Greenwood Freedom Festival Parade-2014

Dozens of Franciscan St. Francis Health employees and their families joined together June 28 to participate in this popular annual event in downtown Greenwood. It was also an opportunity for us to show our pride as our hospital observes its centennial celebration in 2014.

Along the mile-long route, our volunteers, passed out laminated hand fans to spectators. Here are a few images from the event.

Our group is ready for the signal to step off.

We were honored to follow this color honor guard and
 a horse-mounted law enforcement team.

Our participation truly was a family-focused event.

This group of war veterans were among the parade units. Their presence
serves as a reminder of the costs of preserving our liberties.

Turning the corner as we head for the homestretch.

Send in the clown -- the one who needs no introduction.

Student physicals clinic offered by Franciscan St. Francis Sports Medicine

INDIANAPOLIS – Preparation and safety are paramount before young athletes take to playing fields.

That’s why Franciscan St. Francis Health Sports Medicine is offering physicals to students at a special clinic Saturday, July 19. The event, which is from 9 a.m. to noon, is located at the 5255 

Building at the hospital’s Indianapolis campus (8111 S. Emerson Ave.).

The sports physical pays special attention to the cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal systems. This in-depth evaluation identifies children who are at risk of developing an illness or injury during sports activities.

Physical exams not only prepare students to participate in sports but also provide parents valuable information about their child’s health. The process addresses the student’s full medical history, including immunizations.

Appointments are required and the fee is $15 (cash or check only) per student. To register, contact Karen Boggs at 317-781-133, option 1.

To learn more about the physicals and Franciscan St. Francis Sports Medicine, go to http://www.franciscanalliance.org/hospitals/mooresville/services/sports-med/pages/default.aspx.

Hospice House: Where care, compassion and life’s journey converge

INDIANAPOLIS – End-of-life care is an emotional and deeply personal journey for patients and their families, who often find themselves needing a variety of resources. They soon will have a new place to find the support they need.

Franciscan St. Francis Health will break ground on its Hospice House at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, June 12 at its future location on hospital’s south side campus. With hospital leaders, donors and other dignitaries on hand, the project signals the realization of a long time goal of Franciscan Alliance Foundation St. Francis Health.

“For the last two years we have aggressively ramped up our campaign to build a free-standing hospice facility, complementing the exceptional home hospice and palliative care services that we have provided for more than two decades to 4,000 families in south-central Indiana,” said Robert J. Brody, president and chief executive officer for Franciscan St. Francis.

Financed by privately raised funds and by matching contributions provided by the Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Alliance, the free-standing facility features:

·        Private rooms for patients and families

·        Large common area for families, kitchen

·        Chapel and prayer garden

·        Will provide high-quality, holistic care for all patients, families, and loved ones, regardless of their financial situations

·        Only facility of its kind between far north side of Indianapolis and Columbus

The facility and staff anticipate serving more than 600 families annually after its completion date in 2015. And it also is the fulfillment of mission of Franciscan Alliance.

“One of our core values is the gift of life is so valued and that each person is cared for with such joy, respect, dignity, fairness and compassion so that he or she is consciously aware of being loved’,” said Sister Jane Marie Klein, OSF, chairperson of Franciscan Alliance Board of 

Trustees, who was present for the announcement. “Whether assisting through the miracle of childbirth, nursing a patient back to health, or caring for them during the dying process – our system carries on Christ’s healing and teaching ministries.”

Following a private reception and recognition of major donors, participants will gather at the groundbreaking site for a ceremony led by Sister Marlene Shapley, OSF, vice president of mission services; Father John Mannion of spiritual care services; Steve Beck, who chairs the local Foundation; and The Rev. Monsignor Joseph Schadel of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Total gifts, pledges and matching funds have propelled the project to near its $10 million total construction cost. The campaign will seek to raise an additional $2 million to establish an endowment to sustain Hospice House well into the future.

Tonn and Blank Construction, which has coordinated many Franciscan Alliance building projects, will handle the construction of Hospice House.

Oncology & Hematology Specialists garners national recognition for cancer care

SUBHASH SHARMA

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan Physician Network Oncology & Hematology Specialists has been recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI^®) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

The QOPI^® Certification Program provides a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet the highest standards for quality cancer care.

 “QOPI certification recognizes our commitment to patient-centered cancer care,” said Subhash Sharma, MD, medical director of Oncology & Hematology Specialists. “It is evidence that our program is committed to the highest standards, continuous quality improvement, and to delivering our patients a consistently safe, efficient and effective experience.”

QOPI^® is a voluntary, self-assessment and improvement program launched by ASCO in 2006 to help hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide to patients. Through the QOPI program, practices abstract data from patients’ records up to twice per year and enter this information into a secure database.

More than 850 oncology practices have registered in the QOPI program.

“QOPI is designed by clinical experts in oncology to give practices the ability to continuously improve the quality of care they provide,” said ASCO President Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP. “The QOPI Certification Program helps practices determine whether they are providing the best possible treatment and care to their patients and demonstrates their commitment to excellence and lifelong learning.”

The program – the first of its kind in the nation for outpatient oncology practices -- was launched in January 2010, with more than 200 practices already certified.

The QCP seal designates those practices that not only scored high on the key QOPI quality measures, but meet rigorous chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society.

To become certified, practices have to submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. The QCP staff and steering group members then verify through
on-site inspection that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment, including:

• treatment planning
• staff training and education
• chemotherapy orders and drug preparation
• patient consent and education
• safe chemotherapy administration
• monitoring and assessment of patient well-being

The QOPI Certification Program is a project of ASCO’s Institute for Quality, an ASCO affiliate dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs. For more information, please visit: http://qopi.asco.org/certification.html.

The physicians with Oncology & Hematology Specialists include Subhash Sharma, MD; Nadeem Ikhlaque, MD; Eric Rubenstein, MD; Sarah Ali, MD; Michael Slaughter, MD, PhD; Laurence Bates, MD; and Jaime Ayon, MD.