‘Mammothon’ offers convenient breast cancer screenings, other services

INDIANAPOLIS – With early detection, diagnosis and treatment options, more patients are beating breast cancer. Yet, many women don’t seek annual mammography screenings for a variety of reasons.

Franciscan St. Francis Health-Indianapolis wants to make it more convenient for women. That’s why it’s sponsoring Mammothon, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 7.

The event will be held at the Breast Center area near entrance 5 at 8111 S. Emerson Ave.

In addition to mammograms and consultations with physicians and specialists, the hospital will provide free bone density, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings; free chair massages and skin care demonstrations by Lancóme Cosmetics; and refreshments and door prizes. Those scheduling a screening mammogram during the event will receive a free Vera Bradley® gift.

The mammograms are by appointment only and can be made by calling 855-837-8830. All major insurances are accepted.

For those who qualify, financial assistance is available through the Little Red Door Cancer Agency. Call 317-925-5595 for more information.

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 230,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer occur annually in the United States. The survival rate has improved significantly because of mammogram screenings.

In addition to clinical exams, the ACS recommends that women 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year and should keep on doing so for as long as they are in good health.

Although regular mammograms can reduce breast cancer deaths by more than 30 percent, nearly one-third of eligible women do not get regular screenings.

To learn more about Mammothon, breast cancer and services available at St. Francis Cancer Center, go to www.mammothon.com.

Temporary closure of Heart Center entrance

Beginning Aug. 2, the St. Francis Heart Center main entrance will temporarily close due to the inpatient construction construction. The Heart Center patient and visitor access will temporarily shift to the Women & Children’s Services entrance, located just south of the Heart Center. Heart Center staff and volunteers will be in the Women & Children’s Services lobby providing directions and assistance.

The entrance closure should only last 45 days or less, and we are working to ensure you continue to have convenient access to the Heart Center.

Parking remains available in both the Heart Center and Women & Children’s parking lots.

(Download a parking map.)

A free shuttle service is offered Monday through Friday from 4:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. To call the shuttle directly, please call 416-8725.

We apologize for any inconvenience the construction may cause and appreciate your cooperation during this time of transition. If you have any questions or concerns, please call 851-1580.

St. Francis surgeon, volunteers honored as ‘Heroes’ by business magazine

INDIANAPOLIS – A St. Francis cardiothoracic surgeon who pioneered the use of new technology to repair inner heart tissue and 10 volunteers who help families that have lost babies have been singled out by the Indianapolis Business Journal as "Health Care Heroes."
That recognition came today (March 5) at a ceremony/breakfast at the Conrad Indianapolis sponsored by IBJ.

Marc Gerdisch, M.D., was the winner in the Advancements in Health Category. He was cited for his work, advancing heart valve surgery through the use of Extracellular Matrix to modify and repair cardiac structures. The CorMatrix ECM is a unique biomaterial that harnesses the body’s innate ability to repair damaged heart tissue. Over time, it is replaced by the patients’ own tissue.

Gerdisch was the first in the world to perform procedures using the ECM inside the human heart. He is director of cardiothoracic surgery at the St. Francis Heart Center, a partner at Cardiac Surgery Associates, and co-director of the St. Francis Heart Valve Center.

Volunteers for the St. Francis Caring Companions program also were selected as finalists in the Volunteer category. They are: Anna Schmitt, Becky Cassenelli, Marian Diaz-Soto, Linzi Horsley, Christine Davis, Shalome Frye, Melanie Collings, Mary Mouradian, Teresa Kirchoff and Julie Jackson.

The purpose of Caring Companions is to support families at the time of miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death. After becoming trained as certified Resolve Through Sharing caregivers, the women operate on 24-hour call schedule. When they are notified of an infant’s death, one or two Companions arrive at the hospital to provide support to the families sharing with them their own experiences of loss and hope.

The volunteers also help coordinate events that are so important to the ongoing healing process, such as Walk to Remember, Christmas Memorial, Infant Memorial service and Parents' Day.

This year’s recipients join other St. Francis-affiliated employees and programs recognized in the past as IBJ Health Care Heroes:

• John McIntyre, Ph.D. (finalist, 2009 and 2001)
• St. Francis Cord Blood Donation program (finalist, 2008)
• Jan Gaddis, R.N. (winner, 2006)
• Horace "Buzz" Hickman, M.D. (finalist, 2004)
• Carolyn Davis, R.N. (winner, 2002)
• Marcia Jenkins, R.N. (finalist, 2001).

To learn more about Gerdisch’s work visit http://www.cardiactissuerepair.net/. More information about St. Francis Caring Companions is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/women/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=103.

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Walk to Remember honors memories of little ones lost

Families remember children lost through miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death

What: St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers will host its 23rd Annual
Walk to Remember on Saturday, Oct. 4. Families from around
central Indiana who have lost children through miscarriage,
stillbirth or newborn death will attend the event to honor and
remember their children.

When: Beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, families will walk from
St. Francis Hospital—Beech Grove to Sarah T. Bolton Park in
honor of their children.

Where: St. Francis Hospital—Beech Grove, 1600 Albany St.
Beech Grove and Sarah T. Bolton Park, 1300 Churchman Ave., Beech Grove

News Media:
A memorial service at the park will feature families reading poems written about their children. The service also will include a balloon release and the reading of babies' names. A small reception for the families at Bolton Park will follow the day's events. At the event, some families may be willing to be interviewed
and talk about their experiences.

St. Francis representatives will be available to discuss ways to
cope with losing a child and the hospital’s Memories to Hold program for grieving families.

