Franciscan St. Francis Health physicians among U.S. News ‘Top Doctors’ list

INDIANAPOLIS – More than 30 Franciscan St. Francis Health physicians have been singled out by U.S. News & World Report in the publication’s annual “Top Doctors” listing.

The Top Doctors list was compiled with Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., publisher of America’s Top Doctors, among other consumer health guides. Nominations came from physicians in academic medical centers and private practices, specialty hospitals and regional hospitals.

Castle Connolly’s physician-led research team reviewed each nominee’s training, achievements and appointments, along with other credentials.

U.S. News Media Group provides a free searchable directory available at www.usnews.com/top-doctors that lists nearly 30,000 peer-nominated physicians across the country.

Franciscan St. Francis physicians and their specialties include:

Richard Beardsley (family medicine)

William Berg (interventional cardiology)

Michael Elmore (gastroenterology)

Erica Eugster (pediatric endocrinology)

Thomas Fairchild (otolaryngology)

Jack Farr II (orthopedic surgery)

Peter Garrett (radiation oncology)

Marc Gerdisch M.D. (thoracic surgery)

Charles Hughes III (plastic surgery)

Denise Johnson Miller (surgeon)

Martin Kaefer (urology)

Baron Kidd (pediatrics)

Robert Kinn M.D. (cardiac electrophysiology)

Charles Kinsella (pulmonology)

Frederick Lane (colon and rectal surgery)

G. Todd Lemmel (gastroenterology)

S. Chase Lottich (surgeon)

Jonathan Mandelbaum (surgeon)

Mary Lou Mayer (medical oncology)

David Moore, M.D.  (gynecologic cancer)

Dan Nordmann (pain management)

Jeffrey Peterson (family medicine)

David Pound (gastroenterology)

Ana Priscu (endocrinology)

Dawn Salvatore (vascular surgeon)

Juan Sanchez (pediatric endocrinology)

Bridget Sanders (colon and rectal surgery)

Richard Shea (cardiologist)

Barbara Sturm (dermatology)

James Thompson (medical oncology)

Jan Jansen (hematology)

Olaf Johansen (colon and rectal cancer)

Jeffery Pierson (orthopedic surgery)

G. Alan Von Stein M.D (obstetrics/gynecology)

U.S. News Media Group provides a free searchable directory available at www.usnews.com/top-doctors that lists nearly 30,000 peer-nominated physicians across the country.

More than 1,000 physicians are employed or have practice privileges at Franciscan St. Francis’ hospitals in Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville.

Nearly 170 physicians are members of St. Francis Medical Group, a multidisciplinary team practicing in 46 groups 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 Hospital to open Breast Clinic Feb. 3

INDIANAPOLIS – The Breast Cancer Center of Excellence at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers will soon see patients in a new multidisciplinary clinic.

The Breast Clinic allows patients to be evaluated in one visit by physicians in specialties such as breast and reconstructive surgery, medical oncology and radiation oncology. These physicians also will consult with radiologists and pathologists to evaluate imaging exams, biopsies and surgical pathology reports.

“The goal of the breast clinic is to provide an easily accessible and streamlined avenue for evaluating patients with suspicious exam results or symptoms and, if necessary, develop a concise treatment plan for patients diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Kent Brumbaugh, executive director of St. Francis Cancer Center.

The clinic, which opens February 3, will be located at the offices of Denise Johnson Miller, M.D., director of the St. Francis Breast Surgery Program at 5255 E. Stop 11 Rd, Suite 250, and is open Wednesdays from 8 to 11:30 a.m. for scheduled appointments.

Nurse navigator Janice Leak, M.S.N., will coordinate patients’ schedules and consult with physicians to develop treatment plans. Patients and families seen in the clinic are an important part of developing an individual plan of care during their visit.

For scheduling information, contact Leak at 317-782-6704, or via e-mail at Janice.Leak @ssfhs.org.

More information about the St. Francis Cancer Center is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

St. Francis physician explains advance directives at cancer seminar

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s vital one has the ability to specify what actions should be taken for their health in the event that they are no longer able to make decisions due to illness or incapacity.

