Marathon runner to make monumental strides to help kids with cancer

INDIANAPOLIS – Eric Metz views his participation in the 2010 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon more than just a challenge. It’s his personal declaration of war against childhood cancer.

The former Northwestern High School (Howard Co.) football player was diagnosed in 2007 as having non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. His subsequent treatment at Riley Hospital for Children and what he has observed there as a patient stirred in him a call to action when he learned about this year’s IMM event, whose title sponsor is St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers.

The now 20-year-old Metz is organizing a team under the moniker “Team Metz” with the goal of raising funds to assist Riley patients and to support the work of oncology and hematology physicians at that hospital.

“Our goal is to do all it can within its means to make those children's treatments more tolerable and successful for them and their families,” Metz said.

Metz plans to run in the half-marathon event (13.1 miles), which is part of the overall marathon (26.2 miles) and 5K race through Downtown Indianapolis Saturday Nov. 6. All 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.

St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers continues in its role as title sponsor of the IMM, which it has done since the 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.

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 exceeded $51,000.

To learn more about “Team Metz,” go to http://www.ericmetzwinthisbattle.org/

To register for the IMM go to http://monumentalmarathon.com.

More information about the St. Francis Sports Medicine program is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/Ortho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=4&tabid=54.

St. Francis physicians use plasma-boosted therapy to treat sport injuries

INDIANAPOLIS – Many athletes with chronic musculoskeletal injuries have a new non-surgical treatment option offered by St. Francis Sports Medicine physicians.

It’s called platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapies, which uses a patient’s own plasma to stimulate healing. The procedure works best for chronic ligament and tendon sprains and strains when conventional treatment has not helped.

John Baldea, M.D., and Robyn Fean, M.D., sports medicine experts and members of St. Francis Medical Group, are specially trained in the PRP therapy.

Here's how it works: Blood is drawn from a patient during an office v

isit and placed in a special centrifuge which separates the platelets from other blood cells. Platelets are cells that contain a high concentration of growth factors, which can promote aling.

“After the wound area has been anesthetized, the PRP is injected into the wound area using ultrasound to ensure accurate placement,” said Baldea.

Following initial treatment, a follow-up visit is scheduled several weeks later to evaluate the healing.

“Some patients respond well to just one treatment,” said Fean, adding that it is typical for patients to receive two or more treatments to receive the maximum benefit of the therapy.

To learn more about PRP and other services offered by St. Francis Sports Medicine, go to www.s

tfrancishospitals.org/Ortho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=4&tabid=54.

St. Francis Hospital joint replacement specialist to see patients in Vincennes

VINCENNES, Ind. – Michael E. Berend, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement surgery with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery in Mooresville, Ind., is seeing joint replacement patients in Vincennes each month.

The goal is to share the center’s specialized care, compassion and education with the community, Berend said.

The physicians at the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery perform nearly 3,000 knee, hip and shoulder replacements each year. Located at St. Francis Hospital in Mooresville, the center has been ranked No. 1 in Indiana for joint replacement surgery and in the top 5 percent in the nation for four years in a row by HealthGrades, a leading independent health ratings organization.

Board-certified in orthopedic surgery, Berend is a graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine and Orthopaedic program. He has additional fellowship training in joint replacement surgery. He has been at the Mooresville center for 12 years.

He has been published in more than 60 professional journals and has presented research papers nationally and internationally. He participates in research and education at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute.

Berend travels worldwide to train surgeons on the latest surgical techniques, including partial knee replacement and primary and revision hip and knee replacement surgery. He also participates annually in Operation Walk, a volunteer medical organization that provides joint replacement treatment for patients in developing countries.

His upcoming Vincennes clinic dates are Oct. 21, Nov. 12 and Dec. 1. For an appointment, call the Center the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at (317) 831-2273 or toll-free at (800) 237-7678.

More information about the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is at www.centerforhipandkneesurgery.org.

St. Francis Cancer Center offers support to breast cancer patients

INDIANAPOLIS. – There’s more to fighting cancer than good medicine and technology. That’s why St. Francis Cancer Center offers a well-designed support program to help breast cancer patients.

Designed for those with breast cancer, this group provides a safe place to share thoughts, feelings and gain practical information from others in similar situations at any treatment stage.

Beginning Oct. 14, the group will meet the second Thursday of each month from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Atrium, located at the hospital’s Inn at St. Francis (Indianapolis), 8111 S. Emerson Ave. The meeting location is best accessed at the Women & Children’s Services entrance.

