Franciscan Alliance selects new director to help lead health system’s Ethics Programming

MISHAWAKA, Indiana – Jillian J. Boerstler has been appointed Director of Ethics Programming for Franciscan Alliance.

In that role, she will assist Franciscan Alliance Corporate Ethicist Father Michael Place, in building a stronger system-wide ethics program for Franciscan Alliance. She also will oversee the Franciscan Leadership Enhancement Program.

Boerstler has served as Administrative Director for Imaging for Franciscan St. Francis Health, a division of Franciscan Alliance, since 2013. Before that assignment, she was manager over clinical operations at Franciscan St. James Health and has also served as a corporate buyer and contract analyst for Franciscan.

Certified in Catholic Healthcare Ethics and Healthcare Leadership-Disaster Preparedness, Boerstler was an honors graduate at Saint. Mary’s College (Notre Dame, IN) and received her undergraduate degree in philosophy and theology. She later earned a Master’s of Public Affairs in health care administration at Indiana University.

Boerstler is completing a Master’s in Theology this spring, with concentration in Catholic bioethics, at Holy Apostles Seminary (Connecticut).

She is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha (National Honor Society for Public Administration) and Theta Alpha Kappa (National Honor Society for Religious Studies) and holds a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma, a set of tools and strategies for process improvement.

Boerstler is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Indiana Healthcare Executive Network, Indianapolis Alumnae board for Saint Mary’s College, and active in other church and community activities.

Franciscan Physician Network specialists now offering care to Columbus-area patients

COLUMBUS, Ind. – With the opening of Franciscan Physician Network Columbus Primary & Specialty Care, a number of specialists are now providing care at the 123 2^nd St. location.

They are Blake Erdel, MD, endocrinologist with Diabetes & Endocrinology Specialists; Ben Tsai, MD, colon and rectal surgeon with the Kendrick Colon & Rectal Center; and Nancy Menning, ANP, advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner with Gynecologic Oncology Specialists.

Earlier this month, Oncology & Hematology Specialists opened a new infusion center and provide care Monday through Friday. Providers include Eric Rubenstein, MD, Meghana Raghavendra, MD, and Alison LaFlower, ANP.

Also in January, Rheumatology & Osteoporosis Specialists will begin offering care every other

week in Columbus with Mazen Elyan, MD, MS. The current schedule for these specialists:

·        Dr. Raghavendra, Dr. Rubenstein and Alison LaFlower see patients Monday through Friday.

·        Dr. Erdel sees patients every Wednesday.

·        Dr. Tsai sees patients the second and fourth Monday of each month

·        Nancy Menning will meet with patients the third Wednesday of each month.

·        Dr. Elyan will begin to see patients every other Thursday beginning in February

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

Franciscan St. Francis Health selects new pharmacy services director

INDIANAPOLIS – Ronda D. Freije, MBA, RPh, has been appointed director of pharmacy services for Franciscan St. Francis Health. 

She most recently served as pharmacy operations manager, where she oversaw the daily operations at the hospital’s Indianapolis campus. In that role, she supervised a staff of more than 100 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and medication reconciliation technicians.

Freije has served on a variety of clinical and operational committees since joining Franciscan St. Francis staff in 1992.      

She received a bachelor of science in pharmacy from Butler University and later earned a master’s in business administration from the University of Indianapolis. Freije has also completed the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists Leadership Academy and the American Hospital Association Improvement Leader Fellowship.

Franciscan St. Francis Health’s women’s health services earns national recognition

Expansion project gains ground with relocation, opening of new services

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Health has received the 2015 Women’s Choice Award^® as an America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics.

The list of more than 350 Women’s Choice Award winners represents hospitals where women can feel confident in choosing for their maternity needs.

This recognition comes in the wake of the recent opening of a new neonatal intensive care unit and pediatrics wing, which are part of an ongoing $37 million construction project at the Indianapolis hospital’s Women & Children’s Center. The new unit is the only Level III NICU in south-central Indiana.

Other recent project milestones include moving massage and acupuncture services and the  Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic into the new Women & Children’s Center. Women’s rehabilitation and pelvic health services will be open to the public at the end of January.  

“This evidence-based designation is the only award that identifies the country’s best health care institutions based on criteria that consider female patient satisfaction, clinical excellence, and what women say they want from hospital,” said Lori Warner, director of Women & Children’s Services at Franciscan St. Francis. “We’re pleased our hospital and robust women’s health services have been selected for this honor.”

“New moms have many choices when it comes to obstetrics. Now they can make informed decisions based on the recommendations of other moms who have experienced that hospital first hand,” says Delia Passi, CEO and founder of the Women’s Choice Award, and former publisher of Working Woman and Working Mother magazines. “Most importantly, when a woman sees the Women’s Choice Award at her local hospital, she’ll know the hospital values her experience as a critical component of care for her and her loved ones.”

The America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics scoring process is unique in that it is the only national list that focuses on female patient satisfaction. Only the hospitals who qualify for this highly selective designation provide the highest level of obstetric services based on their exceptional scores for patient recommendation, as provided by data reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.