Gerald Walthall, M.D., medical director with the St. Francis Hospital Palliative Medicine team, will discuss the purpose of advance directives and why it’s important for individuals to have one at a free seminar for cancer patients and their families 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3.

This meeting is at the St. Francis Education Center, 5935 S. Emerson Ave., Suite 100. This discussion will coincide with the monthly Indianapolis Southside chapter of SPOHNC (Support for People with Head and Neck Cancer.) Ample time will be provided for participants’ questions and discussion.

This monthly support group meets the first Thursday of each month and is for anyone with oral, head or neck cancer, regardless of stage or type of cancer. Caregivers are welcome.

For more information or to register for this event, call 317-782-4422. Sponsored by the St. Francis Cancer Center, www.stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

Cancer support group for oral, head, neck patients meets Sept. 3

INDIANAPOLIS – Support for People with Oral, Head and Neck Cancer will hold its south side care and share group meeting from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 3.

The next class meets Thursday, Oct. 1.

The meeting is at the St. Francis Education Center, 5935 S. Emerson Ave., Suite 100. Come share your experiences and learn from other oral, head and neck cancer patients. Ample time will be provided for participants’ questions and discussion.

This monthly support group meets the first Thursday of each month and is for anyone with oral, head or neck cancer, regardless of stage or type of cancer. Caregivers are welcome.

For more information, call 317-782-4422.

Surgeon uses unique robotics procedure to treat colorectal cancer patient

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – Today, (May 29) at St. Francis Hospital-Beech Grove, Dipen Maun, M.D., used sophisticated robotic technology to perform a low anterior resection on a rectal cancer patient – a procedure that is the first of its kind in Indiana.

Maun, a surgeon with the St. Francis-affiliated Kendrick Regional Center for Colon and Rectal Care, performed a low anterior resection (LAR) to remove a cancerous tumor from the patient’s lower rectum. Traditionally, such operations required large incisions and lengthy recovery periods. More recently, the surgeries have been performed laparoscopically to minimize pain and accelerate recovery.

What made Maun’s approach unique is that he used the da Vinci™ Surgical System.

"The da Vinci robotic system offers many advantages for the patient," said Maun, who specializes in endoscopy and laparoscopic colorectal surgery. "These include decreased conversion rates from laparoscopic to open surgery, improved specimen completeness, fewer complications, and possibly shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times."

The system, developed by Intuitive Surgical, also provides the surgical team with improved options. Working at the da Vinci controls several feet from the operating table, the attending surgeon has an enhanced 3-D view of the field of operation, improved dexterity and greater precision.

The da Vinci system was developed more than a decade ago at the urging of the Department of Defense. Military surgeons were looking for ways they could perform procedures from remote locations, far from battlefields. While that ultimate goal has yet to be realized, the computerized robotic system has been welcomed by surgeons in public and private hospitals worldwide.

More information about the Kendrick Regional Center for Colon and Rectal Care, located on the St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville campus, is at www.kendrickcenter.com/meet.html.
To learn more about the St. Francis Colorectal Cancer Center of Excellence go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/Cancer/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=38.

St. Francis hosts support group for oral, head, neck cancer patients

INDIANAPOLIS – Support for People with Oral, Head and Neck Cancer will hold its south side care and share group meeting from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, June 4.

The next class meets Thursday, Aug. 6.

The meeting is at the St. Francis Education Center, 5935 S. Emerson Ave., Suite 100. Come share your experiences and learn from other oral, head and neck cancer patients. Ample time will be provided for participants’ questions and discussion.

This monthly support group meets the first Thursday of each month and is for anyone with oral, head or neck cancer, regardless of stage or type of cancer. Caregivers are welcome.

For more information, call 317-782-4422.

Group offers support, shared experiences for blood cancer patients

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – A diagnosis of leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin disease or myeloma can leave a person feeling isolated with unanswered questions.

The Indiana Blood and Marrow Transplantation unit at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers is co-sponsoring a support group. Support for persons with a blood cancer will hold an informational meeting from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 16, at Beech Grove Meadows, 13, at 130 Albany Way.

