Radiation oncologist establishes practice at St. Francis Cancer Center

INDIANAPOLIS – Michael Scott-Soon Eaton, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the medical staff at St. Francis Cancer Center.

Eaton, who is board-certified in radiation oncology, also is affiliated with Cancer Care Group, P.C. in Indianapolis, and Major Hospital’s Benesse Oncology Center in Shelbyville.

The new physician recently completed residency training at the University of Southern California. Previously, he completed an internship in preliminary internal medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.

Eaton earned his medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he also earned a doctorate in microbiology and immunology. He received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

In his post-graduate work, he participated in several professional societies and professional committees. Eaton also has been involved in many medical research groups has been published in journals.

To learn more about services at the St. Francis Cancer Center, go to http://stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

And the children shall lead them: Walk honors memory of lost infants

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers will host its 25th annual Walk to Remember Saturday, Oct. 2.

Hundreds of families from around central Indiana who have lost children through miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death will gather to remember and honor their children.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. at St. Francis Hospital-Beech Grove, with the walk stepping off an hour later. The route ends at Sarah T. Bolton Park. Transportation is available for those unable to walk that short distance.

The program will consist of music by New York City, grief therapist, singer/song writer, Paul Alexander, a dove release as well a balloon release. Families are invited to bring a picnic lunch and share the afternoon with other families in the park as they honor the “Feast of Angels.”

There will be commemorative t-shirts and sweatshirts, “In Memory Of” signs and raffle baskets for purchase. All proceeds are used to support the Memories to Hold Program.

St. Francis representatives also will be on hand to discuss ways to cope with losing a child and to explain the hospital’s support group for grieving families.

For more information about Walk to Remember, call 317-865-5199.

St. Francis Hospital-based Senior Promise gears up for Fall Health Festival

INDIANAPOLIS – Senior Promise is hosting its Fall Health Festival, Friday, Oct. 15, at The Atrium, 3143 E. Thompson Rd.

The annual event, which is from 9 a.m. to noon, is geared for those 50 and older, people with diabetes, caregivers and those seeking community resources for seniors and people with disabilities. There’s adequate parking at The Atrium, which is wheelchair-accessible.

The festival offers various health screenings and information on a variety of medical topics, most of which are free. A limited number of cholesterol screenings will be available, and participants are asked to stop by the booth to receive a scheduled time to return for the test.

Senior Promise, a program based at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, also offers free flu shots to those receiving Medicare. Those without the card will be charged $20. If the flu vaccine does not arrive in time for the event, vouchers will be given to participants enabling them to receive a free flu shot at a later date.

Among the tests available: blood pressure, feet, oral cancer, balance assessment, vision and antioxidant screening.

Launched in 1987, Senior Promise provides its 9,000-plus members a variety of meaningful services and benefits for people age 50 and older.

More information about the program is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/seniors, or call 317-782-6660.

Family/sports medicine physician joins St. Francis Medical Group

INDIANAPOLIS – Robyn L. Fean, M.D., a member of St. Francis Medical Group, has established a practice at Plainfield Family and Sports Medicine and is the newest member of the St. Francis Sports Medicine team.

Board-certified in family medicine and holding a certificate in added qualification in sports medicine, Fean’s office is at the Plainfield Health Center, near the corner of U.S. 40 and Dan Jones Road.

Fean recently completed a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Washington, where she received a wide range of training in that specialty. She was a member of the Division-I university’s medical team.

She completed a residency at St. Francis, focusing on various aspects of family medicine, including internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics. Fean also was team physician to local high-school athletic teams.

An honors graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, Fean has given many presentations and conducted research in family and sports medicine.

At St. Francis Sports Medicine, she will be part of a multidisciplinary team of experts involved in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sports-related injuries.

To make an appointment with Fean, call 317-781-7328.

Information about St. Francis Sports Medicine is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/ortho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=54

New vehicles help St. Francis Home Health deliver care to central Indiana patients

GREENWOOD, Ind. – St. Francis Home Health Services has hit the road with new sedans bearing the program’s name and distinctive services for homebound patients.

