INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Health – Indianapolis has received certification from two international organizations for its lactation program offered through the hospital’s Women and Children’s Services.

The hospital has received the Care Award from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and the International Lactation Consultant Association. This recognition acknowledges St. Francis as having certified specialists on staff and a dedicated lactation program five-to-seven daysa week, and promoting projects to provide support for breastfeeding mothers.

St. Francis Health is an active participant in the South Central Breastfeeding Alliance that provides community breastfeeding education and resources to healthcare workers and families.

The hospital also participates each August in World Breastfeeding Week, which provides opportunities to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding and to make people aware of how we can lend support to mothers who want to breastfeed.

To learn more about lactation programs available through Women and Children’s Services at Franciscan St. Francis Health, go to http://www.stfrancishospitals.org/Women/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=44.

St. Francis Health appoints manager to oversee Beech Grove ER

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – Vince Corbin, R.N., has been selected as manager for emergency department at Franciscan St. Francis Health – Beech Grove.

On staff since 2008, he will oversee operations in that department.

Corbin received his master’s of business administration at Indiana Wesleyan University in 2003, and earned bachelor degrees in nursing and business at Marian University.

A southside Indianapolis resident, Corbin has served as charge nurse and preceptor at St. Francis.

Franciscan St. Francis Health nurses recognized for stellar patient care

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – Nurses bring many qualities when providing care to their patients and families. Dedication, joyful service and compassionate care motivates patients to get better and gives them encouragement.

Debby Anderson and Denise Mann are the June recipients of the hospital’s DAISY Awards, presented to registered nurses by Franciscan St. Francis Health.

Anderson, who works at the hospital’s Beech Grove campus, was nominated by a patient who spent more than 20 days on the 9 Tower unit at Beech Grove. “Debbie not only knows the medical side of her job, but how to connect with her patients in such a way that she nurtures them back to health emotionally.”

Mann works in the inpatient rehab department at Beech Grove. Nominated by the daughter of a 96-year-old patient, Denise’s care motivated this patient to get well. “She took the time to give my mother a pep talk. That pep talk started my mother down the positive pat of thinking she could return to her prior lifestyle – and she did!”

The DAISY Award was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died at 33 an auto-immune disease. His family was so impressed by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for him that they created this national award to say “thank you” to nurses everywhere. For more information, go to www.daisyfoundation.org.

To learn more about nursing careers and programs at St. Francis, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/nursing.

New quality manager joins Franciscan St. Francis Health

INDIANAPOLIS – RaeChelle B. Bennett, R.N., has been appointed a quality manger for oncology at Franciscan St. Francis Health.

In that role, she coordinates an interdisciplinary team to develop programs designed to improve outcomes for patients with cancer. Bennett most previously was associated with Community Health Network, but previously held nursing management and clinical roles at St. Francis Health, particularly in cardiac care, from 2002 to 2007.

Bennett, who holds several nursing specialty certifications, is a member of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists and American Nurses Association.

A graduate of the Indiana University School of Nursing, Bennett is pursing a master’s degree in nursing/adult health clinical at IU.

New executive director signs aboard St. Francis Healthcare Foundation

INDIANAPOLIS – Gregory D. Williamson has been appointed executive director for the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation.

In that role, Williamson supports a variety of programs and activities, providing strong community outreach to the underserved, end-of-life transitional care, spiritual care and professional development for Franciscan St. Francis Health staff.

Williamson comes to the foundation from the Riley Children’s Foundation, where he most recently served as vice president for regional development. There, he provided strategic direction for major gifts, direct mail, corporate giving and other programs. He also served as assistant vice president for development and as a director.

A long-time resident of Avon, Ind., he previously served as interim director and a development officer for the Wishard Foundation.

Williamson received his undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in business at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. He later earned a master’s of science in applied behavioral counseling at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The St. Francis Healthcare Foundation was established in 1995 to help advance the mission of Franciscan St. Francis Health in central Indiana. St. Francis Health and its three hospitals are part of the 13-hospital Franciscan Alliance. With hospitals in Indiana and Illinois, this network provides care to more than 2.9 million outpatient visits and more than 100,000 inpatient discharges every year with the most effective medical treatments, state-of-the-art medical equipment and an abundance of compassionate care.

The Alliance employs 18,200 co-workers including 556 physicians – both primary care and specialists – and expects to grow its physician team to more than 630 physicians next year, serving the system’s service-area population of 3.7 million people.

More information about the foundation is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/Foundation.

