St. Francis Heart Center offers doctor-led seminars, wellness programs in October

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. Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center is offering free classes and screenings to reduce your risk through November.

To pre-register, call 317-782-4422 or toll free 1-877-888-1777. Registration also is available online at MyHeartCare.net.

“Ask-the-Doc” Classes include:

Coronary calcium scoring: How Heart Scan identifies your cardiac risk

Presented by Ryan Daly, MD., FACC, FASE

• Wednesday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center (8111 S. Emerson Ave.)

A build-up of calcium-containing plaque can block heart arteries and cause heart attacks. Coronary calcium scoring is a high-tech way of detecting calcium build-up in arteries and helps to identify your risk for heart disease. Daly will describe this test and answer your questions about other heart attack risk factors. A special screening offer will be made to those who attend the class.

How to protect yourself from stroke

Presented by Harry Genovely, MD

• Wednesday, Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville (1201 Hadley Road)

Genovely 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.

Change of Heart classes in October:

Getting started with good nutrition

• Tuesday, Oct.  2, 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center

Find out how much a “serving” is and how to manage a healthy weight.  Discover how fats, carbohydrates and protein affect our body.  Do you know how much salt, fiber and sugar are in the foods you buy?  This class offers the foundation for a healthy future!

Fitness Tips

• Monday, Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville

Being fit is more than being thin.  Research shows that no matter what you weigh, increasing your fitness helps your heart!  Discover that exercise can be healthy and fun.  Learn how to set up a schedule for yourself.

Where’s the flavor?

• Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville

• Tuesday, Oct.  9 at 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center

Healthy cooking leads to a healthy life.  Adding herbs and spices to your cooking increases the flavor and enjoyment of the meals.  Learn how to choose the right ingredients that pump up the nutritional value and flavor of your favorite recipes in this class.  Recipe substitutions and cooking techniques will be discussed.

Savvy Shopping

• Monday, October 15, 6:30 P.M.

• Camby Meijer

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.

Reduce Stress

• Tuesday, Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center

• Monday, Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville

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.

Meatless Cooking Tips

• Thursday, Oct. 18, 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis 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.

Healthy Dining Out Tips

• Tuesday, Oct.  23, 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville

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 when dining out.

Quick meals at home

• Tuesday, Oct.  30, 6:30 p.m.

• Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center

Some days, we just don’t have the time – or the desire – to spend much time in the kitchen.  But that doesn’t mean we need to sacrifice eating well at home.  Learn how to fix quick and easy nutritious meals you and your family can enjoy.

Physician establishes new practice with Oncology & Hematology Specialists

INDIANAPOLIS – Sarah Ali, MD, has joined Franciscan Physician Network Oncology & Hematology Specialists.

Certified in internal medicine and board-eligible in medical oncology and hematology, she also has an interest in breast cancer and hematologic malignancies.

Dr. Ali earned her medical degree at St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies, and completed an internal medicine residency at McLaren Regional Medical Center, Michigan State University (MSU) College of Human Medicinein in Flint. She also completed a hematology/oncology fellowship at Michigan State University.

Located within Franciscan St. Francis Cancer Center at 8111 S. Emerson Ave., Oncology & Hematology Specialists, provides a wide range of cancer care services to patients throughout Indiana.

St. Francis Health surgeon steers orthopedics ‘Road Show’ to Plainfield

PLAINFIELD, Ind. – You can overcome hip and knee pain and get back to leading an active and rewarding life — and Franciscan St. Francis Health wants to show you how.

Franciscan St. Francis Health will present an arthritis and hip and knee replacement seminar at 6:30 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Primo West, 2353 E. Perry Road, Plainfield. Light refreshments will be served, beginning at 6 p.m.

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

Faris is a surgeon with Franciscan Physician Network Joint Replacement Surgeons, a practice group affiliated with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at Franciscan St. Francis Health–Mooresville.

The Center has been ranked No. 1 in Indiana for joint surgery five years in a row (2007-2011) by HealthGrades, one of the nation’s premier health care rating companies.

To register for this seminar, call toll-free at 1-877-888-1777.

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

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

INDIANAPOLIS – Senior Promise is hosting its 19^th annual Fall Health Festival, Friday, Oct. 12, at The Atrium Banquet Hall, 3143 E. Thompson Road.

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 wheelchair-accessible facility.

The festival offers information on a variety of medical topics and health screenings, including cholesterol, blood pressure, oral cancer, balance assessment, vision, diabetes foot, and lung/air capacity.