Eight Nissan Sentras have been acquired and are being used by nurses and specialists in physical, occupational and speech therapies. Three other vehicles will join the fleet later this year.

“Although Home Health has had a robust presence in this region for some time, we wanted to enable our staff to get to and from their destinations more efficiently and also remind the public that we are there for them,” said Program Director Kelli Kappus. She said that over the next year, the fleet will be expanded further to accommodate all full-time Home Health employees.

The program serves Marion, Johnson, Morgan, Shelby, eastern Hendricks and western Hancock counties. A liaison at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville works in the community coordinating referrals from sources outside the hospital.

“Our service helps the patient transition from the hospital to home,” Kappus said. “Too many patients leave the hospital and are confused about their medications or discharge instructions. Our goal is to make every patient and caregiver as independent with their care as possible.”

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, only 20 percent of St. Francis Home Health patients are hospitalized, and 16 percent seek emergent care while receiving home health. Nationally, that compares to 30 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

The St. Francis program offers nursing, aide and social work services, and physical, occupational and speech therapies. Home Health Care liaisons are based at St. Francis Hospitals at Beech Grove and Indianapolis and they are available to coordinate services before patients are discharged.

Home services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial insurance agencies.

St. Francis Home Health Services is located at 438 S. Emerson Ave. in Greenwood. For more information, call toll-free at 800-390-1502, or 317-865-2080.

Learn more about the program at www.stfrancishospitals.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=387.

Nurse navigator helps guide St. Francis breast cancer patients through treatment

INDIANAPOLIS – Cassie Carney, R.N., has been appointed as a nurse navigator for the St. Francis Cancer Center.

She will assist breast cancer patients and their families in coordinating diagnostic appointments and physician visits, help them manage their symptoms, provide education, make patients aware of clinical trial availability and very importantly, easing patient anxiety.

The new nurse navigator also will work with a multidisciplinary physician team from the Breast Cancer Center of Excellence to coordinate evidence-based patient care.

Carney previously served as a chemotherapy nurse for Fort Wayne Medical Oncology & Hematology. Before that, she held positions as charge nurse and nurse manager in medical oncology at Parkview Hospital.

She earned an associate degree in nursing at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne and is affiliated with Oncology Nurses Society.

St. Francis has nurse navigators assigned to cancer specialty areas such as breast, colorectal and lung. To learn more about the roles of nurse navigators, go to http://stfrancishospitals.org/Cancer/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=246.

More information about the programs and services offered at St. Francis Cancer Center are at http://stfrancishospitals.org/Cancer.

St. Francis Heart Center earns echocardiography national accreditation

INDIANAPOLIS – The St. Francis Heart Center has been awarded three-year accreditation with the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL).

The rating comes in the wake of an extensive peer-review by ICAEL physicians and sonographers, who evaluated all aspects of echocardiography laboratories and patient outcomes at St. Francis. The accreditation applies to the hospital’s Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville campuses where the echocardiography procedures are conducted.

The program is spearheaded by cardiologist Richard J. Shea, M.D., and Mary Ellen Stewart, technical director of echocardiography. Shea provided the oversight and medical direction for the St. Francis Medical Group’s accreditation at the Indiana Heart Physicians’ office several years earlier.

Echocardiography is a noninvasive diagnostic procedure that uses ultrasound to study structure and motions of the heart, and used to detect cardiac disease.

“This effort has been under way for nearly two years and is a testament to the quality and scope of the work performed at St. Francis,” said Michael Hertel, executive director of the St. Francis Heart Center. “The accreditation is highly regarded in the health-care industry and a distinguishing program characteristic.”

The ICAEL was incorporated in 1996 in response to the need for standardization and improvement of the quality of echocardiographic laboratories.

To learn more about programs and services at the St. Francis Heart Center, go to www.MyHeartCare.net.