'Never Too Late' to witness a work of heart

Pat Studebaker has experienced and seen a lot of things in her 84 years. But one dream she has had for much of her life was to get a first-hand look at heart surgery. The St. Francis Heart Center made that possible recently when she was cleared to observe a double-valve procedure performed by a surgical team led by Dr. Marc Gerdisch, chief of cardiothoracic surgery.

"I got to see a doctor hold a heart in his hand. That was amazing," she said after the five-hour procedure. "It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

Her wish was made possible through Never Too Late, an organization that grants wishes for seniors, in coordination with the Heart Center. You can read more about this at http://www.theindychannel.com/news/28268638/detail.html.

Learn more about the St. Francis Heart Center.

Photos by Zach Dobson

St. Francis Medical Group rheumatology practice to serve Franklin patients

FRANKLIN, Ind. – Rheumatology & Osteoporosis Specialists, a member of St. Francis Medical Group, is extending its services to residents here and to surrounding communities, effective June 30.

Its offices will be located at 1300 W. Jefferson St., and will see patients every other Thursday.

Rheumatology & Osteoporosis Specialists and its two physicians, Stefan Monev, M.D., and Heather Greist, M.D., are experts in the early diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory arthritis, osteoporosis, and autoimmune systemic diseases such as lupus, myositis and vasculitis.

The practice currently operates at two other locations: 5255 E Stop 11 Road, Suite 320, Indianapolis; and 1201 Hadley Road Mooresville. For appointments, call 317-888-1467.

To learn more, go to http://stfrancishospitals.org/SFMG/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=193

Led by President Isaac J. Myers II, M.D., St. Francis Medical Group is a multidisciplinary group of more than 160 physicians practicing throughout central Indiana. These physicians offer a variety of primary care and specialty care services and all practice at Franciscan St. Francis Health.

To learn more about St. Francis Medical Group, go to www.stfrancisdoctors.org.

St. Francis Health medical leader earns advanced degree from Carnegie Mellon

INDIANAPOLIS – Christopher “Topper” Doehring, M.D., vice president of medical affairs for Franciscan St. Francis Health, has received a master’s degree in medical management from Carnegie Mellon University.

The degree, developed in partnership with the American College of Physician Executives, is designed for physicians who are serving in leadership roles. Doehring joins about 650 physicians around the nation who hold the specialized degree.

Doehring has been affiliated with St. Francis Health since 2003, also has served as associate director of the hospital’s Family Medicine Residency Program and was medical director for the St. Francis Medical Group.

He currently holds an academic appointment at the Indiana University School of Medicine as clinical assistant professor, Department of Family Medicine. A U.S. Army veteran, Doehring also held similar appointments with the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and the Medical College of Georgia.

A native of Vandalia, Ill., Doehring is a Diplomate with the American Board of Family Medicine and has been certified in advanced trauma/cardiac/pediatric life support and holds similar certificates in neonatal and obstetric care.

He holds memberships in the American Academy of Family Physicians, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, Indiana State Medical Association and the Indianapolis Medical Society.

Doehring earned his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1996) and graduated with honors from Furman University (1991). He completed a family medicine residency at St. Vincent Hospital and a primary care fellowship at Michigan State University.

New chief to assume human resources helm at St. Francis Health

INDIANAPOLIS – Karen S. Sagar has been appointed Human Resources Executive for Franciscan St. Francis Health effective July 1.

In that role she will have responsibilities for all facets of human resources, including employment, retention, compensation, legal compliance, employee relations and employee communications. Additionally, she will oversee employee health services, education, employee assistance program, safety, and security.

Sagar succeeds John Ross, who will retire July 1 after 37 years of service.

Sagar previously was director of recruitment and retention. During that time, retention improved by more than 20 percent and employee satisfaction jumped upward nearly 40 percent. She also led cultural transformation, leadership training and employee education initiatives.

Prior to coming to St. Francis Health in 2004, Sagar was vice president for human resources, planning and marketing for Mercy Medical Center, Clinton, Iowa.

A resident of Greenwood, Sagar received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Marshall University, where she later earned a master’s in business administration.

Sagar was the recipient of the 2009 Communication Award from the American Society of Healthcare Human Resource Administrators. She is past president of the Indiana Society of Healthcare Human Resource Administrators and is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management.

Surgeon explains orthopedic, joint replacement therapies July 21

DANVILLE, Ill. – 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. Eastern Daylight Time, 5:30 p.m. Central, on Thursday, July 21, at the Days Hotel and Conference Center, 77 N. Gilbert St., Danville.