The Visiting Nurse Service at St. Francis will be on hand to offer free flu and pneumonia shots to those receiving Medicare Part B or having Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance. The flu vaccine is $35 and pneumonia vaccine is $70 for non-Medicare enrollees and non-Part B Medicare beneficiaries.

The festival is attended by an estimated 600 each year, one of the largest senior health fairs in Central Indiana.

Launched in 1987, Senior Promise, a program based at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Indianapolis, provides its 22,000-plus members a variety of meaningful services and benefits for people age 50 and older throughout the year.

For more information about Senior Promise call 317-528-6660.

Perennial Chrysanthemum Ball blooms anew to benefit St. Francis Hospice House

WTHR-13 reporter Kris Kirschner to emcee Oct. 27 event at The Westin Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS – The 45^th annual Franciscan Alliance Foundation-St. Francis Health Chrysanthemum Ball is slated for Saturday, Oct. 27, with this year’s proceeds benefiting the planned Hospice House project.

The event, which will be emceed by WTHR-13 reporter Kris Kirschner, gets under way at 6 p.m. with registration, a silent auction, reception and music by the acoustic trio, Tonos Triad, whose eclectic sounds have been described as “jazzpop/Eurofolk.”

Kirschner has been with the Indianapolis NBC affiliate for 15 years and is a reporter for the station’s “Sunrise” show and fill-in at the anchor desk.

Dinner and other events will continue throughout the evening with entertainment by T.P. Mulrooney and Tastes Like Chicken, a band whose music will take patrons on a journey beginning with tunes which were popular when the hospital-Chrysanthemum Ball began in 1967.

Since 1995, the Ball has raised an average of $42,000 annually, supporting hospital projects such as cancer and cardiovascular services and research, the Neighborhood Health Center at Garfield Park and various outreach programs Franciscan St. Francis offers to the community.

The year’s proceeds for Hospice House will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Franciscan Alliance.

To be located on the Franciscan St. Francis-Indianapolis campus at 8111 S. Emerson Ave., Hospice House will be the only facility of its kind in south-central Indiana and will serve many surrounding counties. Its features include:

• 16-suite facility (with additional shell space for future expansion)
• Bright gathering areas, kitchen and dining areas
• Garden-like landscaping and a chapel for meditation and worship
• Unlimited visitation from loved ones and family members, including the family pet

Kirschner has been with the Indianapolis NBC affiliate for 15 years and is a reporter for the station’s “Sunrise” show and fill-in at the anchor desk.

Dinner and other events will continue throughout the evening with entertainment by T.P. Mulrooney and Tastes Like Chicken, a band whose music will take patrons on a journey beginning with tunes which were popular when the hospital-Chrysanthemum Ball began in 1967.

Since 1995, the Ball has raised an average of $42,000 annually, supporting hospital projects such as cancer and cardiovascular services and research, the Neighborhood Health Center at Garfield Park and various outreach programs Franciscan St. Francis offers to the community.

The year’s proceeds for Hospice House will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Mishawaka, Ind.-based Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration.

To be located on the Franciscan St. Francis-Indianapolis campus at 8111 S. Emerson Ave., Hospice House will be the only facility of its kind in south-central Indiana and will serve many surrounding counties. Its features include:

• 16-suite facility (with additional shell space for future expansion)
• Bright gathering areas, kitchen and dining areas
• Garden-like landscaping and a chapel for meditation and worship
• Unlimited visitation from loved ones and family members, including the family pet

Chrysanthemum Ball 2012 sponsors include: Bose, McKinney & Evans (title sponsor), Emergency Physicians of Indianapolis (presenting sponsor), Indiana Members Credit Union, G3 Technology Partners, Cardiac Surgery Associates, Duke Realty and Integration Partners.

For sponsorship information call 317-528-7807 or to purchase tickets, call 317 528-8949. Visit www.givetohospice.org for more information about the event and Hospice House.

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New physician joins Heartland Crossing Pediatrics practice group

CAMBY, Ind. – Kristina L. Whitesell, MD, has established a practice with Franciscan Physician Network Heartland Crossing Pediatrics.

She joins Gerald Butler, MD, and David Hoffman, DO, whose practice group provides general pediatric care, normal newborn care and inpatient care for children up to 18 years old. The office is located at 10701 Alliance Drive, Suite B., Camby.

Whitesell recently completed a pediatrics residency at the Indiana University School of Medicine (Riley Hospital for Children). She earned her medical degree at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and was an honors graduate at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, where she received a bachelor of arts in biochemistry.