Participants can share their experience with former and current transplant patients. This group is open to all people touched by a blood cancer seeking support from others. Ample time is set aside for participants’ questions and discussion.

This monthly support group meets the third Tuesday of each month and encourages participation of patients, families, caregivers and friends to attend. Meetings are co-sponsored by Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

To learn more, call 317-726-2275, extension 200.

More information about the Indiana Blood and Marrow Transplantation unit at St. Francis can be found at http://www.ibmtindy.com.

Nurse navigator will guide breast cancer patients through treatment

INDIANAPOLIS – Janice Leak, M.S.N., has been appointed as a nurse navigator at the St. Francis Breast Cancer Center of Excellence.

She will assist breast cancer patients and their families in coordinating diagnostic appointments and physician visits, help them manage their symptoms, provide education, make patients aware of clinical trial availability and very importantly, easing patient anxiety.

Leak is part St. Francis’ team of nurse navigators with other nurses assigned to help patients with colorectal and lung cancers. In 2006, she became St. Francis’ first nurse navigator, serving patients diagnosed with oral and head and neck cancers.

A resident of Indianapolis, Leak is a nurse practitioner and earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Indiana University. She has held several positions in the 35 years she has worked at St. Francis, most notably as an oncology nurse and educator.

Leak has led and coordinated various cancer-related clinical, educational and patient support programs during her tenure at St. Francis.

She is on faculty for the nursing education program at Indiana Wesleyan University and has been a frequent lecturer at the University of Indianapolis and the IU School of Nursing. Leak also has held several leadership positions in the local chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society.

To learn more about the Cancer Services at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, go to http://stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

Support group reaches out to cancer patients, caregivers

INDIANAPOLIS – Support for People with Oral, Head and Neck Cancer will hold its south side care and share group meeting from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, May 7.

The meeting is at the St. Francis Education Center, 5935 S. Emerson Ave., Suite 100. Come share your experiences and learn from other oral, head and neck cancer patients. Ample time will be provided for participants’ questions and discussion.

This monthly support group meets the first Thursday of each month and is for anyone with oral, head or neck cancer, regardless of stage or type of cancer. Caregivers are welcome.

For more information, call 317-782-4422.

Support group assists patients with oral, head, neck cancers

INDIANAPOLIS – Support for People with Oral, Head and Neck Cancer will hold its south side care and share group meeting from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 4.

The meeting is at the St. Francis Education Center, 5935 S. Emerson Ave., Suite 100. Former and current patients with those types of cancer are encouraged to attend and share their experiences with others. Ample time will be provided for participants’ questions and discussion.

This monthly support group meets the first Thursday of each month and is for anyone with oral, head or neck cancer, regardless of type or stage of cancer. Caregivers are welcome.

For more information, call 317-782-4422.

Christopher Braden joins Indiana Oncology Hematology Consultants

INDIANAPOLIS – Christopher Braden, D.O., has joined Indiana Oncology Hematology Consultants (IOHC), affiliated with St. Francis Medical Group.

Braden, who is board-certified in medical oncology and internal medicine, comes to his new position from the Graves Gilbert Clinic, Bowling Green, Ky. Prior to that, he was a research associate with Procter & Gamble.

He earned a doctorate in osteopathic medicine at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University in Illinois, and received undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry at Northern Kentucky University.

Braden completed a fellowship and residency in hematology/oncology at Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois. During his fellowship, he conducted research in the diagnosis and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

He has had several articles published in professional journals

Organized in 1983, IOHC has provided quality health care services to patients throughout Indiana, including two Indianapolis locations: 8111 S. Emerson Ave., Suite A, (in the St. Francis Cancer Care Center) and 9002 N. Meridian St., Suite 214. IOHC physicians also see patients at outreach clinics in Franklin, Batesville, Madison, Elwood, Crawfordsville, Winamac, Frankfort, Kokomo, Rensselaer and Monticello.

Braden’s practice is located at the St. Francis Cancer Care Center, 8111 S. Emerson Ave., and he is available to see new patients. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 317-859-5252.

