News Center

Friday, August 29, 2014

New physician joins County Line Pediatrics

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Sarah H.  Gangadhar, MD, has joined Franciscan Physician Network County Line Pediatrics and is accepting new patients.

She joins Stacey Smith, MD, and Shanna Bowman, MD, whose offices are located at 747 E County Line Road, Suite G, Greenwood, and providing a full range of care for newborns, children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Dr. Gangadhar recently completed a pediatrics residency at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where she earned her medical degree. She received her undergraduate degrees in biology and Spanish at IU.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gangadhar, call 317-528-2020.


Franciscan Physician Network is a division of the Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Alliance. To learn more about network primary and specialty care services in central Indiana, go to FranciscanDocs.org.

Beth Nagle establishes practice with Beech Grove Family Medicine

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – Mary E. (Beth) Nagle, MD, has joined Franciscan Physician Network Beech Grove Family Medicine and is accepting new patients.

She joins Adam Paarlberg, MD; Richard Beardsley, MD; Paul Driscoll, MD; and Patrick Enright, MD, whose offices are located at 2030 Churchman Ave, Suite A, Beech Grove.

Board-certified in family medicine, Dr. Nagle recently completed a family medicine residency at Franciscan St. Francis Health. She earned her medical degree at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine in Memphis and received her undergraduate degree in biology with honors from Taylor University.

An Indianapolis resident, Nagle is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Indiana State Medical Association and American Medical Association.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Nagle, call 317-786-9286.


Franciscan Physician Network is a division of the Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Alliance. 

To learn more about network primary and specialty care services in central Indiana, go to FranciscanDocs.org.

Heart Center physicians, experts lead free seminars

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center is offering a full range of free classes focused on cardiovascular health and wellness throughout September.

Call 317-782-4422 or go on-line at MyHeartCare.net to register for any of the classes, which include:

HeartScan: Identifying cardiac risk
Sree Paleru, MD
Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 12:00 p.m. (noon)
Decatur County Memorial Hospital
720 N. Lincoln St.  Greensburg 

Jason Fleming, MD
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 6:30 p.m.
UnaVie Cardiology Center
2451 Intelliplex Dr., Shelbyville

Coronary arteries supply blood to your heart and can become blocked with calcium-containing plaque which can cause heart attacks.  Coronary calcium scoring, or HeartScan, is a high-tech way of detecting calcium build-up in the arteries and identifying your risk for heart disease.

Franciscan Physician Network Indiana Heart Physicians cardiologists will describe this test and answer your questions about other heart attack risk factors. One free HeartScan will be given away in a drawing at the class.

Change of Heart classes offered in Fall 2014

Fitness Tips
Wed, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center (8111 S. Emerson Ave.)
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.


Healthy Dining Out Tips
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m. at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville (1201 Hadley Road)
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 Eating
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center
Thurs, Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m.at St. Francis-Mooresville

Healthy eating leads to a healthy life!  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.

Quick meals at home
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Some days, we just don’t have the time – or the desire – to spend a lot of 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.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Surgeon steers ortho 'Road Show' to Carmel, Sept. 16

CARMEL, 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.

On Sept. 16, Franciscan St. Francis Health will present an arthritis and hip and knee replacement seminar at Ritz Charles, 12156 N. Meridian St. Light refreshments will be served, beginning at 6 p.m.

Robert Malinzak, MD, will explain the latest procedures in joint replacement and arthritis treatments. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement.

Dr. Malinzak is a surgeon with Franciscan Physician Network Joint Replacement Surgeons, the practice group affiliated with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at Franciscan St. Francis–Mooresville, recognized in the United States and the world as a premier center for joint replacement surgery.

To register for this seminar, call Franciscan St. Francis toll-free at 1-877-888-1777 or go to CenterForHipAndKneeSurgery.org and click on Hip & Knee Seminars.


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Franciscan St. Francis Health to offer free child safety seat inspections, Sept. 16

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Health is encouraging parents and caregivers to have children’s safety seats inspected based on recommendations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
That’s why the hospital is offering free inspections with certified technicians on hand to advise on the proper use of seats for youngsters. The first event is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 16 in the parking lot of Franciscan St. Francis Weight Loss Center (5230-A E. Stop 11 Road).
The event coincides with National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 14-20. If unable to visit the inspection sites, adults can arrange for free inspections by calling 317-528-5774.
“We want to help adults do their best to protect children,” said Sharilyn Wagner, RN, with Franciscan St. Francis’ car seat safety program. “It’s said that three-in-four child seats are not placed correctly. In the end, when it comes to the safety of your child, there is no room for mistakes.”
The hospital is partnering on the project with the Automotive Safety Program at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
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. A list of child safety seat inspection stations can be found at www.preventinjury.org or by calling 1-800-KID-N-CAR.
Here’s what the NHTSA recommends:
Birth – 12 months: 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. 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.