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St. Francis-Mooresville offers seat checks, free items at Aug. 28 event

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – The Cherished Beginnings Child Passenger Safety Program of St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville will be doing car seat checks at the Community Impact Day at Mt. Gilead Church Saturday, Aug. 28.

The event, which is free to the public, is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will be at Mt. Gilead Church, 6019 East Old State Road 144.

Additionally, St. Francis will be giving away free bike helmets and life vests to youngsters; however, each child can receive only one of each free item. Children must be present and accompanied by an adult to receive any of the merchandise.

For more information, call 317-834-5817.

Cherished Beginnings provides obstetrical and newborn care to women and their babies at St. Francis-Mooresville. The unit features 13 private labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum suites.

To learn more about the program and its services, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/women

St. Francis Cancer Center appoints new outreach coordinator

INDIANAPOLIS – Mindi M. Matthews has been appointed community outreach coordinator for the St. Francis Cancer Center.

In that role, she will serve as the center's point person, working with outside cancer advocacy agencies and internal resources to facilitate support groups for patients and families, screenings, educational events, and early detection/prevention activities.

Matthews comes to St. Francis from the Indiana State Department of Health where she developed and implemented a statewide diabetes education plan. Prior to that, she was corporate health and wellness coordinator at Rea Magnet Wire. She also has held positions with Kosciusko Community Hospital, Allen County Family and Sports Chiropractic of Fort Wayne and Memorial Hospital and Health Center in Jasper, Ind.

A resident of Noblesville, Matthews earned a master’s degree of business administration at Indiana Wesleyan University and her undergraduate degree in health services at the University of Southern Indiana.

She holds certifications as a diabetes prevention program instructor and health coach.

Cardiovascular professionals prep for St. Francis Hospital seminar

INDIANAPOLIS – More than 300 health-care professionals are expected to attend the third annual St. Francis Cardiovascular Symposium on Friday, Sept. 17.

Hosted by the St. Francis Heart Center, participants will discuss topics ranging from the latest cardiovascular procedures and interventions, to how health care might impact the delivery of care to patients. Presenters include cardiologists, along with heart and vascular surgeons from the St. Francis Medical Group and Cardiac Surgery Associates (CSA).

But before any discussion about the heart and vascular system begins, Robert Wicks, Psy.D., will talk about matters of the mind and spirit – and the “secondary stress” health professionals experience in providing care to patients. A pastoral consultant and professor at Maryland’s Loyola University, he is the author of several books, including Bounce: Living the Resilient Life.

Wicks endeavors to help physicians, nurses, social workers and others in full-time caregiving professions to bolster their abilities “without losing their inner fire in the process.”

Saeed Shaikh, M.D., interventional cardiologist with St. Francis Medical Group/Indiana Heart Physicians, will be another key presenter, addressing the present and future of cardiac imaging with computed tomography.

Other presenters and topics:

Polly Moore, M.D. and Carolyn Smith, Nurse Practitioner – Managing the failing heart in outpatient settings

John Moore III, M.D. – New treatments for atrial fibrillation

Mary Benjamin, M.B.A. – Increasing practice efficiency with health care reform

Brenda Danner, R.D. – Heart-healthy lifestyles

Donald Patterson, M.D. – Open and minimally invasive procedures for abdominal aortic aneurysms

David Kovacich, M.D. – New cardiac medications: Indications and interactions

Robert Kinn, M.D. -- EKG unknowns

Richard Shea, M.D. – Testing for coronary and valvular disease

Marc Gerdisch, M.D. – The present and future of cardiac restoration

Gerdisch, co-director of the St. Francis Heart Valve Center, was the first in the world to use tissue regeneration technology that allows patients to rebuild their own cardiovascular tissue. Last J

une, Gerdisch and his surgical team were one of the first nationally to use a new therapy designed to diminish the risk of stroke related to cardiac arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation.

The symposium will be from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel, 31 W. Ohio St.

To register, visit StFrancisHospitals.org/heart and click on “CME (SYMPOSIUM) 2010.” For more information, 317-893-1870.

To learn more about the St. Francis Heart Center and its services, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/heart.