IOHC joins St. Francis Medical Group; expands cancer treatment options

INDIANAPOLIS – The addition of Indiana Oncology Hematology Consultants (IOHC) further expands the specialty offerings of St. Francis Medical Group.

“We are very pleased to welcome IOHC to the growing family of St. Francis Medical Group practices,” said Kent Brumbaugh, executive director of St. Francis Cancer Care Services. “The IOHC physicians have provided services at St. Francis for many years, but this adds a new dimension to our relationship.”

The merger pools the expertise of physicians and researchers within IOHC and St. Francis Cancer Care Services to form a network of professionals practicing at St. Francis hospitals in Indianapolis, Beech Grove and other locations throughout the state.

“We are indeed excited about the prospects that this merger affords us,” said IOHC President Randall Trowbridge, M.D. “The cancer services that we will be able to provide for our patients and the community has expanded, and we look forward to being an integral part of the cancer program within the St. Francis system.”

The merger brings to St. Francis the top-notch medical services of Laurence H. Bates, M.D.; Maureen Cooper, M.D..; Anita F. Conte, M.D.; Michael T. Slaughter, M.D., Ph.D.; Gregory W. Smith, M.D.; Randall Trowbridge, M.D.; and Johnnie Springman, R.N., family nurse practitioner. In July, Christopher Braden, D.O., will be joining the practice as well. The IOHC physicians treat a wide range of oncologic and hematologic disorders.

IOHC also brings a highly skilled nursing, clinical studies and administrative staff to join forces with St. Francis.

Organized in 1983, IOHC has provided quality health care services to patients throughout Indiana, including two Indianapolis locations: 8111 S. Emerson Ave., Suite A, (in the St. Francis Cancer Care Center) and 9002 N. Meridian St., Suite 214. IOHC physicians also see patients at outreach clinics in Franklin, Batesville, Madison, Elwood, Crawfordsville, Winamac, Frankfort, Kokomo, Rensselaer and Monticello.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling 317-859-5252.

More information about St. Francis Cancer Care Services is at http://stfrancishospitals.org/Cancer.

Nurse navigator will guide lung cancer patients through treatment

INDIANAPOLIS – Cheryl Streeval, R.N., has been appointed as nurse navigator for the Lung Cancer Center at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers.

She will assist lung cancer patients and their families in coordinating diagnostic appointments and physician visits, help them manage their symptoms, provide education, make patients aware of clinical trial availability and very importantly, easing patient anxiety.

Streeval joins two other nurses at St. Francis who are designated as navigators to help patients with colorectal and head and neck cancers.

Streeval comes to her new position from University of Cincinnati Physicians, where she was an oncology research nurse. She oversaw pharmaceutical clinical trials and worked closely with patients to schedule treatments, scans and labs. She previously worked at Oncology/Hematology Care of Cincinnati as an oncology infusion nurse.

A resident of Columbus, Ind., Streeval earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing.

The St. Francis Lung Cancer Center is a multidisciplinary group of physician specialists experienced in and dedicated to the prevention and treatment of lung cancers.

The physicians of the Lung Cancer Center meet regularly to review and discuss treatment plans, examine new developments in clinical and basic science that could be beneficial to patients, adhere to evidence-based guidelines and protocols for patient care, and seek to enroll patients in the latest clinical research protocols.

More information about St. Francis Cancer Care Services is at http://stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

New radiation therapy offers more effective, precise targeting of cancers

INDIANAPOLIS – Radiation therapy at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers is being delivered in a revolutionary way, providing physicians with more options and flexibility to precisely treat cancerous tissue.

It’s called TomoTherapy®, and it uses thousands of radiation beamlets delivered continuously 360 degrees around the patient.

Designed and built in the Midwest, the TomoTherapy unit at St. Francis is the first in use in central Indiana. Tomo means “slice” and since cancer is diagnosed looking at every angle, treatment can be given precisely to every slice with the help of computer assisted tomography (CT) scans generated by the TomoTherapy machine.

