St. Francis Hospital patient safety duo honored by Indy-area coalition

INDIANAPOLIS – Two people who lead clinical safety initiatives at Franciscan/St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers have been recognized with Patient Safety Hero Awards by the Indianapolis Coalition for Patient Safety (ICPS).

Douglas Johnstone, M.D., and Shelley Voelz, R.N., were cited for their overall leadership in the patient safety program at St. Francis. Johnstone is medical director of quality and patient safety. Voelz is director of standards compliance and patient safety.

Voelz is credited for creating an “excellent structure and environment” for patient safety, consistent with the hospital and Franciscan Alliance (formerly Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc.) values. She leads the patient safety and regulatory compliance programs, incorporating them into the hospital’s goal of providing a safe clinical environment; and conducts rounds with clinical and administrative staff.

She also is active in clinical and safety issues in the larger community. She has been one of the driving forces behind St. Thomas More Clinic in Mooresville, a facility providing free care to the needy, uninsured and medically underserved in that area since 2005.

A nephrologist, Johnstone is known for his ability to bring evidenced-based medicine to the patient’s bedside for hospital physicians and staff, ICPS officials said. He has spearheaded safety- and quality-related measures and has served as co-chair of the hospital’s Institutional Review Board (oversees all facets of the hospital’s clinical trials), past president of the medical staff, and chairs the medical staff and quality improvement committee for St. Francis’ Central Indiana Regional Board of Directors.

“Our hospital’s patients and families, staff members, physicians and volunteers have been touched by these patient safety activists,” said Robert J. Brody, St. Francis president and chief executive officer, who presented the awards to Johnstone and Voelz at a recent ICPS ceremony.

Established in 2003, the Indianapolis Coalition for Patient Safety is a public-private partnership of health-care leaders committed to patient safety efforts. For more information, go to www.indypatientsafety.org.

Brody is a member of the coalition’s board of directors. Donald Kerner, M.D., former chief medical officer at St. Francis, is a co-founder of the organization.

St. Francis Heart Center ad campaign garners national recognition

INDIANAPOLIS – A television ad campaign touting the strengths and achievements of St. Francis Heart Center has won top honors from the CardioVascular Advertising Awards program.

The ad, “Heartbeat,” received a Gold Award, placing it in the top 5 percent of submissions among hospitals having 300-499 beds. Entries were judged by a diverse panel of health-care marketing professionals.

The 30-second spot was produced by Richmond, Va.-based Neathawk Dubuque & Packett under the direction of St. Francis’ Marketing and Community Relations Department and the Heart Center. It has aired on various television stations in the Indianapolis metropolitan area throughout 2010.

“As health-care marketing professionals, it is crucial we communicate within our communities what services are available to treat cardiac and vascular disease,” said Jennifer Westfall, vice president of marketing and product development. “This recognition attests to the dedication and hard work of the people at St. Francis Heart Center.”

To view the ad, go to the following link and click on TV Commercial 1 www.MyHeartCare.net.

IU, Kendrick fellow begins training program at St. Francis-Mooresville

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – Mark Casillas Jr., M.D., M.S., will begin a fellowship program July 1 with the Indiana University School of Medicine Colon and Rectal Residency Program at Kendrick Regional Center for Colon and Rectal Care, Franciscan/St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers.

Casillas is the third fellow in this colorectal residency program, the first of its kind in central Indiana.

Casillas received his master’s degree from the University of Alabama and his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. He is completing his general surgery residency at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Upon completing his fellowship training, Casillas will be eligible for the qualifying and certifying exams of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery.

The residency program was established in 2008 through a partnership between IU, St. Francis and Kendrick Regional Center and marks the first educational joint venture between St. Francis and the medical school, the nation’s second-largest academic medical institution.

The teaching staff comprises surgeons with Kendrick Regional Center and assistant clinical professors with the IU School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery. They are Drs. Olaf Johansen, Fred Lane, R. Barry Melbert, Bridget Sanders, Dipen Maun and Ben Tsai from Kendrick; and Drs. Bruce Robb and Virgilio George from IU.