The sessions are free; however, registration is recommended by calling 782-4422, or visit stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

For more information about the support group, contact Mindi Matthews at 317-782-7794.

Child safety is thrust of Martinsville Safe Kids seat check, Oct. 2

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. – St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville, Safe Kids Morgan County and State Farm Insurance Martinsville are sponsoring a car seat safety check on Oct. 2.

The event, which is free to the public, will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hollywood Video parking lot just off State Road 37 near Wal-Mart.

Inspectors will check all sizes of youngsters and car seats and have car seats available.

For more information, call State Farm office at 765-342-6807, or the Mooresville hospital’s Cherished Beginnings obstetrics unit at 317-834-5817.

Physician assistant hired by St. Francis Medical Group Vascular Surgeons

INDIANAPOLIS – Jessica Jochim, P.A., has joined St. Francis Medical Group Vascular Surgeons.

Jochim comes to St. Francis with clinical experience throughout Indianapolis in respiratory and critical care, emergency services, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery and pediatrics.

She primarily will assist Dawn Salvatore, M.D., with inpatient care and outpatient services. Salvatore, Donald Patterson, M.D., and Robert Zickler, M.D., form the core of St. Francis Vascular Services, located at 5255 E. Stop 11 Rd., Ste. 200.

Jochim earned a master’s in physician assistant studies at Butler University, where she earlier received a bachelor’s of science in health science. She also graduated with honors from Indiana State University with a bachelor’s of science in psychology.

Special Delivery: Dad takes charge at son’s birth at St. Francis-Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS – Mother Nature won’t be denied. No matter the time or location.

That’s the situation Loree and Gerardo Cardenas of Indianapolis found themselves in at about 4 a.m. today (Sept. 22) when they pulled onto the campus at St. Francis Hospital on the city’s far south side.

Loree was in the throes of heavy labor when they parked near the hospital’s Women & Children’s Services (WCS) parking lot, the traditional entry point for expecting parents. St. Francis security officers were immediately dispatched to the scene after Gerardo enlisted the help of another visitor.

The baby was crowning – that critical stage of labor when the baby’s head remains visible.

A physician and nurses from the obstetrics, emergency and the neonatal intensive care were hurriedly working their way to the scene when Sgt. Larry Buttz made an announcement on the radio.

The Cardenases’ son had just been born, with Gerardo handling the duties. Time of arrival: 4:14 a.m.

When the medical team arrived they found the crying infant cradled in Loree’s arms. Both were immediately taken to the WCS area for examinations and admission.

Jason Emmanuel weighed 6.5 pounds and measured 21 inches. He joins four other siblings ranging in age from 7 to 1 years old.

“Things were happening so fast I didn’t have time to be scared,” recalled Gerardo. “I just did what I had to do.”

The mother had a similar take on the situation.

“It was definitely my fastest delivery and I wasn’t sure we were even going to make it to the hospital,” said Loree, who, ironically as a nursing student most recently spent her clinical education in obstetrics.

In 2009, 2,745 babies were born at St. Francis-Indianapolis. Nearly 33,450 infants have been delivered since 1996, when the Women and Children’s Services program was consolidated at the hospital’s south-side campus.

‘Moonlight Serenade’ in tune with goal of building St. Francis Hospice House

INDIANAPOLIS – Music from the Indiana University Singing Hoosiers and auctions will signal a continued bid for a new facility benefiting end- of-life patients and their families served by St. Francis Hospice.

Moonlight Serenade gets under way 5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 6, at Jonathan Byrd’s Banquet and Conference Center, 100 Byrd Way, Greenwood.

The event features the IU Singing Hoosiers, a 115-member chorale ensemble who, in the past, have appeared with entertainers such as Bob Hope, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Duke Ellington, and Indiana songwriter and performer Hoagy Carmichael.

Their performance will be preceded by a silent auction, free hors d’ oeuvres, and a live auction hosted by Christy’s of Indiana. Also on hand will be Indiana basketball star Katie Douglas of the WBNA.

Proceeds from Moonlight Serenade go to the Bridge Campaign initiative, which seeks to construct an inpatient Hospice House facility near St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis on the city’s south side.

The St. Francis Healthcare Foundation is spearheading the Bridge Campaign to build a freestanding 16-suite facility with room for expansion to 32 suites. It also will include gathering and dining areas, landscaping and a chapel. It is estimated that Hospice House will serve more than 800 patients per year.

St. Francis medical professionals will provide 24 hours a day, seven days a week state-of-the-art pain and symptom management including emotional and spiritual support.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 317-859-2861

St. Francis Hospital nurses plant goodwill with care for patients

INDIANAPOLIS – St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers has two nurses whose acts of professionalism and compassion have sewn seeds of gratitude among their patients and colleagues.