"St. Francis has recognized the need to provide the most precise treatment planning and delivery capabilities,” said Peter Garrett, M.D., medical director of oncology at St. Francis. "In patients we have treated to date, our expectations have been exceeded in the amount of healthy tissue that we can spare and by the quickness of the treatments, leading to a more convenient experience for the patients.”

Patients are treated with a helical mode of delivery (360 degrees of continuous treatment) which results in maximum dose delivered to the cancer site while sparing normal structures.

Patients are scanned before each treatment to confirm accuracy and then are targeted similar to a CT scan. The initial scan takes about five minutes and treatments, which are painless, begin immediately after the scan.

During a patient’s six-to-eight weeks of treatment, many physical changes can occur. Tumors shrink, organs move in the body and patients can gain or lose weight. This means initial treatment plans may be changed during therapy.

To accommodate these physical changes TomoTherapy uses an adaptive planning system. Since the TomoTherapy planning system is part of the overall unit, adjustments can be made to the original plan during the overall course of therapy, ensuring radiation delivery to the cancer immediately.

TomoTherapy is a complete package of treatment planning software, quality assurance tools, image acquisition and treatment delivery. Since all the data is in one system and not transferred between multiple systems, there is less risk of error.

Types of cancers ideally treated with TomoTherapy are prostate, head and neck and the central nervous system and all cranial tumors. All have critical normal tissues that are necessary to avoid yet require high doses of radiation for adequate treatment.”

The first patient treated with TomoTherapy was in 2003. More than 100 units are now being installed worldwide, according to TomoTherapy officials

More information about the Cancer Care Services program at St. Francis is at http://stfrancishospitals.org/cancer and at http://stfranciscancercare360.org. To learn more about TomoTherapy, go to www.tomotherapy.com.

Patients reap dividends from American Cancer Society’s ‘Investor’ program

INDIANAPOLIS – St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers has been recognized as a Five Star Investor in the fight against cancer by the American Cancer Society (ACS), Great Lakes Division, Inc.

The award comes by way of the society’s Workplace Solutions program, which recognizes work sites and employers who are active in fighting cancer on multiple fronts through the ACS programs and services.

“The Cancer Program at St. Francis extremely pleased to be presented with these awards from the American Cancer Society,” said Kent Brumbaugh, executive director of oncology services. “We value our partnership with the ACS and our combined efforts to provide the best education, treatment and support for cancer patients throughout our area.”

To earn recognition as a Five Star Investor, work sites must participate in a variety of ACS initiatives: receiving the American Cancer Society monthly electronic newsletter Because We Care; forming a team for our signature breast cancer event, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer; forming a team to raise funds and participate in Relay For Life;
providing its employees a smoke-free work environment; and providing sponsorship dollars in support of American Cancer Society programs.

“St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers is a leader in the fight against today’s number one health concern,” said Tanya Husain, American Cancer Society executive director. “By investing their time and energy into fighting cancer, we will save more lives and see fewer cases of this disease that takes so much from so many.”

St. Francis also received the Five Star Community Investor award, which recognizes hospitals combating cancer in the community by providing a link to http://www.cancer.org/; offering low or no-cost cancer screenings and smoking cessation programs to the public; being a provider of screenings through the Indiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Program; and hosting “Look Good, Feel Better” classes for women being treated for cancer.

More information about St. Francis Cancer Care Services is at http://stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

For more information on Workplace Solutions, please contact your local American Cancer Society office or 1-800-ACS-2345.

Colon cancer survival rates at St. Francis surpass national figures

INDIANAPOLIS – Patients treated for colon cancer at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers have markedly higher survival rates than national and statewide averages, according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer.

The overall five-year survival for all colon cancer patients treated at St. Francis Cancer Care Services was 52.1 percent. This compares to 49 percent statewide and 50 percent nationally.

Colon and rectal cancers are the most common malignancies in the United States and result in the third highest number of cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. Of the estimated 154,000 colorectal cases diagnosed each year, 73 percent are colon-related.

Each year, St. Francis’ Cancer Care Committee chooses one tumor site for annual review to monitor cancer treatment. It gathers and analyzes its data from the hospital’s Tumor Registry.

