Physicians join newly established St. Francis County Line Pediatrics

INDIANAPOLIS – Shanna Bowman, M.D., and Stacey Smith, M.D., members of St. Francis Medical Group, have joined County Line Pediatrics.

Bowman earned her undergraduate degree from Indiana University in Bloomington and her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. She completed her residency training at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is board-certified in pediatrics.

Smith received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN and a master’s degree in biology from Purdue University. She earned her medical degree from
Indiana University School of Medicine and completed her residency training at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville.

She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is board-certified in pediatrics.

County Line Pediatrics is a newly established St. Francis Medical Group practice, located at 8325 South Emerson Ave, Suite B-1 in Indianapolis.

Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 317-781-7297 for an appointment or for more information.

To learn more about St. Francis Medical Group and its physicians, go to http://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.

Grieving youth learn coping skills through St. Francis Hospice program

INDIANAPOLIS -- Death is a part of the life cycle, and it’s especially difficult for children to grasp and make sense out of it, particularly when they lose a loved one.

That’s why St. Francis Hospice offers Caterpillar Kids, a support program that offers learning experiences for children ages 5 to 12.

“Children do grieve and they may express it differently than adults, but their feelings are as genuine and essential in healing,” said bereavement coordinator Karla Riggs Norton. “Caterpillar Kids brings children together in a safe, nurturing environment where they receive information about grief and learn healthy ways to cope with the death of a loved one.”

St. Francis Hospice will offer its Spring Caterpillar Kids program beginning Wednesday, April 7, and ending May 12. The workshops, which are free, are from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., meeting each Wednesday.

Meetings are at Christ United Methodist Church, 8540 U.S. 31 South, one mile north of Greenwood Park Mall.

Led by staff trained in bereavement support for children, youngsters participate in storytelling, art projects, games and other sharing opportunities. Parents also are invited to participate in a concurrent session to assist them in supporting their children.

Registration is required. To register or for more information about Caterpillar Kids, call 317-865-2092 or toll-free at 800-390-9915.

More information about St. Francis Hospice is at www.stfrancishospitals.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=280.

St. Francis Heart Center offers low-cost cardiac risk screenings

INDIANAPOLIS -- Life Line Screening, the leading provider of community-based health screening services in the United States, is working with St. Francis Heart Center to offer important preventive screenings to the community.

These preventive screenings are noninvasive and use ultrasound to test for peripheral vascular disease, carotid artery disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm and osteoporosis. Knowing your risk of any of these conditions can help you and your physician determine what treatments to choose or preventive measures to take to lower your risks.

Upcoming screening dates and locations:

Feb. 2 – 9 a.m., Acton United Methodist Church, 5650 Senour Road, Indianapolis
Feb. 8 – 9 a.m., Souls Harbor Assembly of God, 8434 E State Road 267, Plainfield
Feb. 12- 9 a.m., Rocklane Christian Church, 4430 Rocklane Road, Greenwood
Feb. 16 – 9 a.m., Warren Township Government Center, 501 North Post Road, Suite B, Indianapolis
Feb. 24- 9 a.m., Miller's Senior Living Community, 225 West Harrison Street., Mooresville

The price for all four screenings is $129; individual tests are $45 each. Tests take about 45 minutes to complete and registration is required.

To make an appointment, call toll-free 800-779-6353.To learn more about the services and programs at the St. Francis Heart Center, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/heart.

Hyperbaric chamber accelerates, improves wound healing process

BEECH GROVE, Ind. – An estimated 5 million Americans live with non-healing and chronic wounds and specialized care often is the only pathway for treatment.

St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers is now using a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to promote healing in wound care. The chamber is currently used at the Wound Care Institute to treat outpatients with chronic or hard-to-heal wounds.

The hyperbaric oxygen chamber is a clear, enclosed chamber that exerts atmospheric pressure to assist in the treatment of some wounds. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or the breathing of pressurized oxygen, has been shown to accelerate and improve the healing process and be a vital tool for those at risk for losing a limb.

The tank compresses the molecules in the air and allows the compressed oxygen to enter into smaller blood vessels and tissue that it would not normally be able to penetrate, thereby promoting healing.

Treatments typically last for 90 minutes at pressure, one time each day, five days a week, for six weeks. The treatments are ideal for patients with complicated wounds such as diabetic ulcers, post surgical foot wounds and bone infection.

During treatments, patients are able to watch television, listen to music, and speak with the clinician – or even sleep.

The institute also offers a second location at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville. .Both centers meet a full spectrum of patient needs with a wide range of specialized service, including the only program of its kind to treat diabetes foot and ankle problems and limb preservation.

To learn more about the Wound Care Institute at St. Francis, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=250