And that’s why registered nurses Megan Bradshaw and Dawn Devine have been named the first recipients of the hospital’s DAISY Awards. The awards are part of The DAISY Foundation, a nationwide program recognizing extraordinary nurses.

Bradshaw works in the critical care unit at St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis; Devine cares for patients at bone marrow transplantation unit at St. Francis Hospital-Beech Grove.

Bradshaw’s nomination came from an out-of-state man whose father passed away at St. Francis-Indianapolis last summer. He wrote to hospital officials saying, “Megan was responsible for my father’s care during his final day. She worked diligently to make him comfortable. I would not want anyone other than Megan to take care of me if I were in the same situation.”

A co-worker of Devine recognized qualities in her that exemplify extraordinary service. Recently, she cared for a young man with cancer who was struggling with drug addiction. In nominating her colleague, she wrote, “Dawn Devine exemplified our mission and our

values, as she cared for this patient without judgment and made a connection that genuinely touched this patient’s life.”

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is a national program that honors the compassionate care and clinical excellence that our St. Francis nurses bring to their patients every day.

The DAISY Award was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died at 33 of an auto-immune disease. His family was so impressed by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for him that they created this national award to say “thank you” to nurses everywhere. For more information, go to www.daisyfoundation.org.

To learn more about nursing careers and programs at St. Francis, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/nursing.

Megan Bradshaw (l) and Dawn Devine receive DAISY Awards for their outstanding service to St. Francis patients.

St. Francis Heart Center offers various free courses throughout fall

INDIANAPOLIS – Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association.

Prevention is the key to lowering your chances of developing a cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease, stroke or high blood pressure. St. Francis Heart Center is offering free classes, programs, health fairs and screenings throughout September to improve the community’s health through education and prevention.

All of the events are open and free to the public.

Several of the Change of Heart classes will be held at the St. Francis Heart Center’s Community Center, located on the southeast corner of St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis, 8111 S. Emerson Ave. St. Francis-Mooresville, located at 1201 Hadley Road, also will host several of the events.

Registration is required. Call 317-782-4422 or register online at www. StFrancisHospitals.org/heart for these and many other classes throughout the fall.

Classes include:

What is a heart murmur?

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 6:30 pm

Johnson County Public Library, 401 S. State St., Franklin

Includes light meal

Presented by Marc Gerdisch, M.D.

Heart murmurs are caused by valves inside the heart that don’t close properly Sometimes, people can live with heart murmurs a long time without any symptoms. But if the problem becomes more serious, the blood flow to the heart may be affected. Cardiothoracic surgeon Marc Gerdisch, M.D., will talk about new treatments and surgeries for heart valves, including ongoing research studies at St Francis.

How to protect yourself from stroke

Thursday, Oct. 7, 6:30 p.m.

St Francis Hospital—Mooresville, 1201 Hadley Road, Mooresville

Presented by J.D. Graham III, M.D. FACC

Graham will talk about the importance of keeping the carotid artery leading to the brain free of plaque and disease, decreasing the risk for stroke. Class attendees may sign up for a free carotid artery screening

Why does it hurt to walk?

Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m.

St Francis Heart Center

Presented by Dawn Salvatore, M.D.

Thursday, Nov, 4, at 6:30 p,m,

2455 Intelliplex Dr, Shelbyville

(special registration number for Shelbyville program: 317-398-5261

Presented by Robert Zickler, M.D.

Leg pain can be a result of poor blood flow to the legs through the arteries, or it can be from poor blood flow back to the heart, causing enlarged or varicose veins. Zickler and Salvatore, both vascular surgeons for St Francis Medical Group, will discuss the blood flow to and from the legs, signs and symptoms of arterial or venous disease and treatment options available. Those attending may then sign up for a free peripheral vascular screening scheduled at a later date.

Treatment options for atrial fibrillation

Saturday, Nov,13, at 9:30 a.m.

Includes breakfast

St Francis Hospital classroom 1&2

Presented by John Moore III, M.D., Marc Gerdisch, M.D.

Atrial fibrillation is a condition where the heart beats irregularly at a high rate. If severe, this condition can lead to heart attack, stroke or death. Moore and Gerdisch, MD, will discuss the current medical and surgical treatments for atrial fibrillation and who should be treated. Registration is required for this program.

Coronary calcium scoring: Identifying cardiac risk

Thursday, Nov. 18, 6:30 p.m.

St Francis Heart Center

Presented by Sunil Advani, M.D.