In 2006 it focused on 103 cases of colon cancer. Cases examined represented a nearly even distribution between males and females with a majority of patients ranging in age from 60 to 90.

The main treatment for colon cancer is surgery, curative in most cases. At St. Francis, surgery was performed on 89 percent of patients. However, surgery often needs to be accompanied with additional therapies for patients with more locally extensive disease or if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.

Nearly all colon cancer patients whose cancer has spread to their lymph nodes receive chemotherapy at St. Francis, hospital officials reported. Statewide and nationally, patients undergo chemotherapy only 73 percent of the time.

“Certainly these results are encouraging, but our goal is prevention and early diagnosis,” said Peter G. Garrett, M.D., medical director of oncology services and chairman of the Cancer Care Committee at St. Francis.

“Screening for colon cancer is highly effective, and one of the key objectives of our Colorectal Cancer Center of Excellence is to increase awareness of risk factors associated with colon cancer,” Garrett added. “Colonoscopy should be part of routine care for everyone who is 50 and older, or earlier for those with a significant family history.”

The Colorectal Cancer Center of Excellence team, headed by medical director Michael Morelli, M.D., includes more than 25 physician specialists including gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, general surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, family practice physicians and radiologists. The team evaluates the latest treatment options, and makes recommendations for the education, screening, diagnosis, staging and surveillance of patients with colorectal cancer.

St. Francis Hospital long has been recognized for its strong cancer care programs rating highly with regard to standardized outcomes measures and has achieved many “firsts” in Indiana. Of the 34 Commission on Cancer programs in Indiana, St. Francis ranks in the top 3 percent in treating stage III colorectal disease.

And in the area of new technology, St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers also is a leader in piloting selective internal radiation therapy for colon cancer that has spread to the liver. It is also first to offer megavoltage cone beam imaging, providing more precise targeting of several types of cancer tumors.

For more information about St. Francis Cancer Care Services, go to http://stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

St. Francis has hospitals on Indianapolis’ south side, Beech Grove and Mooresville. St. Francis is part of a network of 13 hospital campuses in Indiana and Illinois owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc., one of the largest health-care systems in Indiana.

Colorectal surgeon honored with prestigious fellowship

INDIANAPOLIS – Bridget Sanders, M.D., has been named a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

Sanders practices with the Kendrick Regional Center for Colon and Rectal Care on the campuses of the St. Francis Mooresville and Indianapolis hospitals. She specializes in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders, as well as laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery.

A 1998 graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, Sanders completed her general surgery residency at IU and finished her fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Florida.

Sanders attained board certification from the American Board of Surgery and was board-certified in colon and rectal surgery in 2006.

She is a member of the ACS, American Women Surgical Association, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, the American Medical Association, the Indiana State Medical Association, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and SAGES.

Sanders was named a Fellow during the ACS’s 93rd annual Clinical Congress, held recently in New Orleans.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The organization has more than 72,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

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St. Francis offers free colorectal cancer risk assessments in March

INDIANAPOLIS – Kim Goelz was shocked when her doctor broke the news to her: she had stage III colon cancer and soon would be in for the fight for her life.

“I was stunned,” said the 35-year-old wife and mother of two. “I had no family history and no major health issues, and yet here I was diagnosed with colon cancer.”

Goelz is among more than 112,000 Americans diagnosed each year with colon cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. She immediately sought medical help when she experienced symptoms and her family physician encouraged her to get a colonoscopy which detected the cancer.

Early detection is the key to successfully treating and surviving colon cancer – and that’s why the St. Francis Colorectal Cancer Center of Excellence is offering free risk assessments to the public.

Screenings will be at Greenwood Park Mall Food Court 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 1; and 8:30 a.m. to noon, Monday March 3; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 8 at Meijer at Heartland Crossing in Camby.

The free assessments coincide with the observance of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

“Screening for colon cancer is highly effective, and one of the key objectives of our center is to increase awareness of the risks of colorectal cancers,” said medical director Michael Morelli, M.D. “Colonoscopy should be part of routine care for everyone who is 50 and older, or earlier for those with a significant family history.”

