Walkway bricks at St. Francis-Mooresville cement memories of loved ones

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – The landscaped walkway lining the banks of the lake at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville offers more than just a scenic stroll.

For a donation of $125 to the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation, people can own a piece of the pathway lining both side of the Memory Walk, as part of the hospital campus’ Lake and Gardens project. Bricks can include personal messages honoring their loved ones.

“This will be an ongoing labor of love, providing a way you can pay tribute to a close friend or relative,” said Jeanne Aydt of the foundation.

The Lake and Gardens project began with a vision to expand the natural environment on the hospital campus to promote a healing atmosphere.

“Visitors can stroll along the new walkway, rest on one of the teak benches, stroll across the footbridge spanning the lake, and enjoy the play of light on the water,” Aydt said. “This is an area coming to life – and the memorial bricks honor the lives and memories of others.”

For more information or to receive an order form call Aydt at 317-782-6851. Order forms also are available at the St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville campus, 1201 Hadley Road.

To learn more about the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation, visit www.stfrancishospitals.org/Foundation.

St. Francis Hospital nurses recognized for professional excellence

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – Several nurses were recognized for service and leadership in their respective fields at the annual St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers Excellence in Nursing ceremony.

The recent ceremony and banquet was first of several events planned throughout the year honoring the service of St. Francis’ 1,400 nurses.

The award categories, recipients and their service areas:

Clinical: Jerry Stancombe (Joint and Spine Center-Beech Grove) and Connie Seigman-Jones (Hospice-Indianapolis)
Community Service: Judy Jones (cardiac rehabilitation-Indianapolis) and Toni Galyan (obstetrics, Mooresville)
Preceptor/Mentor: Crystal Poole (Center for Geriatric Medicine-Beech Grove) and Dolores Grah (critical care unit-Indianapolis)
Nursing Quality: Kim Devine (Center for Geriatric Medicine-Beech Grove) and Becky Kohl (Pain Management Clinic)
Professional Development: Robin Standeford (obstetrics-Mooresville) and Lora Meyer (Pain Management Clinic)

Each nurse received a cash stipend for educational seminars and a plaque.

The ceremony also recognized the 2008 Richard E. Fry, M.D., Memorial Nursing Scholarships, program funded by the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation. The recipients were Jamie Perry (obstetrics-Indianapolis) and Carrie Webb (inpatient admitting-Beech Grove.

One activity that focuses on nurses’ role in helping tend to patients’ spiritual needs is the “Blessing of Hands.” This special service, which symbolizes the hands-on aspect of healing, will be offered on all St. Francis nursing units.

Public areas and cafeterias at all three St. Francis hospitals also will be the sites of ice cream socials and photographic displays celebrating nurses and their achievements and promoting the profession.

St. Francis Hospital shines spotlight of appreciation on its nurses

INDIANAPOLIS – Nurses. They’re the heartbeat of hospitals and clinics – often the ones patients have the most interaction with when undergoing treatment.

St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers will honor its nurses and the myriad services they perform in events planned throughout the year. The activities, organized by the Nursing Services Recognition Steering Committee, get under way in mid-April and during National Nurses Week, May 5-10.

“Nursing is more than a career” said Chief Nursing Officer Susan McRoberts. “For us, it is a ministry, and we’re proud so many have answered the call by choosing St. Francis as their professional home.”

St. Francis has about 1,400 nurses working in patient care and specialty care at its three hospitals in Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville.

On Thursday, April 17, St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville will host a recognition dinner awards ceremony. Ten nurses will be honored based on the criteria of clinical service, quality improvement, mentoring, professional development and community service. They will receive a cash stipend to be used for educational seminars and a plaque.

The event also will announce the 2008 Richard E. Fry Scholarships for nursing education, a program funded by the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation.

“We want to honor the men and women who, every day, make a difference in the lives of our patients and their families,” said Anita Trackwell, clinical services director at the Mooresville hospital. “Their commitment to their patients is the foundation for the excellent care we provide at our hospital. These nurses deserve our encouragement and support, and we believe there is no greater gift we can give than a simple thank-you for their many contributions and hard work.”

One activity that focuses on nurses’ role in helping tend to patients’ spiritual needs is the “Blessing of Hands.” This special service, which symbolizes the hands-on aspect of healing, will be offered on all St. Francis nursing units.

Public areas and cafeterias at all three St. Francis hospitals also will be the sites of ice cream socials and photographic displays celebrating nurses and their achievements and promoting the profession.