New physician joins County Line Pediatrics

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Sarah H.  Gangadhar, MD, has joined Franciscan Physician Network County Line Pediatrics and is accepting new patients.

She joins Stacey Smith, MD, and Shanna Bowman, MD, whose offices are located at 747 E County Line Road, Suite G, Greenwood, and providing a full range of care for newborns, children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Dr. Gangadhar recently completed a pediatrics residency at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where she earned her medical degree. She received her undergraduate degrees in biology and Spanish at IU.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gangadhar, call 317-528-2020.

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.

Beth Nagle establishes practice with Beech Grove Family Medicine

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – Mary E. (Beth) Nagle, MD, has joined Franciscan Physician Network Beech Grove Family Medicine and is accepting new patients.

She joins Adam Paarlberg, MD; Richard Beardsley, MD; Paul Driscoll, MD; and Patrick Enright, MD, whose offices are located at 2030 Churchman Ave, Suite A, Beech Grove.

Board-certified in family medicine, Dr. Nagle recently completed a family medicine residency at Franciscan St. Francis Health. She earned her medical degree at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine in Memphis and received her undergraduate degree in biology with honors from Taylor University.

An Indianapolis resident, Nagle is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Indiana State Medical Association and American Medical Association.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Nagle, call 317-786-9286.

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.

Heart Center physicians, experts lead free seminars

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center is offering a full range of free classes focused on cardiovascular health and wellness throughout September.

Call 317-782-4422 or go on-line at MyHeartCare.net to register for any of the classes, which include:

HeartScan: Identifying cardiac risk
Sree Paleru, MD
Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 12:00 p.m. (noon)
Decatur County Memorial Hospital
720 N. Lincoln St.  Greensburg 

Jason Fleming, MD

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 6:30 p.m.

UnaVie Cardiology Center

2451 Intelliplex Dr., Shelbyville

Coronary arteries supply blood to your heart and can become blocked with calcium-containing plaque which can cause heart attacks.  Coronary calcium scoring, or HeartScan, is a high-tech way of detecting calcium build-up in the arteries and identifying your risk for heart disease.

Franciscan Physician Network Indiana Heart Physicians cardiologists will describe this test and answer your questions about other heart attack risk factors. One free HeartScan will be given away in a drawing at the class.

Change of Heart classes offered in Fall 2014

Fitness Tips

Wed, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center (8111 S. Emerson Ave.)

Being fit is more than being thin.  Research shows that no matter what you weigh, increasing your fitness helps your heart.  Discover that exercise can be healthy and fun.  Learn how to set up a schedule for yourself.

Healthy Dining Out Tips

Tuesday, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m. at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville (1201 Hadley Road)

Americans eat nearly half their meals away from home.  How can you control what you eat when you don’t cook for yourself?  Learn how to make wise menu selections and eat smart while dining out.

Healthy Eating

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Thurs, Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m.at St. Francis-Mooresville

Healthy eating leads to a healthy life!  Find out how much a “serving” is and how to manage a healthy weight.  Discover how fats, carbohydrates and protein affect our body.  Do you know how much salt, fiber and sugar are in the foods you buy?  This class offers the foundation for a healthy future.

Quick meals at home

Wednesday, Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Some days, we just don’t have the time – or the desire – to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  But that doesn’t mean we need to sacrifice eating well at home.  Learn how to fix quick and easy nutritious meals you and your family can enjoy.

Surgeon steers ortho 'Road Show' to Carmel, Sept. 16

CARMEL, 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.

On Sept. 16, Franciscan St. Francis Health will present an arthritis and hip and knee replacement seminar at Ritz Charles, 12156 N. Meridian St. Light refreshments will be served, beginning at 6 p.m.

Robert Malinzak, MD, will explain the latest procedures in joint replacement and arthritis treatments. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement.

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

To register for this seminar, call Franciscan St. Francis toll-free at 1-877-888-1777 or go to CenterForHipAndKneeSurgery.org and click on Hip & Knee Seminars.

Franciscan St. Francis Health to offer free child safety seat inspections, Sept. 16

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Health is encouraging parents and caregivers to have children’s safety seats inspected based on recommendations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

That’s why the hospital is offering free inspections with certified technicians on hand to advise on the proper use of seats for youngsters. The first event is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 16 in the parking lot of Franciscan St. Francis Weight Loss Center (5230-A E. Stop 11 Road).

The event coincides with National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 14-20. If unable to visit the inspection sites, adults can arrange for free inspections by calling 317-528-5774.

“We want to help adults do their best to protect children,” said Sharilyn Wagner, RN, with Franciscan St. Francis’ car seat safety program. “It’s said that three-in-four child seats are not placed correctly. In the end, when it comes to the safety of your child, there is no room for mistakes.”

The hospital is partnering on the project with the Automotive Safety Program at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

In motor vehicle crashes, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for children younger than 1 and by 54 percent for children 1 to 4 in passenger cars, according to data collected by NHTSA. In 2009 alone, 754 children, 12 or younger, were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes while riding in passenger cars or light trucks.

And among those who were fatally injured, where restraint use was known, 42 percent were unrestrained. Many of these tragedies could have been prevented if the children were in the right restraint for their age and size.

The updated recommendations emphasize how important it is to keep children in each restraint type for as long as possible before moving them to the next type. For maximum child passenger safety, parents and caregivers should visit their local inspection station to ensure their children’s car seats are used properly. A list of child safety seat inspection stations can be found at www.preventinjury.org or by calling 1-800-KID-N-CAR.

Here’s what the NHTSA recommends:

Birth – 12 months: Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 – 3 years: Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

4 – 7 years: Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 – 12 years: Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.

Wagner further recommends that:

• Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time.
• Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits.
• To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
• Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.

For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week or to find your local car seat event, visit www.childseat.in.gov.