For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week or to find your local car seat event, visit www.childseat.in.gov.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Physician establishes practice with Indiana Heart Physicians

INDIANAPOLIS – Derrick J. Plahn, DO, has joined Franciscan Physician Network Indiana Heart Physicians and is accepting new patients.

Plahn, who specializes in nuclear cardiology, most recently completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at McLaren-Greater Lansing Hospital/Edward R. Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Mich.

Board-certified in internal medicine and board-eligible for cardiovascular disease, Plahn completed an internal medicine residency and internship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, N.J. 

Plahn earned his medical degree from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pa., and received his undergraduate degree from Indiana State University.

To schedule an appointment, call 317-893-1900.


Franciscan Physician Network is a division of the Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Alliance. To learn more about network primary and specialty care services in central Indiana, go to franciscandocs.org.

Physician joins Indiana Heart Physicians as a hospitalist

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Emmanuel Sarpong, MD, has joined Franciscan Physician Network Indiana Heart Physicians (IHP) as a hospitalist.

He is part of the newly established Cardiovascular Hospitalist Program, which will team him with interventional cardiologists to admit and consult on patients overnight. Hospitalists specialize in the care of patients in the hospital. 

IHP created the hospitalist program to make its cardiologists more available to Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center patients during day time hours. This approach improves continuity of care for patients who have been admitted overnight.

Sarpong earned his medical degree at the University of Ghana Medical School and is board-certified in internal medicine.

He completed an internal medicine residency at John Stroger Junior Hospital in Cook County, Ill., and prior to joining IHP, Dr. Sarpong was the program director of the hospitalist program at Indiana University Morgan Hospital.

Sarpong is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians and holds memberships in the Society of General Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians.

Indiana Heart Physicians has offices in Indianapolis, Franklin, Greensburg, Martinsville. Mooresville and Shelbyville.

Franciscan Physician Network is a division of the Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Alliance. To learn more about network primary and specialty care services in central Indiana, go to franciscandocs.org.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Surgeon explains orthopedic, joint replacement therapies in Bedford

BEDFORD, 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.

On Aug. 20, Franciscan St. Francis Health will present an arthritis and hip and knee replacement seminar at Quality Inn & Suites (formerly Comfort Inn), 911 Constitution Ave. Light refreshments will be served, beginning at 6 p.m.

Michael Berend, MD, will explain the latest procedures in joint replacement and arthritis treatments. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement.

Berend is a surgeon with Franciscan Physician Network Joint Replacement Surgeons, the practice group affiliated with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at Franciscan St. Francis–Mooresville, recognized in the United States and the world as a premier center for joint replacement surgery.

To register for this seminar, call Franciscan St. Francis toll-free at 1-877-888-1777 or go to CenterForHipAndKneeSurgery.org and click on Hip & Knee Seminars.


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

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

A century of healing, hope and inspiring good health in Central Indiana



Franciscan St. Francis Health observes its 100th anniversary

INDIANAPOLIS – In an era of both innovation and uncertainty, two Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration arrived in Beech Grove, Indiana in 1909 at the invitation of Father Peter Killian, pastor of the fledgling Holy Name Catholic Church.

The newly-formed city of Beech Grove was part of the industrial community on Indianapolis’ south side, but no health care facilities were available for the workers or the residents, many of whom had nowhere to turn for medical treatment. The Sisters recognized this need and the opportunity to serve.
 
The Sisters traveled by buggy from Lafayette, Ind., where they had opened their first hospital in the United States, St. Elizabeth, in 1876. Founded in 1863 by Mother Theresia Bonzel in Olpe, Germany, the Sisters of St. Francis were known for living out the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi, caring for the poor and those in need of health care.

“When Mother Theresia started our congregation, she didn’t intend to leave Europe,” said Sister Marlene Shapley, vice president of mission services for Franciscan St. Francis Health. “But because of the culture war on the Roman Catholic Church, coupled with the invitation of Bishop Dwenger to establish a convent in Indiana, she placed her trust in God, put six sisters on a boat and sent them to America. And we flourished because of her faith.”

After several years of construction and just before the start of World War I, on July 5, 1914, St. Francis Hospital was dedicated to care for the sick in central Indiana. The original hospital building had 75 beds, offering medical and surgical services, an operating room, X-ray and laboratory facilities, a pharmacy and an emergency room. In its first full year, it admitted 347 patients.