She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.

Led by President Isaac J. Myers II, MD, Franciscan Physician Network (formerly known as St. Francis Medical Group) is a multidisciplinary group of physicians throughout central Indiana. These physicians offer a variety of primary care and specialty care services and all practice at Franciscan St. Francis Health.

Surgeon to explain arthritis, joint replacement therapies Sept. 27 in Fishers

FISHERS, Ind. – Hip and knee pain shouldn’t keep people from leading active and rewarding lives – and Franciscan St. Francis Health wants to show you how.

The Franciscan St. Francis “Road Show” will be coming to town at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 27, at the Hilton Garden Inn, 9785 North by Northeast Blvd., Fishers. In the spotlight is a hip and knee replacement seminar. A light buffet will be served at 6 p.m.

Wesley Lackey, 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.

Lackey is a surgeon and fellow with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at St. Francis Health–Mooresville. The Center has been ranked No. 1 in Indiana for joint surgery five years in a row (2007-2011) 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.

More information about the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is at stfrancishospitals.org. Click the link in the center section of the home page.

St. Francis Health, Marion Co. safety officials offer free child seat inspections

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Health is encouraging parents and caregivers to have children’s safety seats inspected based on new recommendations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

That’s why the hospital and the Marion County Traffic Safety Partnership are offering free inspections with certified technicians on hand to advise on the proper use of the seats for youngsters. The first event is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 18. The event will be located at 5230A Stop 11 Road near the hospital’s Indianapolis campus.

The event coincides with National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 17). Appointments are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling Don Bickel at 317-327-5356. If unable to visit the inspection site, adults can arrange for free inspections at other times by calling 317-528-5774.

“We want to help adults do their best protect to protect children,” said Sharilyn Wagner, RN, with Franciscan St. Francis’ pediatric specialty clinic. “It’s said that three-in-four child seats are not place correctly. In the end, when it comes to the safety of your child, there is no room for mistakes.”

In motor vehicle crashes, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for children younger than 1 and by 54 percent for children 1 to 4 in passenger cars, according to data collected by NHTSA. In 2009 alone, 754 children 12 or younger were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes while riding in passenger cars or light trucks.

And among those who were fatally injured where restraint use was known, 42 percent were unrestrained. Many of these tragedies could have been prevented if the children were in the right restraint for their age and size.

The updated recommendations emphasize how important it is to keep children in each restraint type for as long as possible before moving them to the next type. For maximum child passenger safety, parents and caregivers should visit their local inspection station to ensure their children’s car seats are used properly.

Here’s what the NHTSA recommends:

Birth – 12 months: For the best possible protection, your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 – 3 years: Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. This may result in many children riding rear-facing to age 2 or older. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

4 – 7 years: Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 – 12 years: Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.

Wagner further recommends that:

• Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time.
• Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits.
• To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
• Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.

Physician joins St. Francis Health Diabetes & Endocrinology practice group

INDIANAPOLIS – Timothy J. Shoemaker, MD, has established a practice with Franciscan Physician Network Diabetes & Endocrinology Specialists.

He joins five other physicians in a practice group, located at 5230A E. Stop 11 Road, Suite 150., Indianapolis.

Shoemaker recently completed and endocrinology fellowship at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he also completed internal medicine residency training. He served as internal medicine chief resident at Wishard Memorial Hospital.

He earned his medical degree at the IU School of Medicine and received his undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. He holds memberships in the American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Led by President Isaac J. Myers II, MD, Franciscan Physician Network (formerly known as St. Francis Medical Group) is a multidisciplinary group of physicians throughout central Indiana. These physicians offer a variety of primary care and specialty care services and all practice at Franciscan St. Francis Health.

St. Francis Health Girls Night Out event features local fashion consultant

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Health’s Spirit of Women’s program is offering its annual Girls' Night Out -- Reinvention Through Fashion: Creating Image Confidence With New Fashion Trends” – featuring image consultant Sola Adelowo.

 
Adelowo is affiliated with the Association of Image Consultants International and  fashion and image contributor to WISH-TV 8’s “Indy Style.”

The event, which is from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, at Primo Banquet & Conference Center, 2615 National Ave, helps women to create their own kind of brilliance through fashion and learn about self-discovery.

Participants will enjoy the snack buffet as they shop for fair-trade accessories and gifts, and consult with esthetician, hair stylists and weight coach. Counselors will be on hand to help visitors in areas such as health and fitness.