Sanders was appointed program director in May 2010; Maun serves as associate program director.

More information about the fellowship is available by calling 317-834-9618 or at the Kendrick Regional Center for Colon and Rectal Care website www.kendrickcenter.com, or the IU School of Medicine site, www.medicine.iu.edu.

In 2007, St. Francis established the Colorectal Cancer Center center of excellence for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. It’s one of the largest programs of its kind in Indiana. To learn more about its services, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/Cancer/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=38

Coping with holiday blues focus of St. Francis Cancer Center workshop

INDIANAPOLIS – Even during the proverbial “most wonderful time of the year,” anxiety and depression can slump over those whose lives have been affected by cancer.

That’s why the St. Francis Cancer Center and Cancer Support Community are offering a special workshop to discuss positive ways to handle stress during the holidays. Counselor Karen Better will lead the event, which is free for adults with cancer, their loved ones, or who have lost someone to the disease.

The workshop is 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 9, at St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis, 8111 S. Emerson Ave. Participants should enter at the Women and Children’s entrance and go the fourth floor Atrium.

To register, call 317-782-7794.

More information about the St. Francis Cancer Center is at http://stfrancishospitals.org/Cancer.

Weight Loss Center offers 12 ways to curb you holiday eating enthusiasm

INDIANAPOLIS – Whether you’ve been naughty or nice when it comes to your meal choices, the holiday season doesn’t mean you have to give up entirely this fall and winter.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s are just three days out of 365. But unabashedly enjoying the season’s treats from now until those resolutions kick in could wreak havoc on your health habits.

In honor of the “12 Days of Christmas,” the St. Francis Weight Loss Center offers a dozen ways to watch your waistline while still enjoying the holiday season:

1. Take the focus off food. Instead of baking cookies with your children, create non-edible projects like wreaths, dough art decorations or a gingerbread house.

2. Plan to maintain your weight over the holidays. Decide which treat is worth the calories, take a smaller portion, and savor every single bite.

3. Think ahead to make mealtimes less hurried. On a cold, wintery night, few things say comfort like a bowl of hot soup, paired with crusty, whole-grain bread. Start a pot simmering on the stove or in the slow cooker while you spend the day decorating the tree, addressing cards or doing any other holiday preparations. Add a piece of fruit and a cup of milk, and you have a well-balanced meal.

4. Experiment with seasonal produce to lighten up your meals. Consider chutneys as an accompaniment to meats, slices of pears or oranges in your salad, cranberries or dried fruits in rice pilaf, or apple sauce substituted for some of the fats in your baking. A little creativity can go a long way toward heightening taste and sneaking in your produce needs in your diet.

5. Plan for parties. Don’t starve yourself the day of the party so you can fill up on food that evening. If you eat normally throughout the day, you’re much less likely to overeat at the party.

6. Lighten up. Substitute spices and fresh herbs for seasoning rather than fat and salt.

7. Make exercise time play time. Enjoy an afternoon of football, sledding, ice skating or playing in the snow. Or even enjoy the holiday lights while taking a long evening walk.

8. Discover different dips. Who says dips have to be high-fat and joined by chips? Replace cream cheese with silken tofu, or experiment with dips made with nonfat cream cheese or sour cream. Pair with vegetable spears or baked pita chips.

9. Watch your appetizers. Limit high-fat choices such as fried chicken wings, miniature sausages and most cheeses. Choose fruits and vegetables instead.

10. Enjoy the mall. While shopping, stretch your legs and squeeze in some exercise in a warm, dry environment.

11. Be a happy host. Balance your famous cookies with healthier options. Grab a fruit or vegetable tray from the store. Be sure to send your leftovers home with guests.

12. Have a healthy holiday spirit. Cocktails, “real” eggnog and other holiday drinks quickly add up in calories. Alternatives include sparkling or hot apple cider, light eggnog or seltzer mixed with fruit juices.

With a little creativity, you can start the new year without quite as many pounds to lose come Jan. 1 – and might just find a new tradition in the process.

To learn more about services and programs available at the St. Francis Weight Loss Center, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/weightloss.