Franciscan St. Francis Health’s baby fair takes first steps at Greenwood Mall

GREENWOOD, Ind. – There’s going to be a lot of baby talk going on at Greenwood Park Mall Saturday, Aug. 24.

That’s because Franciscan St. Francis Health is hosting Inspiring You – Mommy, Baby & Beyond, a new and informative fair for mothers and expecting parents. The event, which will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Von Maur (inside mall near Applebee’s), enables participants to meet with staff from the Women and Children’s Center and to learn about programs and services offered to patients and children.

Visitors can experience the soothing effects of aromatherapy and relax in massage chairs to and receive a variety of giveaways and prizes. And parents can enroll their babies (up to 12 months old) for a Diaper Derby Race (open to the first 10 boy and girl babies to register).

Visitors also can learn about Franciscan St. Francis’ plans to renovate and expand the Women and Children’s Center. The 100,000-square-foot project encompasses the first through fourth floors at the Indianapolis campus, located at 8111 S. Emerson Ave.

Here’s what moms and their families will find when the renovation is completed in early 2015:

·         7 triage rooms and an infusion area for newly admitted patients (2^nd floor)

·         12 expanded labor and delivery rooms (2^nd floor)

·         8 large antepartum suites with in-room refrigerators (2^nd floor)

·         2 operating room suites for caesarean procedures (2^nd floor)

·         30 postpartum suites and a nursery (3^rd floor)

·         24 private neonatal intensive care rooms (4^th floor)

·         10  “kid-friendly” pediatric rooms  (4^th floor)

More than 45,000 babies have been born since 1995, when obstetric and pediatric services were consolidated at Franciscan St. Francis-Indianapolis, where an average of 2,400 infants are delivered annually.  

Franciscan St. Francis transfers former medical facility to WindRose Health

FRANKLIN, Ind. – An unused property owned by Franciscan St. Francis Health has been transferred to WindRose Health Network, which will expand access to care for the poor and medically underserved in south-central Indiana.

The property, located at 55 Milford Drive on the city’s east side, previously was used by external physicians, but has since been unoccupied. Windrose is expected to begin operating at the site in late fall.

“We believe that a health center located on the east side of Franklin will bring added convenience for hundreds of our existing patients,” said WindRose CEO Michael K. Kolenda. “It also creates greater access-to-care for the thousands of uninsured citizens and Medicaid recipients in the central portion of Johnson County and eastern Shelby County.”

WindRose’s mission is to improve the health of both its patients and the communities it serves by providing high-quality, family-oriented, primary and preventive health care services, with a particular emphasis on helping the poor, the medically underserved and vulnerable residents. 

Franciscan St. Francis and WindRose have collaborated on several health care projects in recent years. Most notably, they implemented a prenatal care program that has created early access to prenatal care for hundreds of uninsured/underprivileged women in WindRose’s six-county service area.

Franciscan St. Francis Health physician to be honored for family medicine career

INDIANAPOLIS – Richard D. Feldman, MD, will receive the Lester D. Bibler Award from the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP).

Feldman, director of the Family Medicine Residency Program for Franciscan St. Francis Health, will be presented the award July 27 at IAFP’s annual conference in downtown Indianapolis.

The award recognizes individuals for their contributions and long-time dedication to family medicine. It was established in honor of Lester D. Bibler, MD, who was instrumental in helping found the American Academy of Family Physicians (formerly American Academy of General Practice) and served as the first president of the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians.

“Dr. Feldman is known as a leader, educator, model, and public servant to his colleagues and residents for the outstanding care he provides his patients,” IAFP officials said in a statement in advance of the conference. “He leads the St. Francis family medicine residency program to high success that attracts and inspires residents from Indiana and the nation. His commitment to and passion for family medicine is evident in all areas of his life, and his accomplishments mirror his outstanding dedication.”

Feldman, who directs the medical education program at Franciscan St. Francis, holds several elected appointments with the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, the Indianapolis Medical Society and Indiana State Medical Association. He has served as president of the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians IAFP’s Foundation and is past president of the Indiana Medical History Museum.

A South Bend native, Feldman served as Indiana State Health Commissioner from 1997 to 2001, and he’s a regularly featured editorial columnist for the Indianapolis Star.

Obstetrics physician now seeing patients at Mooresville

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – Michael L. Boothe, MD, of Southside OBGYN is moving his practice from South Emerson Avenue to Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville effective July 29.

He will join Glenn L. Dobbs, DO, at Southside OBGYN office at the Mooresville hospital’s Women’s Center. A native of El Paso, Texas, Boothe received his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas and earned his medical degree at Universidad Autonoma de Juarez (Mexico). He completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Boothe, an independent physician who chooses to practice at Franciscan St. Francis, has been practicing since 1984 and joined Southside OBGYN in 2005. He provides all aspects of patient care, including obstetrics and adolescent care.

Fluent in Spanish, Boothe volunteers annually for medical mission trips to Haiti and Honduras.

To schedule an appointment or for more information about Southside OBGYN, call 317-584-

Surgeon explains orthopedic, joint replacement therapies Aug. 22

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – You can overcome hip and knee pain and get back to leading an active and rewarding life — and Franciscan St. Francis Health wants to show you how.

Franciscan St. Francis Health will present an arthritis and hip and knee replacement seminar at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Indianapolis Marriott East, 7202 E. 21^st St. Light refreshments will be served, beginning at 6 p.m.

Wesley Lackey, MD, will explain the latest procedures in joint replacement and arthritis treatments. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstructive surgery and joint replacement.

Lackey is a surgeon with Joint Replacement Surgeons, the practice group affiliated with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville, recognized in the United States and the world as a premier center for joint replacement surgery..

To register for this seminar, call St. Francis toll-free at 1-877-888-1777.