Students begin studies at St. Francis School of Medical Technology

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – Six students have entered the year-long St. Francis School of Medical Technology and will receive specialized training to augment their undergraduate studies.

They are: Shannon Deal (Indiana University Purdue-University at Fort Wayne), Amanda Didier (Indiana State University), Annie Girdler (University of Indianapolis), Shay Jones (Franklin College), Amanda Reberger (St. Mary of the Woods) and Ali Simerlein (Miami University of Ohio).

Upon completion of the program, the students will have completed requirements for bachelor degrees from their respective college or university.

The students began their clinical training in July and are expected to graduate from the program in June 2011.

The St. Francis School of Medical Technology is affiliated with several colleges and universities across the Midwest. The school, which is a division of the hospital’s clinical laboratory, was established in 1967 and is dedicated to preparing professional medical technologists with the theoretical and practical training to serve as active members of the health care team in clinical laboratory science.

St. Francis’ Beech Grove campus houses many of the educational opportunities and services. The school’s facilities include a student laboratory that features lecture and audiovisual facilities.

Following didactic instruction, the students rotate through the areas of the laboratory applying their learned knowledge and enhancing their skills.

Medical technology involves conducting a wide range of laboratory tests for the detection, diagnosis, treatment and study of diseases. Medical technologists work closely with all members of the healthcare team to ensure the accuracy of diagnoses.

More information about the St. Francis School of Medical Technology is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/Labs/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=25.

St. Francis physical therapist honored for patient screening research

INDIANAPOLIS – William R. VanWye, D.P.T., has been selected as the recipient of the Jack Walker Award from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

VanWye, a staff physical therapist for St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, was honored for his research, “Patient Screening by a Physical Therapist for Non-Musculoskeletal Hip Pain,” published in APTA’s scientific journal, Physical Therapy. The award recognizes the best professional article on clinical practice appearing in that publication.

The award honors the late Jack Walker, former president of the Chattanooga Group Inc., for his contributions to the physical therapy field.

VanWye, who earned his doctorate of physical therapy from the University of Indianapolis, served as a physical therapist at Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, before joining the St. Francis staff.

The APTA represents more than 76,000 physical therapists, assistants and students nationally. To learn more about that organization, go to www.apta.org.

More information about physical therapy services is at St. Francis is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/Ortho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=5&tabid=33.

Speaker focuses on eye care for diabetics at St. Francis event

INDIANAPOLIS – When it comes to diabetes the eyes have it – at least when it comes preserving vision, says a leading ophthalmologist.

Ophthalmologist Bettye-Jo Rawls Lloyd, M.D., of Abrams Eye Care Associates in Carmel will be the keynote speaker at the monthly diabetes support group sponsored by St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers. The event, which is open to the public, is 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 25 at the St. Francis Education Center, 5935 S. Emerson Ave.

She will lead discussions about the importance of patients with diabetes having dilated eye exams and provide information about diabetic retinopathy.

A recent national survey conducted by the National Eye Institute (NEI) shows that 96 percent of respondents said they would have their eyes examined if their primary care doctor told them to have the examination. This is especially important for patients with diabetes in preventing vision loss and blindness.

The seminar is supported, in part, through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under NEI and the National Eye Health Education Program. Funds received are part of the National Medical Association Diabetes Vision Focus Initiative in Indianapolis.

A graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, Lloyd is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, Indiana State Medical Association and American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Registration is required. Light refreshments will be served. To register, call 317-782-4422.

For more information services and support programs at the St. Francis Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=57.

Surgeon explains orthopedic, joint replacement therapies Sept. 15

INDIANAPOLIS – Hip and knee pain shouldn’t keep people from leading active and rewarding lives – and St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers wants to show you how.

The St. Francis “Road Show” will be coming at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 15, to the Indianapolis Marriott East, 7202 E. 21^st St. In the spotlight is a hip and knee replacement seminar.

Philip Faris, M.D., will explain the latest procedures in joint replacement and arthritis treatments. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstructive surgery and joint replacement.