Build-up of calcium in plaque in coronary arteries can cause heart attacks. Sometimes the plaque doesn’t completely block the artery but can break off causing a heart attack. Coronary calcium scoring is a high-tech way of finding the arteries with calcium build-up and is another way to identify your risk for heart disease. Advani will describe this test and answer your questions about heart attack risk factors A special screening offer will be made to those who attend this class

Change of Heart classes offered in Fall 2010

Heart Smart Dining

Monday, Sept 27., 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Thursday, Oct 21., 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Americans eat nearly half their meals away from home. How can you control what you eat when you don’t cook for yourself? Learn how to make wise menu selections and eat smart while dining out.

Healthy Meals on a Budget

Thursday, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Monday, Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m. at St Francis - Mooresville

As food prices climb and budgets get tight, smart purchases at the supermarket are important. In this class, you will learn ways to stretch your food budget while still getting the nutrients you need.

Exercise Tips for Your Heart

Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at St Francis - Mooresville

If you can’t find time to exercise or arent’ sure what the best exercise is for you, this class is for you. Discover that exercise can be healthy and fun Learn how to set up a schedule for yourself.

Super Shopping

Thursday, Oct 14, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Monday, Oct 18, 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis - Mooresville

Thursday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

With all the new and changing products on the shelves, grocery shopping can be overwhelming, Learn where to find the healthy foods and how to avoid packaging tricks commonly used to market foods, Discover how food labels make you a smarter shopper.

Atrial Fibrillation: A Patient’s Perspective

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Thursday, Oct 28, 6:30 p.m. at St Francis - Mooresville

Atrial fibrillation affects more than 5 million Americans with many of them right here in Indiana. Join Lisa Gillen, nurse practitioner at the St Francis Atrial Fibrillation Center, for education and discussion on A-fib in this class. Bring your questions about how to manage this disease from medications to diet to lab draws. Learn how to live a healthy life with A-fib and prevent the worst complication, a stroke.

Healthy Eating

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 6:30 p.m.at St Francis – Mooresville

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Diet’s don’t work! Learn about healthy lifestyles in this class. Find out how much a “serving” is and how to manage a healthy weight. Discover how fats, carbohydrates and protein affect our bodies. Do you know how much salt, fiber and sugar are in the foods you buy? This class offers the foundation for a healthy future.

Healthy Holiday Cooking Tips

Monday, Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m. at St Francis – Mooresville

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Don’t blow your good eating and dining habits this season Learn how to manage the holiday feasting and celebrations with lower-fat and flavorful options to traditional recipes.

Meatless Cooking Tips

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Reverse heart disease by eating more. Adding more fiber and meatless meals to your diet is easy with new products now on the market. This class will help you with menu planning and recipes so you can incorporate more meatless meals into your daily life.

Reduce Stress

Tuesday, Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m. at St Francis – Mooresville

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m. at Heart Center

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center (Reduce Holiday Stress)

Negative stress causes changes in lifestyle and behavior, which may lead to unhealthy choices. Learn to identify the causes of stress in your life and how to improve your health.

Comedian headlines St. Francis women’s health care event Oct. 14

PLAINFIELD, Ind. – If “humor is the best medicine,” then the Spirit of Women program at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers is writing a prescription that will cure what ails you.

Spirit of Women is hosting its fall event featuring comedian Diana Jordan – nominated by the American Comedy Awards as one of the Top Five Female Comedians in the Country – and the bestselling book author of A Wife’s Little Instruction Book: Your Survival Guide to Marriage Without Bloodshed!

The comedian, whose routine often touches on women’s health-care issues, will make her appearance Thursday, Oct. 14, at Serendipity at Metropolis, 2499 Futura Park Way, Suite 205.

The event, which is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. will offer wine tasting, chocolate, a raffle and information on various women’s health services, including massage therapy, sleep, breast cancer and more.

The cost is $10 per person. Reservations may be made by calling 317-865-5865

“As a Spirit of Women hospital, we are dedicated to improving women's lives with innovative health and community programs,” said Michele Wood, who directs the program at St. Francis.

St. Francis’ Spirit of Women program touches the lives of thousands of women each year through inspiring seminars, health education, a consumer membership program, the annual Day of Dance event and grassroots efforts to improve the health and well-being of women around south-central Indiana.

For more information about the St. Francis Spirit of Women program, visit www.StFrancisHospitals.org/women.

St. Francis family medicine chief elected to heart, lung leadership posts

INDIANAPOLIS – Richard D. Feldman, M.D., director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, has been elected to leadership positions with the American Lung Association in Indiana and American Heart Association of Indianapolis.

