Andrew R. Barksdale, M.D.,joins Cardiac Surgery Associates at Franciscan St. Francis Health

INDIANAPOLIS – Andrew R. Barksdale, M.D., is an established cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon with Cardiac Surgery Associates (CSA), one of the largest cardiac, vascular and thoracic surgery practices in the United States.

In 2006, Franciscan St. Francis Health established a successful partnership with Cardiac Surgery Associates to build a national center of excellence in cardiovascular surgery and to ensure that residents of Indiana have the nation’s leading surgeons who are committed to providing every patient with innovative surgical treatment and superior care.

“St. Francis Health and Cardiac Surgery Associates are committed to providing our patients with exceptional care," said Marc W. Gerdisch, M.D., chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center and a partner of Cardiac Surgery Associates. “Dr. Barksdale is a highly-skilled surgeon with broad-based expertise in cardiac, vascular and thoracic techniques, including complex procedures and minimally invasive treatment of lung disorders and cancer. We are fortunate to welcome him to Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center."

Dr. Barksdale joins fellow CSA surgeons Dr Gerdisch and Manesh Parikshak, M.D. Their office is located at 5255 E. Stop 11 Rd., Ste. 200 on the Franciscan St. Francis Health -Indianapolis campus.

Dr. Barksdale has performed hundreds of cardiac, vascular and thoracic surgeries including coronary artery bypass, valve replacement and repair, lung and heart transplant, minimally invasive lung surgery and a variety of vascular operations. He is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and American Board of Surgery. He has been published widely in professional journals.

A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Dr. Barksdale received his bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science from Indiana University and his medical degree at IU School of Medicine.

He completed his post-graduate training in surgery at the University of Kentucky (UK). During his residency, he performed more than 1,100 major general surgery cases and endoscopic procedures, and taught workshops to medical students during their clinical rotations. He also was a surgical research fellow at UK, where he received the National Institutes of Health/National Research Service Award.

Dr. Barksdale joined CSA after completing a three-year fellowship in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the University of Minneapolis, where he performed a variety of complex procedures.

CSA is one of the top private cardiac, vascular and thoracic surgery practices in the country consisting of 29 surgeons dedicated to providing unsurpassed excellence in patient care, research and innovative surgical techniques at 25 hospitals in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. You can learn more at OpenHeart.net.

Dr. Barksdale is an independent physician, who chooses to practice at Franciscan St. Francis Health. CSA’s Indianapolis physicians work at the Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center and in coordination with St. Francis Medical Group’s Indiana Heart Physicians. More information about services at the Heart Center is at MyHeartCare.net.

St. Francis Health physician is ‘Moore’ than doctor to patients, colleagues

INDIANAPOLIS – David H. Moore, M.D., is the latest recipient of the Healing Hands Award presented by Franciscan St. Francis Health.

With his colleagues and support staff looking on, Moore today (Oct. 26) received the award at a ceremony at his office, Gynecologic Oncology Specialists near the hospital’s Indianapolis campus.

Awarded quarterly, the Healing Hands Award was established in 2010. Its goal is to recognize St. Francis physicians for excellence in clinical skills, patient relations, research, stewardship and their reflection of the hospital’s health-care ministry, values and mission.

Testimonials from Moore’s patients attest to his commitment to their care. One writes: “Dr. Moore is an incredibly talented surgeon, but he also exhibits true caring for his patients as individuals. Following my recent surgery, he sat with my husband, daughter, and mother and explained the procedure to them in terms they could understand. He spent a lot of time with me on rounds after surgery was completed. I feel confident that he saved my life…”

That similar sentiment is shared by his Franciscan St. Francis colleague, Joseph LaRosa, M.D.

“David is an incredible surgeon and faithful servant to Franciscan St. Francis Health,” LaRosa said. “Dealing with the emotional and fear-filled aspects of cancer in addition to performing very difficult surgical cases on a daily basis can only be accomplished by very special people.”

A Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Moore’s work encompasses the most advanced surgical, radiation and medical treatments, including use of the da Vinci robotic surgical system. He also participates in a number of cooperative group and industry-sponsored trials using cancer-fighting drugs.