E. Michael Keating, M.D., 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.

Keating is a surgeon with Joint Replacement Surgeons, a practice group affiliated with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at Franciscan St. Francis Health–Mooresville.

The Center has been ranked No. 1 in Indiana for joint surgery five years in a row by HealthGrades, one of the nation’s premier health care rating companies.

To register for this seminar, call Franciscan St. Francis Health toll-free at 1-877-888-1777. Or register online at http://www.stfrancishospitals.org/Ortho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=39.

More information about the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is at www.centerforhipandkneesurgery.org

Family docs’ stories forge basis for St. Francis physician’s writing project

Work-in-progress earns author national recognition, fellowship

INDIANAPOLIS – American medicine in the 20^th century was rapidly evolving and doctors faced myriad challenges providing the best possible care to their patients. Equally important, these physicians were forging principles which today set the standard for family medicine.

That is the basis of a writing project Richard Feldman, M.D., has been working on for nearly six years. Feldman, director of medical education and residency training for Franciscan St. Francis Health, has been chronicling the experiences of Hoosier family doctors of the mid-20^th century.

Family Practice Stories celebrates that time in America that many consider the golden age of generalism in medicine,” Feldman said. “It is a book about a time gone by, a time when professionalism, the art of medicine, and the art of healing were at a zenith. These doctors were general practitioners of that ‘Greatest Generation’ who possessed the character, core values, and principles from which our contemporary specialty of family medicine was modeled after and grew.”

Feldman’s work also has garnered national attention. He recently was named the winner of the 2011 Center for the History of Family Medicine Fellowship from the American Academy of Family Physicians. The fellowship grant he received will enable him to conduct more research for the book, which he expects to complete this fall.

Feldman said he plans to submit the book for publication and also make it available to members of the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians and students attending or visiting the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Family Practice Stories is divided into three sections. The first is an introduction that recounts the history and development of family medicine and details the traditions, principles, and values of family medicine.

The second section is a collection of perspectives; some told in the words of individuals who interviewed these older family physicians; most are the perspectives of the doctors themselves concerning medicine and their careers.

The last section contains a far-ranging collection of stories told by older Hoosier family physicians who practiced during this era. These stories are specific episodes from their careers – ranging from the humorous and sad, to the touching and ironic.

Feldman comes by his passion for family medicine originally through his father, the late Max Feldman, M.D., who was a family doctor in the South Bend, Ind., for nearly four decades.

No stranger to historical writing, Feldman published Home Before the Raven Calls (Emmis Books, 2003), sleuthing the history of a Native American totem pole that once stood near his Indianapolis home back to its original location in Alaska. A reproduction of the original totem pole is now on display in the atrium at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.

INTERVIEW: Inside Indiana Business of Health

View Dr. Marc Gerdisch's interview about heart murmurs and related disorders and how he and his colleagues share that information with the public.

Long-time colon and rectal care practice joins St. Francis Medical Group

INDIANAPOLIS – Kendrick Regional Center for Colon and Rectal Care has joined St. Francis Medical Group. It will now be known as the Kendrick Colon and Rectal Center.

The acquisition, effective June 1, 2011, harnesses the talents of six surgeons with premier educational backgrounds and over 60 years of cumulative clinical experience. These physicians and their supporting clinical staff are renowned for their emphasis on screening and diagnostic colonoscopy and management of benign and malignant conditions of the colon, rectum and anus.

Kendrick Colon and Rectal Center has a commitment to education and research. It has the only accredited colorectal surgery residency training program in the State of Indiana and its physicians are investigators in several clinical trials in areas covering colon cancer, rectal cancer, and anastomotic healing. The group also has a commitment to innovation as shown by its advances in robotic surgery and single incision laparoscopic surgery.

The practice will continue to operate at its three St. Francis locations in Indianapolis, Mooresville and Beech Grove. The physicians also practice at other area hospitals.

The physicians are all board-certified by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery and the American Board of Surgery.

Olaf B. Johansen, M.D., is an honors graduate of the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine. He went on to complete a general surgery residency at Harvard Massachusetts General Hospital and a colon and rectal fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Florida. Johansen joined Kendrick in1992 and is primarily located at Franciscan St. Francis Health – Mooresville.