Faris is a surgeon with Joint Replacement Surgeons of Indiana, a practice group affiliated with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville.

The Center has been ranked No. 1 in Indiana for joint surgery four years in a row by HealthGrades, one of the nation’s premier health care rating companies.

To register for this seminar, call St. Francis toll-free at 1-877-888-1777. A light buffet will be served, beginning at 6 p.m.

More information about the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/Ortho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=23.

New perioperative services manager appointed at St. Francis-Mooresville

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – Darla K. Owens, R.N., has been appointed manager for perioperative services at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville, effective Aug. 16.

From 2005 to present, Owens served as an operating room supervisor, overseeing the scheduling of procedures and staff activities. She previously was a surgical staff nurse.

Owens began her career at St. Francis-Mooresville in 1999 as a certified surgical technologist.

Certified in advanced cardiac life support, she earned her bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in nursing at the University of Indianapolis. Owens is a member of the Association of Operating Room Nurses.

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on fast track for record registrations

INDIANAPOLIS – With runners from 37 states and three foreign countries already registered, the pace is picking up for a record number of participants for the 2010 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon.

IMM organizers report registrations are about 34 percent more than last year’s at this time. More than 6,000 participated last year. This year’s race is Saturday, Nov. 6.

“We have added a 5K race in addition to the marathon and half marathon as a way to get more people involved in the event,” said IMM Executive Director Julie Patterson. “We’re especially excited that a special education teacher at Harshman Middle School (Indianapolis Public Schools) is fielding a team of students for the half marathon.”

St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers continues in its role as title sponsor of the IMM, which it has done since the IMM’s 2008 inaugural race. Jeff Peterson, M.D., leads a medical team of nearly 100 physicians, nurses, physical therapists and trainers. St. Francis volunteers also help runners and assist in a variety of ways.

“Promoting health and wellness benefits our entire community, particularly our youth,” said Robert J. Brody, St. Francis chief executive officer and president. "Truly, the marathon is a test of endurance for athletes and we are proud to return as title sponsor of this event.”

The race features a full marathon (26.2 miles) and a half marathon (13.1 miles). Both courses will begin near Washington and West streets and finish on Robert D. Orr Drive to the finish line, just steps away from the Indiana State Capitol building.

The urban courses are sanctioned and certified by the standards of USA Track and Field, the national body of road racing, with the marathon course serving as a qualifier for the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Several lndianapolis-area educational institutions will get a leg up on their programs. The IMM donates its proceeds to those organizations. Last year’s donations topped $51,000.

To register or to learn more about the IMM go to http://monumentalmarathon.com.

To learn more about the St. Francis Sports Medicine programs and services, visit http://www.stfrancishospitals.org/Ortho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=4&tabid=54.

Physician joins cancer specialists at St. Francis Medical Group

INDIANAPOLIS – Nadeem Ikhlaque, M.D., has joined St. Francis Medical Group Oncology & Hematology Specialists.

Ikhlaque most recently served as a hematologist/oncologist for Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, W.V.

Board-certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology, Ikhlaque’s clinical interests are focused on cancers of the breast, prostate, HIV-related malignancies and multiple myeloma. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Society of Hematology.

Ikhlaque completed a fellowship and internal medicine residencies at Wright State University (Ohio), where he also served as chief resident. He earned his medical degree at Rawalpindi Medical College in Punjab, Pakistan.

To learn more about Oncology & Hematology Specialists – located on the St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis campus at 8111 S. Emerson Ave. and at 9002 North Meridian, suite 214 – go to www.StFrancisDoctors.org.

More information about the full range of services and programs at the St. Francis Cancer Center are at http://stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

New cardiologists poised to see patients at St. Francis Hospital

INDIANAPOLIS – Three cardiologists have accepted newly created positions with St. Francis Medical Group Indiana Heart Physicians. Carson Turner, M.D.; Vijayasree Paleru, M.D.; and Ryan Daly, M.D., began seeing patients in early August.