Over time, the St. Francis Hospital expanded in size and fostered innovation. Record-setting and noteworthy additions included Indiana’s first cobalt radiation therapy area for cancer in 1957; the 1969 installation of a Coulter S. Blood Analyzer to provide complete blood analysis in 40 seconds; and the development of a Special Care Nursery for ill newborns in 1975.



 
By the time of the last expansion in Beech Grove in the 1970s, the hospital included 500 beds. Through the 1980s, hospital services and programs grew and more space was necessary to support new technologies and serve an ever-growing population in central Indiana. 

In an effort to increase care across the region, the Indianapolis hospital, located on Emerson Avenue, was constructed in 1995. It offered space, interstate access and room to grow while still providing care to existing south side communities, as well as new communities. 

It first served as an outpatient center complementing the Beech Grove hospital. As needs in the communities continued to grow, a full range of inpatient services were added to the Indianapolis campus.

However, as the model of health care changed, focusing on wellness and closer management of chronic diseases, inpatient stays grew shorter and fewer in numbers. At that time it became necessary to consolidate services to the Indianapolis campus and close the Beech Grove facility in spring of 2012.

Though a difficult and carefully considered decision, combining the two hospitals under one roof enabled more efficiency and cost-savings, eliminated duplication of services and further enhanced the level of care patients expect and deserve.

In 2000, the Sisters pursued an opportunity to serve southwest of Indianapolis and acquired Kendrick Memorial Hospital, now Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville.  Kendrick had its earliest beginnings in 1881 with Clark Robbins, MD, and was one of the first facilities in the nation to provide specialization in colon and rectal care. Through its early years, and under the guidance of several physicians including William Kendrick, MD, in 1956, it flourished. 

Over time, its services diversified and grew to include internationally-recognized joint replacement surgery. Franciscan St. Francis Health added outstanding cancer care, obstetric services, outpatient surgery, imaging, lab and emergency services serving Morgan County, southwest Marion County and beyond.

The latest addition to the central Indiana region is Franciscan St. Francis Health-Carmel, a new model of short-stay hospital which opened in mid-2012. It offers a variety of orthopedic and outpatient surgery, along with primary and specialty care offices and imaging, lab and physical therapy services.

Today, Franciscan St. Francis Health treats more than 23,000 inpatients and 1.4 million outpatients yearly at its three campuses. Many of its services are ranked nationally for clinical excellence. In fact, the Indianapolis campus has received the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for the past three years, placing it in the top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation. Heart and orthopedic services, among others, also received top honors for clinical care.

Franciscan St. Francis Health is a division of Franciscan Alliance, which includes 13 hospitals in Indiana and Illinois. It also acquired what is now known as Franciscan Visiting Nurse Service and Franciscan Immediate Care to better serve the growing needs of patients. Franciscan Physician Network, also a division of Franciscan Alliance, includes more than 200 primary and specialty care physicians in the central Indiana region alone.

Although the system has expanded tremendously over the century, the Sisters have remained constant in their mission: “Continuing Christ’s Ministry in Our Franciscan Tradition.”

“As I look back on our 100 years, I see that our greatest strength with Franciscan Alliance, and in particular Franciscan St. Francis Health, is the Sisters’ and this organization’s commitment to our mission and values,” said Robert J. Brody, president and CEO of Franciscan St. Francis. “I feel blessed to be associated with this organization.”

Franciscan St. Francis is celebrating its 100th anniversary with activities throughout 2014. A permanent historical photo display was installed at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Indianapolis near the outpatient entrance and will feature a 100-year video later this year.
 
Employees will enjoy an old-fashioned picnic as well as have the opportunity to give back to the community through service projects.

The public also is invited to join the celebration at the highlight of this year’s events. The Franciscan St. Francis Health Centennial Gala is Saturday, Sept. 27 at the JW Marriot in Indianapolis. The gala will celebrate the compelling history of Franciscan St. Francis but will also focus on its future.


Proceeds from the event will benefit the hospital’s Hospice House, whose construction began earlier this summer. The facility is slated to open in 2015 and is expected to serve 600 patients and families annually.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Life now ‘very good’ for patient after multiple joint replacement surgeries

Steve Gochenour is back to an active lifestyle following
several joint replacement surgeries.
MOORESVILLE, Ind. – Steve Gochenour ran track and played football in high school and college, ran marathons during his post-education days, ran for enjoyment for years after that and has played golf on a regular basis. But despite Gochenour’s active history, it wasn’t athletics that took the greatest toll on his knees and hips.

It was genetics. Osteoarthritis follows Gochenour’s family like a predator, and the disease slowly caused the cartilage in his hip and knee joints to erode, making everyday activities painful.

About seven years ago, during the final days of a golfing vacation, his knees were so painful he was unable to drive himself home. The unbearable pain landed him in the emergency room by the end of the weekend.