Goelz was treated with a combination of therapies by St. Francis physicians and she is determined to be among the 70 percent who survive colon cancer. And she’s grateful she didn’t ignore the early warning sign.

“It scares me to think what would have happened if I had waited,” she said. “I had no pain or other symptoms.”

For more information about the free risk assessments, call 317-782-4422.

The Colorectal Cancer Center of Excellence team includes more than 25 physician specialists including gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, general surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, family practice physicians and radiologists. They are committed to the prevention, early detection and treatment of colorectal cancer, with a focus on providing the highest quality and individualized care for each patient.

For more information about St. Francis Cancer Care Services, go to http://stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.

St. Francis, Wellness Community host seminar for cancer patients

INDIANAPOLIS – Stephen Eberwine, M.D., medical oncologist for the St. Francis Oncology Head and Neck program, will discuss the language of cancer at a free seminar for cancer patients and their families Friday, Feb. 22.

The session, which includes lunch for all registered participants, will be from noon to 2 p.m. at St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis, 8111 S. Emerson Ave.

The program is designed for both newly diagnosed and in-treatment patients with all types of cancer. Caregivers are also welcome. Ample time will be provided for participants' questions.

Registration is required. To register, call 317-782-4422 or for more information on cancer services at St. Francis Hospital, visit www.StFrancisHospitals.org/cancer.

The event is sponsored by St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers and the Wellness Community of Central Indiana.

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Nurse navigators help cancer patients maneuver through treatment

INDIANAPOLIS – When first diagnosed with cancer, a person often feels set adrift in a murky sea of uncertainty and fear – and alone in their struggle.

But an innovative program at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers helps patients from the time of diagnosis throughout their treatment regimen. It’s the nurse navigator program and it’s designed for patients and their families with colorectal and head and neck cancers.

This nurse specialist assists patients in coordinating diagnostic appointments and physician visits, along with helping to manage symptoms, providing education, increasing awareness of clinical trial availability and very importantly, easing patient anxiety.

"We augment what’s being done on the clinical side by helping guide patients through every step of the treatment and beyond," said Karen Norris, R.N., nurse navigator at St. Francis’ Colorectal Cancer Center of Excellence. "It’s not enough for the technology to be good – you have to provide the human touch to the people you serve."

Norris, who took on her role as a nurse navigator in mid-2007, is an integral player on a team of more than 25 physician specialists including gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, general surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, family practice physicians and radiologists who comprise the Center.

"It truly is a collaborative effort and our physicians and other specialists do a wonderful job in communicating and coming together to decide what’s best for patients," Norris said.

Nurse Practitioner Janice Leak’s role as St. Francis’ other nurse navigator – she was the first in 2006 – has positioned her as a key link between physicians and patients receiving care for head and neck cancers. The patients Leak works with often go through different treatment phases, often a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, and that means they will be seen by different physicians and technicians for tests and procedures.

Leak currently works with about 48 patients having head and neck-related cancers; Norris has a caseload of more than 70 patients at St. Francis hospitals in Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville.

"Cancer treatment can seem very complex and segmented to patients," Leak said. "That’s where a nurse navigator can be a common thread to help weave the patient through the process and so that they feel supported throughout the process."

Cheryl Snooks is one patient who has experienced that process. The business project manager was diagnosed with an oral-related cancer in 2006 at St. Francis and was immediately paired with Leak.

"As you go from diagnosis to treatment, your questions and concerns change," Snooks said. "It was helpful to have Janice there with the answers and to have a positive experience."

As part of the Center’s commitment to provide the newest technology and highest quality of care, Norris explained that all patients are screened for enrollment in clinical trials. These research studies are among nearly 100 now under way and overseen by the St. Francis Cancer Research Foundation.

The attention doesn’t end with treatment. Norris and Leak both follow up with their patients long after their therapies.
St. Francis also has plans to expand its nurse navigator program into lung cancer.

More information about Cancer Care Services at St. Francis is at http://stfrancishospitals.org/cancer.