Lab modernization delivers expanded, faster test results for patients and physicians

INDIANAPOLIS – A new collaboration between two medical groups will expand the lab capabilities at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Indianapolis, adding new technology and automation to bolster diagnostic testing for the hospital.

PCL Alverno and Beckman Coulter have installed a fully automated system that manages lab processes at Franciscan St. Francis more efficiently. The system has been integrated gradually over the last several months.

“The modernization of the laboratory is important because it makes everyone’s job more efficient and enables technologists to provide results with greater accuracy,” said Debra Berner, Alverno Laboratory Director at Franciscan St. Francis. “This increases staff safety by eliminating the need to handle specimens, and the automation frees up technologists to handle more complex specimens and cases.”

The Hammond, Indiana-based Alverno provides more than 750 types of tests in clinical and anatomic pathology for Franciscan Alliance’s 13 hospitals, other hospitals, physicians and research groups. Alverno processes more than 23 million tests each year.

The Indianapolis hospital is the first within Franciscan Alliance to deploy the new system.

“Instruments are the core driver of any lab operation, said Sam Terese, Alverno’s president and chief operating officer. “We have not just overhauled our labs with new laboratory technology solutions – we also have worked closely with Beckman Coulter to apply deep process advancements to ensure we are equipped to offer higher levels of service to patients and physicians.”

Automation long has been regarded as integral for labs to achieve greater efficiency, accuracy, standardization, quality and patient safety.

“With automation, labs can more effectively meet high demands while reducing costs and maintaining quality,” Terese said. “It is a necessary option for labs seeking to remain competitive.”

The Franciscan St. Francis lab will formally unveil its automated system and new instrumentation at a ribbon-cutting Friday, May 29. Hospital leaders and executives from Alverno and Beckman Coulter will join lab staff, who will demonstrate how the system works.

Students poised for careers after graduating from medical tech program

INDIANAPOLIS – Five students recently graduated from the Franciscan St. Francis Health Clinical Laboratory Science Program. 

The 2015 graduates and specialty field majors are:

Matthew Bruce, IUPUI (BS, general studies; 2014, BS, biology 2015). Parents, Ronnie and Marla Bruce of New Salisbury, Indiana.

Samantha Engle, Purdue University (BS, medical laboratory science 2015). Parents, Doug and Audrey Engle of Columbia City, Indiana.

Monica Mikolajczyk, Ball State University (BS, medical technology and pre-medicine 2015). Parents, Miroslaw and Mariola Mikolajczyk of Muncie, Indiana.

Katelyn Miller, Franklin College (BA, biology 2015). Parents, Jerry and Karen Stewart of Ramsey, Indiana.

Alex Umberger, Ball State University (BS, biology 2009). Parent, Pamela Umberger of Pendleton, Indiana.

The Franciscan St. Francis Health Clinical Laboratory Science is affiliated with several colleges and universities across the Midwest.

The program, which is a division of the hospital’s clinical laboratory, was established in 1967 and is dedicated to preparing professional medical technologists with the theoretical and practical training to serve as active members of the health care team in clinical laboratory science.

Medical technology involves conducting a wide range of laboratory tests for the detection, diagnosis, treatment and study of diseases. Clinical laboratory scientists work closely with pathologists and other specialists to ensure the accuracy of diagnoses.

More than 350 students have graduated from the program since its inception. 

Orthopedic surgeon slated for induction into European Hip Society

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – Orthopedic surgeon Robert A. Malinzak, MD, has been accepted into the European Hip Society (EHP), a  prestigious, nonprofit scientific association based in Innsbruck, Austria.

Dr. Malinzak’s induction will be formally announced next September at the 12th Congress of EHP in Munich, Germany. The organization has more than 500 members representing 30 nations. It also publishes Hip International, a peer-reviewed academic journal focused on advancements in hip surgery, traumatology of the hip, prosthetic surgery, biomechanics and basic science topics relating to the hip.

A member of Franciscan Physician Network Joint Replacement Surgeons, Dr. Malinzak practices at the internationally recognized Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and has led several clinical committees during his tenure with the hospital.

Dr. Malinzak is a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and has been widely published in professional medical journals. He holds editorial leadership roles with Current Orthopaedic Practice and Journal of Arthroplasty.

After receiving his undergraduate degree at Davidson College in North Carolina, Dr. Malinzak became a high school physics and science teacher in Winston-Salem. He later earned his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, where he completed an internship and residency training in orthopedic surgery.

Dr. Malinzak joined the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery in 2004, where he completed a fellowship in joint reconstruction and sports medicine.

In 2012, he was honored with his selection for the Knee Society John N. Insall Travelling Knee Fellowship. Each year, four Fellows visit the Mooresville hospital and other elite medical centers to learn about the latest innovations in orthopedic surgery. 

Dr. Malinzak and his colleagues with JRSI Research Foundation in Mooresville also collaborate with the Orthopaedic Biomedical Engineering Laboratory at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute.

Earlier this year, Franciscan St. Francis-Mooresville was ranked by among America’s 100 Best Hospitals™ for its total joint replacement surgery program by Healthgrades. Joint Replacement Surgeons specializes in hip and knee replacement and performs the highest volume of these procedures in the state of Indiana. 

Franciscan Alliance establishing Clinical Pastoral Education program

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan Alliance has received two grants to establish a Clinical Pastoral Education program in regions within its 13-hospital system.

Our Sunday Visitor has provided $22,000 and the Koch Foundation $10,000, for a pilot program to be launched at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Indianapolis, with hopes of expansion throughout the system in coming years.

Clinical Pastoral Education is designed to offer hands-on training to postgraduate students in a clinical setting to provide training toward becoming certified members of pastoral care teams. 

It has been the standard for training hospital chaplains for decades and is considered the benchmark in the field. 

Our Sunday Visitor was established in 1912 and is one of the largest English-language Catholic publishers in the world, with more than 1,800 textbooks, parish resources and trade books in print as well as a Sunday Visitor Newsweekly, available in print and on the Internet.

The Koch Foundation was established in 1979 by Carl and Paula Koch to fund Catholic-faith evangelization activities throughout the world. From small beginnings, it has become one of the largest organizations of its kind in the United States.