Moore, a member of St. Francis Medical Group, earned his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology. He advanced his education at the University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill, completing a fellowship in gynecologic oncology.

He has held several academic appointments with UNC and the IU School of Medicine. At the latter institution, he also was chief of gynecologic oncology and held the Mary Fendrich Hulman Professor in Gynecologic Oncology chair.

During his career, Moore has received many academic and professional awards, including Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He has been listed among U.S. News & World Report’s Top Doctors and Indianapolis Monthly magazine’s Top Docs for many years, including this year’s listings.

Moore, who has been published widely in peer-reviewed journals, is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is a member of the Indiana State Medical Association, Indianapolis Medical Society, International Society of Gynecologic Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Hoosier Oncology Group.

Dr. David Moore is presented with the awarded and flanked by Dr. Christopher "Topper" Doehring (l) and Dr. Joseph LaRosa.

New St. Francis Health Network partnership reaches out to needy patients

INDIANAPOLIS – Windrose Health Network, a federally qualified health center which provides primary and preventive health services to families with limited financial means and no insurance, has entered a partnership with Franciscan St. Francis Health through the St. Francis Health Network (SFHN).

Windrose physicians will participate in the Network’s Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield delivery system serving Hoosier Healthwise members. Their membership in the Network will provide Hoosier Healthwise patients who have Windrose physicians with better service, access and continuity of care.

“This relationship fits with our Franciscan mission of providing care to the poor and uninsured, and it will help tie our two organizations together,” said Jennifer Westfall, regional executive director of St. Francis Health Network. In another move to provide better access, the physicians at Southside OB/GYN, a practice long affiliated with Franciscan St. Francis, will begin providing deliveries and late-term checkups for pregnant patients under the care of Windrose physicians.

“Expectant patients will continue to see their Windrose physicians over the course of their pregnancies until they reach the final weeks,” added Westfall, who also serves as vice president of marketing and product development for Franciscan St. Francis. “This arrangement will provide stable care and help prevent patients in labor from arriving at the emergency department.”

Windrose maintains health facilities on Indianapolis’ south side and in Trafalgar, Edinburgh and Hope, Ind. Designation as a federally qualified health center means that the facility is located in an area identified as medically underserved and provides primary health, oral, and mental health/substance abuse services to persons of all ages.

They charge for care on a sliding-fee scale based on the patients’ family income and size.

Several St. Francis Health physicians featured among Indy magazine’s ‘Top Doctors' list

INDIANAPOLIS – Thirty-two Franciscan St. Francis Health physicians have been recognized as “Top Doctors” by Indianapolis Monthly magazine (November 2011).

They were among those selected by nationwide surveys of tens of thousands of physicians conducted by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., representing the upper tier of board-certified physicians in the Indianapolis area.

Members of *St. Francis Medical Group and hospital-affiliated physicians and their specialties:

*Richard Beardsley M.D. (family medicine)
*William Berg M.D. (interventional cardiology)
Michael Elmore M.D. (gastroenterology)
Thomas Fairchild M.D. (otolaryngology)
Jack Farr II, M.D. (orthopedic surgery)
Peter Garrett M.D. (radiation oncology)
Marc Gerdisch M.D. (thoracic surgery)
*Charles E. Hughes III M.D. (plastic surgery)
Jan Jansen, M.D. (hematology)
*Olaf Johansen M.D. (colon and rectal cancer)
*Denise Johnson Miller M.D. (breast surgery)
Martin Kaefer M.D. (urology)
Baron Kidd M.D. (pediatrics)
*Robert Kinn M.D. (cardiac electrophysiology)
*Charles Kinsella M.D. (pulmonology)
*Frederick Lane M.D. (colon and rectal surgery)
G. Todd Lemmel M.D. (gastroenterology)
S. Chace Lottich M.D. (breast surgery)
*Jonathan Mandelbaum M.D. (surgery)
Mary Lou Mayer M.D. (medical oncology)
*David Moore M.D. (gynecologic cancer)
*Dan Nordmann M.D. (pain management)
*Jeffrey Peterson M.D. (family medicine)
*Jeffery Pierson M.D. (orthopedic surgery)
David Pound M.D. (gastroenterology)
*Ana Priscu M.D. (endocrinology)
Juan Sanchez M.D. (pediatric endocrinology)
*Bridget Sanders M.D. (colon and rectal surgery)
*Richard Shea M.D. (cardiology)
Barbara Sturm M.D. (dermatology)
James Thompson D.O. (medical oncology)
*G. Alan Von Stein M.D. (obstetrics/gynecology)

Two Franciscan St. Francis physicians also were the subject of features in the issue.