He begins his second term as president of AHA’s board of directors. He also recently was elected to the ALA’s board of directors.

Feldman, who directs the medical education program at St. Francis, holds several elected appointments with the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, the Indianapolis Medical Society and Indiana State Medical Association. He serves as president of the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians Foundation and is the immediate past president of the Indiana Medical History Museum.

A South Bend native, Feldman served as Indiana State Health Commissioner from 1997 to 2001, and he’s a regularly featured columnist for the Indianapolis Star.

St. Francis Heart Center is setting for nurses’ critical care competition

INDIANAPOLIS – The St. Francis Heart Center is preparing to host the CIC-AACN Critical Care Bowl, an annual event where central Indiana hospital teams demonstrate their nursing expertise.

The contest gets under way at 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 13 at the Heart Center, located at 8111 S. Emerson Ave. on the St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis campus.

St. Francis is fielding two teams of registered nurses, and their members are: Sherri Whaley, Frank Plettner, Alicia Garver, Kim Hankenhoff, Tiffany Lenior, Laurel Hubbard, Natalie Zink, Lindsay Tapp, Joe Fenton, Mary Beth Sears and Laura Williams

“This is a Jeopardy-type of competition with categories ranging from basic life support to mass casualties scenarios, and everything in between,” said Trish Wray, R.N., critical care unit manager at the Heart Center.

To date, seven other teams will represent Methodist Hospital, Major Hospital, St. Vincent Health, Wishard Hospital and Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Teams from St. Francis have won top honors at the Critical Care Bowl three of the last four years.

The contest, now in its 20^th year, is sponsored by the Central Indiana Chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

St. Francis Imaging Services hires new business manager

INDIANAPOLIS -- Scott Roberts has been appointed business manager for St. Francis Hospital & Health Center’s Imaging Services. Additionally, Roberts will also oversee operations of the Greenbrooke Imaging Center.

Previously, Roberts served as the coordinator of the Cardiac Screening Center at St. Francis Heart Center and has been instrumental in the development of Indiana’s first fully dedicated cardiac screening program. In 2008 he was awarded the Tony and Mary Hulman Health Achievement Award in Preventive Medicine for his efforts to promote cardiovascular screening.

He serves as the St. Francis liaison to for the American Heart Association. Within the community, he holds memberships in several local chambers of commerce and serves on the advisory board for the Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County. Roberts also is affiliated with the Cardiovascular Committee for the Healthier Morgan County Initiative, Advisory Board for the Department of Kinesiology at University of Indianapolis. He is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives.

A native of Terre Haute, Roberts received his bachelor of science in exercise science from Indiana State University. He currently is completing his master’s in business administration specializing in health care administration.

To learn more about St. Francis Imaging Services, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=85, or http://stfrancisimagingcenter.com.

Globally recognized knee surgeons to learn from St. Francis ortho experts

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – An international panel of orthopedic surgeons is coming to the Center for Hip and Knee Surgery at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville to observe and discuss advancements made in knee replacement surgery and therapies.

They will be learning the latest techniques in knee replacement surgery from physicians with Joint Replacement Surgeons, part of the St. Francis Medical Group.

Four international candidates for the John N. Insall Travelling Fellowship, sponsored by The Knee Society, will visit the hospital Oct. 19-20. They are: Alessandro Bistolfi, M.D., University of Torino, Turin, Italy; Gwo-Chin Lee, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Sebastien Lustig, M.D., Centre Albert Traillat Lyon University Hospital, Lyson-Caluire, France; and Riichiro Tsukamoto, M.D., Shonan Kamakura Joint Reconstruction Center, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan.

“Members of this prestigious group are internationally known for their surgical skills and research, and we are honored they have selected us to share expertise and to learn about the work we perform,” said E. Michael Keating, M.D., orthopedic surgeon with the Center for Hip and Knee Surgery and a Knee Society board member.

Other Knee Society members at the Mooresville center are Drs. John B. Meding, Philip M. Faris, Robert A. Malinzak and Michael E. Berend, an Insall Fellow in 2004.

As part of their training, the Insall physicians will visit 10 internationally recognized joint replacement centers, including the Mooresville hospital.

The Mooresville 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. For the past four years, the center also has received HealthGrades’ Joint Replacement Excellence Award and been ranked among the top 5 percent in the nation for joint replacement. It has been named a 5-star joint replacement facility for the past eight years.

To learn more about the Joint Replacement Surgeons, go to http://stfrancishospitals.org/SFMG/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=339. More information about the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/Ortho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=23.