Surgeon explains orthopedic, joint replacement therapies May 7

PLAINFIELD, Ind. – You can overcome hip and knee pain and get back to leading an active and rewarding life — and Franciscan St. Francis Health wants to show you how.

Franciscan St. Francis Health will present an arthritis and hip and knee replacement seminar at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 7, at The Palms (formerly Primo West), 2353 E. Perry Road, Plainfield. Light refreshments will be served, beginning at 6 p.m.

John Meding, M.D., will explain the latest procedures in joint replacement and arthritis treatments. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstructive surgery and joint replacement.

Meding is a surgeon with Franciscan Physician Network Joint Replacement Surgeons, the practice group affiliated with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at St. Francis Health–Mooresville, recognized in the United States and the world as a premier center for joint replacement surgery.

To register for this seminar, call Franciscan St. Francis toll-free at 1-877-888-1777.

More information about the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is at CenterForHipAndKneeSurgery.org.

Quality of Life and Wellness Fair offers Morgan County residents healthier lifestyle choices

MOORESVILLE, Ind. — The Healthier Morgan County Initiative is joining with other selected organizations to sponsor a free Quality of Life and Wellness Fair on April 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mt. Gilead Church, 6019 E. SR 144 just east of SR 67.

More than 50 exhibitors will be on hand. The event will include many health and wellness screenings and exhibits on everything from health insurance to hobbies and crafts, technology, local clubs and personal enrichment activities.

Light refreshments will be served.

Funding is provided by the Kendrick Foundation.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, April 12

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: Mt. Gilead Church, 6019 E. SR 144, Mooresville

Fee: Free of charge

Exhibits: Health screenings, disc golf, arts and crafts, insurance information, healthy living activities, lifetime learning, smartphone tips, community organization opportunities and more.

Sponsors: Kendrick Foundation, Healthier Morgan County Initiative, Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville, Ivy Tech Community College, Mooresville Consolidated School Corp, Morgan County Council on Aging, United Way of Morgan County and the Mooresville Public Library.

Surgeon explains orthopedic, joint replacement therapies April 17

GREENWOOD, Ind. – You can overcome hip and knee pain and get back to leading an active and rewarding life — and Franciscan St. Francis Health wants to show you how.

Franciscan St. Francis Health will present an arthritis and hip and knee replacement seminar at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 17, at Jonathan Byrd’s, 100 Byrd Way, Greenwood. Light refreshments will be served, beginning at 6 p.m.

Wesley Lackey, M.D., will explain the latest procedures in joint replacement and arthritis treatments. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstructive surgery and joint replacement.

Lackey is a surgeon with Franciscan Physician Network Joint Replacement Surgeons, the practice group affiliated with the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at St. Francis Health–Mooresville, recognized in the United States and the world as a premier center for joint replacement surgery.

To register for this seminar, call Franciscan St. Francis toll-free at 1-877-888-1777.

More information about the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is at CenterForHipAndKneeSurgery.org.

Variety of free heart health, nutrition classes offered throughout April

INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center is offering a full range of free classes focused on cardiovascular health and wellness throughout April.

Call 317-782-4422 or go on-line at MyHeartCare.net to register for any of the classes, which include:

Is my blood pressure too high?

Harry Genovely, MD

Thursday, April 10, 6:30 p.m.

Franciscan St. Francis Health Heart Center (8111 S. Emerson Ave.)

Do you know what your blood pressure is? Do you know what it should be? New guidelines recommend aiming for below 120/80 for most people. Learn how high blood pressure affects not only the heart but also other vital organs. Genovely, cardiologist with Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center and Franciscan Physician Network Indiana Heart Physicians, will share steps you can take to lower your blood pressure, including diet, weight loss, exercise and medication. No more excuses: learn how you can lower blood pressure starting today, with the advantages lasting a lifetime.

Do you have a heart murmur?

Marc Gerdisch, MD

Wednesday, April 23, 6:30 p.m.

Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville (1201 Hadley Road)

Heart murmurs are caused by valves inside the heart that don’t close properly. Sometimes, people can live with heart murmurs a long time without any symptoms. But if the problem becomes more serious, the blood flow to the heart may be affected. Gerdisch, a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at  Franciscan St. Francis, will talk about new treatments and surgeries for heart valves, including ongoing research studies here at Franciscan St. Francis.  There will be a free valve screening opportunity for those who attend this program.

Register now.

Change of Heart classes offered in Spring 2014

Quick meals at home

Wednesday, April 2, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Some days, we just don’t have the time – or the desire – to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  But that doesn’t mean we need to sacrifice eating well at home.  Learn how to fix quick and easy nutritious meals you and your family can enjoy.

Register now.

Savvy Shopping

Tuesday, April 8, 6:30 p.m. at Meijer store in Camby, 10509 Heartland Blvd.

With all the new and changing products on the shelves, grocery shopping can be overwhelming.  Learn where to find the healthy foods and how to avoid packaging tricks commonly used to market foods.  Discover how food labels make you a smarter shopper.

Register now.

Healthy Meals on a Budget

Wednesday, April 9, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center. Register now.

Tuesday, April 15, 6:30 p.m. at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville. Register now.

As food prices climb and budgets get tight, smart purchases at the supermarket are important.  In this class, you will learn ways to stretch your food budget while still getting the nutrients you need.

Cooking for 2

Thursday, Apr 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

As we get older, our health becomes more of a priority.  After the kids leave home, it can be challenging to scale back our cooking, so dining out seems like an easy option.  In this class, learn how it really is cheaper and healthier to cook at home for two. 
Register now.

Healthy Eating

Tuesday, April 29, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Healthy eating leads to a healthy life!  Find out how much a “serving” is and how to manage a healthy weight.  Discover how fats, carbohydrates and protein affect our body.  Do you know how much salt, fiber and sugar are in the foods you buy?  This class offers the foundation for a healthy future.
Register now.

Healthy Dining Out Tips

Wednesday, April 30, 6:30 p.m. at the Heart Center

Americans eat nearly half their meals away from home.  How can you control what you eat when you don’t cook for yourself?  Learn how to make wise menu selections and eat smart while dining out.
Register now.

Francsican Alliance, Anthem forge accountable care organization collaboration

Designed to enhance care coordination, improve outcomes and lower health costs

INDIANAPOLIS -- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the state’s leading health insurer, and FranciscanAlliance, a statewide health system that includes 13 hospitals and 750 physicians, announced today the formation of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) with the goal of improving collaboration, efficiency and ultimately, patient health.

This agreement will take effect April 1 and involve approximately 63,000 Anthem members.

“This is Anthem’s first commercial ACO partnership in Indiana, and we are very excited that closer collaboration with Franciscan will improve the health of our members and make health care more affordable,” said Robert W. Hillman, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana.”

The inefficiency that results from a fragmented care delivery system is widely recognized as an obstacle to more effective treatment of both acute and chronic conditions.

“Our health care system formed the first Medicare ACO Shared Savings in Indiana in 2012 and was among the first nationally to do so,” said Kevin Leahy, president and chief executive officer for Franciscan Alliance. “We have since established other Medicare and commercial ACOs throughout the state and continue to develop new collaborative models in line with the “Triple Aim” goal – achieving better population health, providing higher quality of treatment and reducing the costs of care.”

The “mechanics” of the new ACO with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Franciscan Alliance are based upon the principles of most shared savings/ACO contracts. The goal is to provide care that costs less than (ideally) or meets an assigned cost target while providing high quality care—meeting pre-established quality measures. How well the organization does on the quality measures is used in the calculation of the shared savings distribution. Shared savings are not attained unless quality indicators are met. Lower cost, improved quality of care and satisfied patients are the components of this Triple Aim. This is not unlike most of the other ACO partnerships that are out there.

“The biggest challenge in health care today is finding a way to improve quality while reducing costs, said David Lee, M.D., vice president of provider engagement and contracting at Anthem. “We believe this ACO can address that challenge.”

And Anthem’s affiliated health plan in California reported improvements in several quality measures in the first year of its Accountable Care Organizations, including a 35 percent increase in the number of mammograms performed and a 44 percent increase in the appropriate prescribing of antibiotics for bronchitis treatment.