Physician establishes practice with Oncology & Hematology Specialists

INDIANAPOLIS – Meghana Raghavendra, MD, has joined Franciscan Physician Network Oncology & Hematology Specialists.

She joins seven cancer specialists, who provide care at Franciscan St. Francis Health’s Indianapolis, Mooresville and Carmel hospitals. This team also cares for patients at locations in Greensburg, Franklin, Rushville, Columbus and Shelbyville.

Dr. Raghavendra, who specializes in medical oncology, recently completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Gundersen Health System in Wisconsin, where she earlier completed a residency in internal medicine.  Board-certified in internal medicine, she earned her medical degree from BLDEA’s Shri B.M. Patil Medical College in India.

Dr. Raghavendra held a clinical and academic appointment with the Indiana University School of Medicine and had served as a research associate at the Neurosciences Center at Dartmouth in New Hampshire.

She has made numerous presentations on cancer related subjects and has been published widely in professional journals. Dr. Raghavendra is a member of the American Society of Hematology, American College of Clinical Oncology, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association and the Indian Medical Council.

Oncology & Hematology Specialists has provided quality health care services to patients throughout Indiana since 1983.

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.

Carmel Family Medicine welcomes new physician

CARMEL, Ind. – Amanda M. Houchens, MD, has joined Franciscan Physician Network Carmel Family Medicine.

She joins Brian C. Howse, MD, and their office is located at 12188-B N. Meridian St., Suite 280.

Board-certified in family medicine, Dr. Houchens recently completed a family medicine residency at St. Vincent Health. She earned her medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and received her undergraduate degrees in biology and Spanish at IU.

A member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, she also is active in the Catholic Medical Association.

To make an appointment with Dr. Houchens, call 317-705-4550.

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 establishes practice with Indiana Heart Physicians

INDIANAPOLIS – Jerome J. Cordova, 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.

Board-eligible in internal medicine, Dr. Cordova completed an internal medicine residency at the University of New Mexico-Albuquerque, where he also earned his medical degree and undergraduate degree in chemical engineering.

He is a member of the American Medical Association and 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.

Computerized patients bolster clinicians’ training at Franciscan St. Francis Health

Hospital’s Simulation Center slated for Oct. 20 open house

GREENWOOD, Ind. – They breathe and their hearts beat. They make sounds and their eyes blink. They may be mannequins, but make no mistake about it – these patients are no mere dummies when it comes to educating clinicians at Franciscan St. Francis Health.

The hospital’s newly opened Simulation Center uses human-like mannequins – male and female, adult and infant alike – to advance the training of physicians, nurses and other medical specialists. These computerized patients can be programmed to simulate a variety of routine and complicated medical situations. 

“This is a realistic, safe and effective way to teach us how to better care for our patients,” said Lorie Nagy, RN, who coordinates the simulation training at the hospital’s Health Education and Support Services Center (ESSC). “This technology is helping to improve health outcomes.”

Watch a training session/news report HERE

The ESSC, located at 421 N. Emerson Ave., Greenwood, will unveil its Simulation Center’s operations to interested staff and the public at an open house from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 20.

At the open house, guests can tour four health care settings featuring the lifelike patient simulators, enjoy hands-on opportunities checking for a pulse or heartbeat and watch full simulations of lifesaving events from the debriefing rooms. Information on community education classes, door prizes and giveaways and refreshments will all be available.

The center’s four simulation areas include an intensive care unit room, an emergency/physician exam room, a surgical/procedural suite, and a labor and delivery/neonatal intensive care room. Simulation scenarios can be preprogrammed to suit the learning needs and instructor-based objectives achieved through collaboration with the Simulation Center team.

“The scenarios can offer valuable, structured learning experiences that are difficult to obtain in real life,” Nagy said, “Encountering rare, life-threatening patient conditions within a safe setting promotes confidence and improved critical thinking skills for a safer patient care environment.”

Educators evaluate how RNs are caring for a high-risk newborn.

Debriefing rooms provide a live or taped video feed to discuss and review the scenarios with instructors and clinical staff.

This type of training began a few years ago at Franciscan St. Francis when it acquired newborn and mother mannequins for its obstetrical units at the Indianapolis and Mooresville campuses. The devices simulates breathing and heart rate (mother and fetal), blood flow, urine output and other vitals and can be fitted for IV and intubated to assist breathing. It 

They can be programmed for normal vaginal, multiple and C-section deliveries and post-delivery care.

This "patient" is about to undergo treatment in the ICU.

Hospital educators wanted to extend that training into other clinical areas and serve as a benefit to the community. As a result, the Simulation Center also has been collaborating with local extended-care facilities to enhance their staffs’ training.

For more information on the Franciscan St. Francis Health Simulation Center and the open house, please contact the education department at 317-528-3270. 

Mother and baby take a snooze after a training scenario.

This patient simulator is about to undergo a
procedure with attending physicians.

Franciscan St. Francis Health collaborates with others to offer new counseling options to Indy's first responders

Christine Frederick offers insight to WISH-TV's Julian
Grace following a news conference at the Old City Hall.

INDIANAPOLIS – First-response employees of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) now have an additional counseling option to turn to in times of need, courtesy of a collaboration between six local hospital systems and the Indy Public Safety Foundation.

Franciscan St. Francis Health counseling services, Community Health Network – Behavioral Health Services, Eskenazi Health Midtown Community Mental Health, Fairbanks Treatment Center,  Indiana University Health and St.Vincent Stress Center are each donating resources and expertise to make Comprehensive Counseling Services a reality, all in support of the city’s first responders and the Indy Public Safety Foundation.

“We are grateful to all our hospital partners for their generosity and the care they are showing for the men and women of Public Safety,” said Director of Public Safety, Troy Riggs. “I continue to be humbled by the support our first responders receive from the Indianapolis community -- citizens and businesses, alike.”

Christian Ellis-Frederick, Employee Assistance Program manager for Franciscan St. Francis, was among the invited panelists on hand for the news conference Oct. 3.

The new, confidential service, accessible through a 24-hour hotline, is live as of today and is designed to supplement existing counseling options already available to DPS first responders through the City of Indianapolis or through their respective DPS division.

Counseling is available to public safety personnel and their spouses, partners, significant others, children, and other household members. Comprehensive Counseling Services offers assistance for a number of issues including, but not limited to, coping with stress and change; family, marital, and significant other relationships; child, adolescent and parenting issues; depression and/or anxiety; and alcohol and drug abuse issues.

“DPS employees already have access to excellent counseling and support options,” said Nick Ball, Executive Director of the Indy Public Safety Foundation. “First responders expressed a desire to have access to an additional option that was community-based and existed outside of the framework of their employment. These six organizations came together in a selfless partnership with our foundation and made this a reality for the benefit of those who protect our city.”

The service will be available to DPS employees for a period of six months, at which point the program will be evaluated by all stakeholders.