That was the beginning of more than half a dozen years of taking prescription pain medication. While the painkillers worked, “I didn’t want to be on them for the rest of my life,” Gochenour said. The risk of heart attacks and other side effects from long-term use of the pain killers was concerning enough, but the fact that they didn’t kill all of the pain all of the time was enough to make him determined to find a lasting solution.

A two-day golf outing in July 2011 proved to be the final straw. A client commented to him that he was walking so strangely, he thought Gochenour would need help getting into his car. The client recommended joint replacement surgery at the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery (CHKS) at Franciscan St. Francis Health, and Gochenour began researching both the surgery and the center for himself. Once he knew the facts, he decided without hesitation to have the surgery.

 “I felt I was just masking the problem” by using pain medication,” Gochenour said. He met with orthopedic surgeon Robert Malinzak, MD, a CHKS orthopedic surgeon, who confirmed the problem in his knees and hips was not going to get any better and only get worse over time.

Gochenour – a resident of Columbus, Ind. – was a candidate for joint replacement surgery as soon as he was ready.

“I needed to replace all of them (two knees and two hips) eventually, so I might as well start sooner rather than later,” Gochenour said. “There was no need to stay in pain now when there was a solution.”

The beginning of the end

The end of pain for Gochenour began with his first surgery, his right hip in October 2011. Within just weeks after surgery, he and Malinzak could tell recovery was going well, and they scheduled surgery on the left hip for December of the same year

After both hips were complete, Steve decided to see how long he could wait before doing the knees. He endured injections of a natural lubricant into both knees and enjoyed a pain-free summer. But the effects eventually wore off, and he underwent his first knee replacement surgery in December 2012 and a second was performed in late 2013.

Gochenour returned to work just a few weeks after each replacement. He credits his relatively easy recoveries to his commitment to physical therapy and post-surgical exercises, his wife’s help with at-home exercises and therapies, and his surgical team.

“The surgeries have gone great,” he said. “Dr. Malinzak is very good to work with — he and all of his staff. My experience has been very, very good every time.”


He shares his positive, do-it-now approach with those considering the surgery for themselves. “From my perspective,” he said, “when you’re ready, don’t hesitate. It’s been a blessing for me to make the move, and I’ve been very pleased with the results. Life after surgery is very, very good.”

Monday, August 4, 2014

Acupuncture offers many good points to Franciscan St. Francis Health patients

REBECCA FLACK
reRrBy Dylan Sheldon

INDIANAPOLIS – Acupuncture has been an essential part of medicine and healing for thousands of years. You may have seen someone receiving acupuncture treatment on television and thought it looked interesting – or perhaps even strange. 
Scientific studies reveal evidence that acupuncture, a complex system of diagnosis and treatment that views the person as a whole being, can ease pain and treat a wide range of ailments.
The technique involves placing hair-thin needles in various pressure points (called acupoints) throughout the body. Such stimulation is believed to promote the body’s natural healing capabilities and enhance function. Acupuncture can be used to relieve pain, anxiety, stress, chronic fatigue, insomnia, infertility and more.
Additionally, acupuncture is currently being used for smoking cessation, alcohol and drug addiction, facial rejuvenation, weight loss and post-traumatic stress.
Acupuncture is offered at Franciscan St. Francis Health. Licensed acupuncturist Rebecca Flack is now seeing both men and women at the Women’s Health/Massage Therapy department at Franciscan St. Francis Health – Indianapolis, 5255 E. Stop 11 Road, Suite 430. 
Flack is an honors graduate of the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago and the University of Indianapolis. She holds an associate’s degree in nursing, a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and a master’s degree in both acupuncture and oriental medicine. 
Flack offers acupuncture, cupping and various other traditional Chinese therapies.
Services are available by appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 317-528-5865. 

Physician establishes practice with Orthopedic Specialists

PETER HOGG
INDIANAPOLIS – Peter G. Hogg, MD, has joined Franciscan Physician Network Orthopedic Specialists and is accepting new patients.

Hogg recently completed a five-year orthopedic surgery residency at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. He joins Drs. Daniel K Williams, Michael E. Ralston, Jeffrey A. Ollo, Kenneth S. Pherson and James W. Strickland, whose offices are located at 5255 E. Stop 11 Road, Suite 300.

A native of Bluffton, Ind., he earned his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and a bachelor of science in biochemistry from DePauw University, the latter of which he graduated from with honors and memberships in various academic societies.

Hogg is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Michigan Orthopaedic Society.

To schedule an appointment, call 317-528-4723.


Franciscan Physician Network is a division of the Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Alliance. To learn more about network primary and specialty care services in central Indiana, go to franciscandocs.org.