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.