R. Barry Melbert, M.D., received his medical degree from IUSM He completed general surgery residency training at Methodist Hospital and a fellowship in surgery at Northwest Colon and Rectal Clinic in Seattle. He established a practice at Kendrick in 1999 and sees patients at all three St. Francis Health hospitals.

Frederick R. Lane, M.D., earned his medical degree at IUSM and completed general surgery residency training at Blodgett Hospital, Grand Rapids, Mich. He later completed a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at Ferguson Clinic in Michigan. He joined Kendrick in 2003 and is primarily located at Indianapolis and Beech Grove campuses.

Bridget M. Sanders, M.D., received her undergraduate degrees in nursing from Marian University and biology from Purdue University; she earned a master’s degree in physiology at IU. Sanders received her medical degree from IUSM, where she completed also completed a general surgery residency. She later finished a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida and joined Kendrick in 2005. She sees patients primarily at Indianapolis and Beech Grove campuses.

Dipen Maun, M.D., is an honors graduate of Northwestern University Medical School. He completed a residency in general surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and a colon and rectal surgery fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Florida. He joined Kendrick in 2007 and works at all three St. Francis locations.

Ben Tsai, M.D., received his medical degree from The Ohio State University. He completed his general surgery residency training at IUSM, where he spent two years as a research fellow. He also received specialty training in colon and rectal surgery at the University of Minnesota He joined Kendrick in 2009 and sees patients at all three St. Francis Health hospitals.

To learn more about Kendrick Colon and Rectal Center, its physicians and services, visit its website at www.kendrickcenter.com.

Led by President Isaac J. Myers II, St. Francis Medical Group is a multidisciplinary group of more than 150 physicians practicing throughout central Indiana. These physicians offer a variety of primary care and specialty care services and all practice at Franciscan St. Francis Health.

To learn more about St. Francis Medical Group, go to www.stfrancisdoctors.org.

St. Francis Health nurses recognized for extraordinary patient care

INDIANAPOLIS – Nurses bring many qualities when providing care to their patients and families. When medicine no longer works sometimes all it takes is a boost of encouragement.

Or a simple hug.

Becky Simon and Molly Britt are the latest recipients of the hospital’s DAISY Awards, presented to registered nurses by Franciscan St. Francis Health.

Simon, who works at the hospital’s Beech Grove campus, was nominated by the family of a post-operative patient who was experiencing much discomfort and discouraged by his slow rate of recovery. “Becky not only provided continuous care for my son, but gave him great counsel, hope and spiritual comfort throughout his care.”

Britt works in the emergency department at Mooresville. On a recent shift, she noticed an elderly man who was overwhelmed after learning his son had just died. Taking all of this in, Britt approached the man and asked if “he” needed a hug. “He nodded and Molly engulfed him in a compassionate hug,” wrote a co-worker who nominated her for the award. “You could tell by the look on his face he appreciated her caring attitude at an emotional time.”

The DAISY Award was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died at 33 an auto-immune disease. His family was so impressed by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for him that they created this national award to say “thank you” to nurses everywhere. For more information, go to www.daisyfoundation.org.

To learn more about nursing careers and programs at St. Francis, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/nursing.

Pulmonologist establishes new practice with St. Francis Medical Group

INDIANAPOLIS – Charles E. Kinsella, M.D., has joined St. Francis Medical Group and established a practice with the newly formed Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists.

Kinsella, an Indianapolis resident, most recently was associated with Southside Pulmonary and Sleep Consultants in Greenwood. Previously, he was affiliated with the Center for Respiratory Medicine in Beech Grove.

Board-certified in pulmonary, critical care, internal and sleep medicine, is medical director of several Franciscan St. Francis Health offices, including the Sleep Disorders Center, MEDS Safety Team, Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Asthma Center, and the Pulmonary Function Laboratory. He has held various clinical and advisory positions during his long affiliation with St. Francis.

A clinical assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Kinsella is the former medical director of the pulmonary function and arterial blood gas laboratories and bronchoscopy suite at Indiana University Hospital.

Kinsella is a Fellow with the American College of Chest Physicians and is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Thoracic Society and Indiana State Medical Society. He has been a journal contributor and reviewer for the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists is located at 1040 Greenwood Springs Blvd., Greenwood.

Led by President Isaac J. Myers II, St. Francis Medical Group is a multidisciplinary group of more than 150 physicians practicing throughout central Indiana. These physicians offer a variety of primary care and specialty care services and all practice at Franciscan St. Francis Health.

To learn more about St. Francis Medical Group, go to www.stfrancisdoctors.org.