A native of British Columbia, Canada, Turner comes to St. Francis from the division of cardiovascular medicine-The Ohio State University Medical Center (OSUMC). He is board-certified in internal medicine.

Turner completed a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine/interventional cardiology at OSUMC. A graduate of the University of Louisville School of Medicine, he completed an internal medicine residency at Vanderbilt University.

A U.S. Army veteran, Turner is a member of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Medical Association.

Paleru, who is board-certified in internal medicine, recently completed a cardiology fellowship at East Carolina University in North Carolina. Additionally, she has completed fellowships in heart failure/cardiac transplant at the University of Utah and imaging and research at the University of Arizona-Sarver Heart Center.

She has been published widely in professional journals and has memberships with the ACC, ACP, American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.

Paleru earned her medical degree at Guntur Medical College in India, and completed an internal medicine residency and internship at medical institutions in New York City. She served as a heart failure research associate at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers.

Daly comes to his new position after completing a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. He also obtained advanced fellowship training in non-invasive cardiovascular imaging from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and was an affiliated instructor at Harvard Medical School.

Board-certified in cardiovascular medicine and internal medicine, he completed an internal medicine internship and residency at Boston University School of Medicine, where he also earned his medical degree.

Daly has garnered numerous clinician and academic awards in his career and is a member of the ACC, ACP and ASE.

Since 1978, Indiana Heart Physicians has served the residents of central Indiana with the highest quality cardiovascular care. To learn more about our physicians and services, go to www.StFrancisDoctors.org.

St. Francis leaders, clinicians talk health care with Senate candidate

INDIANAPOLIS – While passage of the national health care bill last March signaled sweeping changes, some questions about the $938 billion legislation have yet to yield clear answers, particularly the far-reaching effects on hospital operations.

St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis was the setting today (Aug. 3) for hospital leaders and clinicians to voice their concerns and ask questions of Dan Coats, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

Coats said he wanted to make it clear about his visit to St. Francis: “I’m not here to give a speech,” he said. “I’m here to listen to what you have to say and think because you know the issues first-hand.”

St. Francis, which has hospitals in Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville, is part of 13-hospital network owned and operated by the Mishawaka-based Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. It is the second largest hospital system in Indiana and, as part of its mission, serves a large population of the poor and uninsured.

Bob Brody greets the candidate before the discussions get under way.

“Certainly, changes in accessibility and affordability in health care have been needed and are long overdue,” said St. Francis CEO Robert Brody. “But there are aspects of this recently passed national bill that may strain hospitals’ abilities to provide timely, care for more and more patients. We are expected to do much more with diminished resources.”

Coats said he is committed to introduce an amendment to the current health bill, assuring providers and payers of "conscience clause" relief from providing or contributing to services that are considered morally and ethically untenable, such as abortion. He also expressed concern over the issue of large insurance companies and the power they yield and their influence, versus their ability to spread risk across large populations.

A one-size-fits-all national system cannot work, Coats said.

“The idea that Washington has come up with is just not achievable,” said Coats, who is running against Democrat U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth for the seat now occupied by Evan Bayh. “It [health care bill] has become and remains a political polarizing issue – we need a bipartisan effort to truly make it work.”“The said irony is that more patients are wanting more time to spend with their doctors,” said Walthall, an otolaryngologist who has a long affiliation with the hospital.

Coats, who served in the U.S. Senate from 1988 to 1998, has outlined his vision in what he has dubbed the “Hoosier Health Care Plan.” Generally, the plan calls for allowing health-care providers to cross state lines, thus providing more competition; tort reform and the capping of liability rewards; encouraging innovation for state health plans; and expanding health savings accounts for individuals and families.

But Coats’ plan has one omission consistent with the existing legislation, according to Richard Feldman, M.D., director of St. Francis medical education and the Family Medicine Residency Program.

“There is no provision for universal health care and I find that curious,” commented Feldman, who served as Indiana’s State Health Commissioner from 1997 to 2001.

The 90-minute meeting touched on issues ranging from Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement to specialized clinical care such as pediatrics and emergency medicine.