Bachelor, the premier ski area in the Pacific Northwest.”

Resorts across the country often have a medical presence on site, confirmed Mt. Bachelor.

The ski area offers 4,323 acres of lift-accessible terrain, according to Mt. Bachelor. Last year the company that owns the ski area, Powdr Corp., put it up for sale. Earlier this year the Utah-based corporation that has owned the ski area since 2001, opted to keep the resort. Several residents tried to put together a community ownership program, but was unsuccessful.

“We appreciate our time working with Summit Medical Group and are excited to provide seamless service with St. Charles for guests that require follow-up or continued medical care,” said John Merriman, Mt. Bachelor general manager and president.