Franciscan St. Francis nursing chief among IU School of Nursing centennial honorees

INDIANAPOLIS – Susan H. McRoberts, vice president and chief nursing officer for Franciscan St. Francis Health, has been named as one of the first recipients of the Top 100 Alumni Legacy Leaders Award at the Indiana University School of Nursing.

The award, which recognizes alumni’s outstanding contributions to nursing education, clinical practice, leadership and research, coincides with the school’s celebration of its 100^th anniversary.

“We’re extremely proud of our Top 100 Alumni Legacy leaders,” said Marion Broome, PhD, IU School of Nursing dean. “Their contributions have made a deep and lasting impact on the profession and in the health care system.”

McRoberts began her career at Franciscan St. Francis in 1980 as manager for inpatient mental health services. She later served as director of behavioral health services and director of quality management.

As chief nursing officer, a position she assumed in 1997, she is responsible for the overall nursing practice, staffing and budget for more than 1,400 nurses who work at Franciscan St. Francis’ hospitals in Indianapolis, Mooresville and Carmel. She is an integral member of the administrative and clinical leadership of those three campuses and their parent organization, the Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Alliance.

A resident of Greenwood, McRoberts is an associate adjunct professor at the IU School of Nursing and active in the school’s graduate programs.

McRoberts received her undergraduate in nursing and her master’s in nursing administration from IU. Certified in Advanced Nursing Administration, she is a member of the American and Indiana State Nurses Association, American and Central Indiana Organization of Nursing Executives, and the Indianapolis Coalition for Patient Safety.

She also is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, a national nursing honor society and the Indiana Center for Nursing, the latter of which she is a charter member.

McRoberts and other honorees will be recognized June 21 in downtown Indianapolis as part of the 100^th Anniversary Celebration Weekend.

The IU School of Nursing is one of the largest schools of its kind in the nation. About 40 percent of Indiana’s nurses are graduates of the school.

New family medicine residents ready for rounding at Franciscan St. Francis Health

INDIANAPOLIS – Newly minted physicians will begin honing their skills in the Family Medicine Residency Program at Franciscan St. Francis Health on July 1.

The 36-month program launches the start of their family medicine careers. Residents practice out of the hospital’s Family Medicine Center in Indianapolis, where they see patients of all ages and incomes. They also provide care for expectant mothers and deliver babies for many of these patients at the hospital’s Indianapolis campus.

This year’s class, which was expanded to eight participants, includes: Elizabeth Arneman, DO, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences; Sarah Astorga, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine; Nathan Billington, MD, St. Louis University School of Medicine; Paul Day, MD, University of Louisville School of Medicine; Jon Feist, MD, University of Louisville School of Medicine; Brandon Hockenberry, University of Nevada School of Medicine; Tim Musick, MD, University of Nevada School of Medicine; and Amanda Smith, MD, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.

“We are so pleased and excited with our results and the calibre of these residents,” said Richard Feldman, MD, program director. “We could not have asked for a better outcome.”

More than 225 physicians have completed residencies at Franciscan St. Francis since the program began, most choosing to remain in Indiana to establish family medicine practices.

Franciscan St. Francis to participate in WTHR-13’s Health & Fitness Expo

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Health is one of the major sponsors of the second annual WTHR Health & Fitness Expo on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

The family event will feature a large exhibit hall that will include area fitness organizations, hospitals, clinics and more.

A free screening zone includes cholesterol, blood pressure checks and BMI scoring, and local organizations will take the stage to lead workout sessions and entertain. One stage is also dedicated to healthy cooking, with demonstrations scheduled during the entire two days.

Local and national celebrities also will make appearances, including Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts), Sarah Fisher (IndyCar Series driver/owner), Bret Michaels (lead singer for Poison), Serena Aunon (NASA astronaut), and Nick Goepper (Winter Olympics medalist).

The Expo will be at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Exposition Hall from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $5 at the door, but free online. Visit wthr.com for details for ordering free tickets, and use the promo code “HEALTH.”

Franciscan St. Francis is the sole sponsor for the Expo’s Million Step Challenge. Every person attending will receive a free pedometer and will be encouraged before they leave to enter the number of steps they have walked during their visit.

Franciscan St. Francis will have a presence at two booths. The hospital’s Cancer Center is the Expo’s major cancer services representative, with a 600-square-foot booth dedicated to lung health. Staff will offer free pulmonary function tests to interested adults.

Franciscan St. Francis also will participate in the screening zone, sponsored by Marian University.

The whispering fury: Heart surgeon to explain causes of heart murmurs, treatments

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – That low whispering inside some human hearts may speak volumes about a person’s health.

Marc Gerdisch, MD, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon with Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center, will explain the importance of understanding why heart valves may cause murmurs and when it’s time to seek treatment. His presentation –- which is free and open to the public – is 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 23 at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville (1201 Hadley Road).

Heart murmurs are caused by valves inside the heart that don’t close properly. Sometimes, people can live with heart murmurs a long time without any symptoms. However, if the problem becomes more serious, the blood flow to the heart may be affected.

People who have innocent heart murmurs have normal hearts. They usually have no other signs or symptoms of heart problems. Innocent murmurs are common in healthy children. Many, if not most, children will have heart murmurs heard by their doctors at some time in their lives.

Call 317-782-4422 or go on-line at MyHeartCare.net to register.

Anatomy of an execution: Physician to explain crucifixion from medical perspective on Good Friday

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s a crime scene investigation focused on a case which occurred 2,000 years ago. Call it, perhaps, CSI: Jerusalem.

That will be the focus of a special presentation at the auditorium of Franciscan St. Francis Health 11 a.m. on Good Friday, April 18. Charles J. Dietzen, MD, will discuss, from a medical perspective, the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth and what really happened on that long-ago day atop Golgotha.

Dietzen, an Indianapolis pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and founder of Timmy Global Health, will explain the Roman practice of execution, the physiological aspects of Jesus’ death and a medical analysis of opposing theories on the resurrection.

Additionally, he will discuss what medical and scientific analyses reveal about the  Shroud of Turin, an ancient linen many believe to be the burial cloth of Jesus.

The presentation, which will be in the hospital's auditorium,  also will include a full-sized replica of the cross, Roman period artifacts and a life-sized copy of the Shroud of Turin.