For more information about Walk to Remember, call 317-865-5199.

Actress, author shares story of what she gained from weight loss

INDIANAPOLIS – As the tragedy of Sept. 11 struck around her, Stacey Halprin was trapped in her apartment just one mile from the World Trade Center because at 550 pounds, she was unable to escape on her own.

Today, Halprin has transformed herself to a healthy 190 pounds and shares her incredible weight loss journey with others. She will be in town on Thursday, Sept. 11, as the keynote speaker at an event hosted by St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers.

What: St. Francis Hospital & Health Center’s Spirit of Women program is hosting an evening with Stacey Halprin, a nationally recognized actress and author who has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The night will include dinner and a fashion show, highlighting local weight loss success stories. The event also includes health care information and resources.

Where: Scottish Rite Cathedral ballroom
650 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis

When: 5:30 p.m.; September 11, 2008

Detailed schedule:
5:30 p.m. Cocktails and health information booths featuring health care information and resources
6:30 p.m. Dinner and fashion show, highlighting local weight loss success stories. Sponsored by Dress Barn. The emcee for the evening will be Stacia Matthews, health reporter for WRTV-Channel 6.
7:30 p.m. Featured speaker Stacey Halprin
8:30 p.m. Stacey Halprin book signing. Copies of Stacey’s book, “Winning After Losing” will be available for purchase at the event.

Cost: The cost is $30 per person. Reservations are required.

Registration: Register by calling (317) 865-5866.

Who: St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, one of the largest health care systems in Indiana, is part of Spirit of Women, an elite network of hospitals nationwide committed to caring for women. As a Spirit of Women hospital, St. Francis works to bring the very best in women’s programming from across the nation to central Indiana.

Cord blood donor program earns ‘hero’ status for health care achievement

INDIANAPOLIS – The cord blood donor program at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers was recognized as a finalist at the 2008 Indianapolis Business Journal Health Care Heroes Awards ceremony today (March 7).

The cord blood donor program was recognized in the Community Achievement in Health Care category. The annual Health Care Heroes Awards honor companies, individuals and organizations for their contributions to improving health care in the Indianapolis metropolitan area, including Marion and surrounding counties.

"This has been a very exciting program for our families and our nursing staff in the labor and delivery area," said Lori Warner, R.N., director of Women & Children’s Services. "We’re honored that the program was nominated and has been recognized for its contributions."

The program was nominated for the award by EndGenitor Technologies, Inc.

St. Francis and EndGenitor launched the donor program in early 2007, giving parents at St. Francis Hospital—Indianapolis the option of donating blood from the umbilical cord after the birth of their babies instead of discarding the cord.

More than 900 units of cord blood have been donated since the program began.

Cord blood is a rich and valuable source of adult stem cells and contains the building blocks for creating blood vessels, cells of the immune system, organs and tissues.

The cord blood donated to EndGenitor is used for the research and development of adult stems cells, which can be used to develop potential treatments for cancer, cardiovascular disease and other disorders.

"The impact of this research on the future treatment of disease is immense," said Program Coordinator Cheryl Boys-Fore, R.N., St. Francis nurse practitioner.

St. Francis’ Institutional Review Board – the internal group that reviews all of the hospital’s research projects – approved the collection protocols and EndGenitor’s adult cord blood stem cell research initiatives. That company’s methodologies for such research are within the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care.

Labor and delivery physicians and nurses at St. Francis obtain informed consents from patients who volunteer to be donors.

There’s no risk to mothers and children to donate cord blood after delivery, and the identities of donors in the EndGenitor-St. Francis program are kept confidential.

EndGenitor, the first adult endothelial stem cell company in Indiana, provides cord blood collection kits to St. Francis and also handles the transport of the material. The company also sponsors continuing education to the hospital’s nursing staff through the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation.

More than 400 participate in annual Spirit of Women Day of Dance for heart health

Indiana First Lady Cheri Daniels dances the Merengue with Mark Smith, owner of Dance Master Studio. Daniels kicked off the Spirit of Women Day of Dance on Saturday, Feb. 23.

INDIANAPOLIS – Some made it a girls’ day out. Others came alone. While some moms shared the experience with their daughters. More than 400 participants learned the latest dance moves and embraced new ways to get heart-healthy during St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers’ annual Spirit of Women Day of Dance.

The event was held Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Greenwood Municipal Airport to accommodate the largest crowd ever for the event, now in its fifth year.

Indiana First Lady Cheri Daniels kicked off day with a proclamation from Gov. Mitch Daniels, naming the day “Day of Dance.” Cheri Daniels and Marc Gerdisch, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon with the St. Francis Heart Center, teamed up with instructors from Dance Master Studio for the first dance – the Merengue. Soon after, participants filled the dance floor to learn dances such as the Merengue, belly dancing, hip hop, party dancing and the latest fitness craze, Zumba.

Although the event, which promotes exercise and healthy living, was targeted to women, men also came to join in on the fun. Along with the dancing, several participants won door prizes from local sponsors.

“This year, participants came out in record numbers to spend the day having fun and learning new ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said Michele Wood, manager of St. Francis’ Spirit of Women program. “The great turnout shows more and more people are seeking ways to improve their overall health. What better way to have fun and stay fit than through dance?”

More than 100 hospitals across the country sponsored Day of Dance in February as part of Spirit of Women, an elite network of hospitals nationwide committed to caring for women. The goal of the event is to offer an exciting and interactive way to get people moving through exercise that is creative, expressive and fun.