The cost of this event is $10. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 317-528-5866.

This year’s sponsors are Silver Moon Hair Studio, ImageCube and Macy’s of Greenwood.

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

The 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 throughout central Indiana.

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

‘Mammothon’ offers breast cancer screenings at 4 St. Francis Health locations

INDIANAPOLIS – With early detection, diagnosis and treatment options, more patients are beating breast cancer, yet many women don’t seek annual mammography screenings for a variety of reasons.

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Franciscan St. Francis Cancer Center is hosting its 2^nd annual Mammothon throughout October. Each event offers extended screening hours and a variety of other activities designed to celebrate women’s health, making it more convenient for women to schedule one of the most important cancer screenings.

The events will be at four hospital locations:

·         Franciscan St. Francis-Carmel

12188 B N. Meridian St.

6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 5

·         Franciscan St. Francis-Indianapolis

8111 S. Emerson Ave.

6 a.m.-9 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 12

·         Franciscan St. Francis-Mooresville

1201 Hadley Road

6 a.m.-9 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 19

·         Franciscan Plainfield Health Center

315 Dan Jones Road

6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 26

In addition to screening mammograms, the hospital will provide free bone density and heart screenings, massages, skin care demonstrations by Lancôme Cosmetics, and other health education information. Also, Franciscan St. Francis physicians will be on hand to discuss women’s health issues. Refreshments and door prizes will be offered to participants. Those scheduling a screening mammogram during the event will receive a free Vera Bradley® gift.

Mammograms are by appointment only and can be made by calling 855-837-8830. All major insurances are accepted.

For those who qualify, financial assistance is available through the Little Red Door Cancer Agency. Call 317-925-5595 for more information.

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 230,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer occur annually in the United States. The survival rate has improved significantly because of mammogram screenings and early detection.

In addition to clinical exams, the ACS recommends that women 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year for as long as they are in good health.

Although regular mammograms can reduce breast cancer deaths by more than 30 percent, nearly one-third of eligible women do not get regular screenings.

For additional event information, visit www.mammothon.com.

Westfield Festival mixes family fun with health and safety activities

WESTFIELD, Ind. – Area residents will have the opportunity for some family fun while taking advantage of a variety of health- and safety-related activities at the 4^th annual City of Westfield Safety Festival, Saturday, Sept. 15.

The event, sponsored by Franciscan St. Francis Health–Carmel and Franciscan Immediate Care–Village Park Plaza, runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Village Park Plaza, Greyhound Pass and US 31 (Meridian Street).

Under its tent, Franciscan St. Francis will offer fun health-related activities for youngsters, including a “Passport to Safety” game featuring “Let’s Pretend X-ray”, agility tests and hand washing demonstrations. Screenings for blood pressure and bone density, fall prevention and mammogram scheduling will be offered to adults.

Also on this year’s program are demonstrations by Midwest Search Dogs, Westfield Police Department canine unit and Westfield Fire Department, as well as CPR demonstrations by Franciscan St. Francis and fire department experts. State Farm Insurance will have a large mobile unit to demonstrate roadway hazards to teenage drivers, including semitrailers’ blind spots, texting and impaired driving.

Giveaway items will be available.

Franciscan Immediate Care–Village Park Plaza opened Aug. 1. This facility offers patients convenient access to quality urgent medical care when needed without having to schedule an appointment. Physicians and staff members are available to see patients every day of the year from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Last April, the Franciscan St. Francis Health-Carmel Hospital opened as a short-stay medical center, offering patients a range of inpatient and outpatient services that are conveniently located and quick and easy to access. Located at North Meridian Medical Pavilion at 12188-B N. Meridian St., the hospital provides onsite imaging, surgery, physical therapy and laboratory services, as well as orthopedics, oncology and other specialties.. 

Franciscan St. Francis Health nurses honored with DAISY awards

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Health has two registered whose acts of compassionate care and joyful service has sewn seeds of gratitude among their patients and colleagues.

For Carol O’Keefe and Terri Sullivan, nursing is far more than a career. It’s a veritable calling.

O’Keefe, a surgical progressive care nurse at the Indianapolis campus, was nominated by a patient’s family member, who credited her for impeccable care.

“Carol is an angel and if God is, if he isn’t already, blessing her life for the love and kindness that she shows to her patients,” said the patient’s family member who nominated O’Keefe. “She is close to perfect as I’ve ever seen. She is super human.”

Sullivan, an ICU nurse at the Mooresville campus, was nominated by a colleague who nominated her for her compassionate care with several patients.