Marc Gerdisch, M.D., director of cardiothoracic surgery and a partner with Cardiac Surgery Associates, discusses his first-in-the-world work which uses a unique biomaterial to repair patients’ damaged heart tissue. Gerdisch is an independent physician who has chosen to affiliate with Franciscan St. Francis.

Surgeon Denise Johnson Miller, M.D., of SFMG’s Breast Specialists, discusses how MRI technology adds value in the treatment of breast cancer. Led by Isaac J. Myers II, M.D., St. Francis Medical Group physicians offer a variety of primary care and specialty care services and all practice at Franciscan St. Francis Health hospital facilities.

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

Nurses saluted for commitment to excellence, professional development

GREENWOOD, Ind. – For most in the field, nursing is far more than a career. It’s a calling that blends professionalism with compassion to care for patients.

Franciscan St Francis Health recently celebrated its 2011 Excellence in Nursing Award Winners, presented annually to registered nurses who have been nominated by their peers for their leadership abilities and exceptional talents. The awards are based on six key Magnet components.

Developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice.

“The 2011 Nursing Excellence Awards winners are a true reflection of the excellent talent of the many great nurses at Franciscan St. Francis Health,” said Theresa Weisenbach, R.N., M.B.A., chair of the nursing professional development council. “The six winners of this year's Excellence Awards are certainly deserving of the awards based on their excellent contributions they give to their specialty areas in nursing but also to nursing at Franciscan St. Francis.”

The 2011 recipients, all registered nurses and board-certified in their specialties: Karla Dewey (exemplary professional practice), Debra Hillman (structural empowerment-community leadership/mentor), Rhonda Hammond (structural empowerment-preceptor), Erin Schoch (new knowledge, innovation and improvement), Brenda Wakefield (transformational leader-staff nurse), and Jo May (transformational leader-management team).

Continuing education is paramount in nursing and Franciscan St. Francis supports this endeavor. Recipients of the 2011 Richard E. Fry Memorial Nursing Scholarships:

Helen Stephon, Morgan Welsh and Kathryn Wenning (University of Indianapolis) and Tyler Thomas (Marian University).

The scholarships were established in 2000 by Fry’s widow, Michelle Fry Hanson, and the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation. They memorialize the late physician’s dedication to the medical profession, Franciscan St. Francis, and his high regard for the nursing staff.

Fry was chief of vascular surgery at Franciscan St. Francis until his death in 2000.

The goal of the scholarships is to “recruit and retain the best in the nursing profession” at Franciscan St. Francis. Nursing scholarships are awarded each May to Franciscan St. Francis employees who are in good standing and either accepted or enrolled in an accredited nursing program.

The evening also included recognizing DAISY award winners at Franciscan St. Francis:Tammy Baldwin, Charity Basely, Molly Britt, David Charles, Kathy Chesney, Natalie Davis, Janie Eason, Kimberly Eder, Paula Evenly, Colleen Fredrick, Joan Firth, Amy Gillard, Nancy Kasogi, Monica Lee, Brooke Linville, Denise Mann, Teresa Sanford, Becky Simon, Jacky Stroud, Tracy Welsh and Stephanie Xayamath.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is a national program that honors the compassionate care and clinical excellence that our Franciscan St. Francis nurses bring to their patients every day.

Franciscan St. Francis employs 1,400 nurses – more than 320 certified in clinical specialties – at its hospitals in Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville.

To learn more about nursing at Franciscan St. Francis, visit www.stfrancishospitals.org/nursing.