“Terri showed her generous nature with one long-term ICU patient and her beautiful giving nature with another terminally-ill patient,” said a respiratory therapist colleague. “She pulled her chair up to the patient’s bedside, held his hand and told him she was there and she would stay with. She reached out and hugged him.”

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is a national program that honors the compassionate care and clinical excellence that our Franciscan 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 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 Franciscan St. Francis, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/nursing.

Business development director assumes role with St. Francis Health

INDIANAPOLIS – David F. Delaney has been appointed director of business development for Franciscan St. Francis Health.

He most previously served as a community/business development consultant for Advantage Health Solutions, Inc., where we helped develop hospital and physician programs for self-insured and fully insured employers. He held various executive and senior leadership roles in health-care organizations in central Indiana in the past.

A resident of Indianapolis, Delaney has wide experience in hospital management and finance, insurance industry principles and finance integrated health-care system design and negotiation of payer contracts, physician/hospital financial integration, and employer direct product design and deployment.

Delaney is a graduate of Purdue University.

Ortho surgeon steers "Road Show" to Bedford in October

BEDFORD, Ind. – Hip and knee pain shouldn’t keep people from leading active and rewarding lives – and Franciscan St. Francis Health wants to show you how.

The St. Francis “Road Show” will be coming to town at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Comfort Inn Bedford, 911 Constitution Ave. In the spotlight is a hip and knee replacement seminar. A light buffet will be served at 6 p.m.

Philip M. 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 the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at St. Francis Health–Mooresville. The Center has been ranked No. 1 in Indiana for joint surgery five years in a row (2007-2011) 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.

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

St. Francis Health walk, events honor memories of lost infants

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – Franciscan St. Francis Health will host its 27th annual Walk to Remember Saturday, Oct. 6.

Hundreds of families from around central Indiana who have lost children through miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death will come together to remember their babies in a service of music, poetry, reading of the infants' names and balloon release .

The walk begins at 11 a.m. at Holy Name Catholic Church, 89 N. 17th St., and treks to nearby Sarah T. Bolton Park. The program lasts about 90 minutes, and participants are encouraged to bring blankets, folding chairs and to bring a picnic lunch.

Franciscan St. Francis representatives also will be on hand to discuss ways to cope with pregnancy loss and to explain the hospital’s Memories to Hold support group for grieving families.

For more information about Walk to Remember, call 317-528-5199 or click here to register.

Franciscan Physician Network unites system’s medical practices

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan Alliance, one of the largest health-care systems in the Midwest, has established Franciscan Physician Network – a move which unites the system’s growing number of employed doctors.

Franciscan Physician Network has more than 750 physicians at 260 practice locations, who care for more than three million patients annually. This new organization brings together, under one name, the many physician groups associated with Franciscan Alliance’s hospitals and various access points all across the system.

“Franciscan Physician Network is the brand name of a corporate-led effort to more closely align separately employed physician groups throughout our system,” said Albert P. Tomchaney, MD, chief medical officer for the Mishawaka-based Franciscan Alliance. “This network redesigns health-care delivery and provides stellar care for patients in a more efficient manner.”

Planning and formation of Franciscan Physician Network has been under way for nearly a year.

The rebranding changes the name of the group of nearly 200 physicians employed by

St. Francis Medical Group, led by president Isaac J. Myers II, MD. With locations at more than 78 sites throughout Central Indiana, these doctors also practice at Franciscan St. Francis Health hospitals in Indianapolis, Mooresville and Carmel, and at the Plainfield Health Center.

In addition to the former St. Francis Medical Group, other physician groups which are now part of Franciscan Physician Network or affiliated with it:

•  Sigma Medical Group – West Central Indiana

•  Woman’s Clinic – Lafayette

•  Lafayette OB/GYN –  Lafayette

•  Premier Healthcare for Women – Lafayette

•  Athens Medical Group – Crawfordsville

•  HealthPartners Medical Group – Northern Indiana

•  Medical Associates – Northern Indiana

•  Hammond Clinic – Northern Indiana

Franciscan Physician Network locations also are enhancing their services through use of the EpicCare electronic medical records system, MyChart, which provides physicians and patients faster access to information and a secure link between doctors’ offices and hospitals.

Patients are able to access their medical records free of charge from physician offices and the hospitals through Epic’s MyChart system, which also provides reference materials to help them understand their conditions and to answer questions. Likewise, MyChart allows patients to request or schedule physician appointments.