Exceptional Experiences at Community Health Network

Rev. Michael Mercer, hospice chaplain, Community Home Health Services, understands the challenges and rewards of reaching those in need. One specific patient was not particularly interested in receiving chaplain services, but once he discovered Rev. Mercer was a Chicago Cubs fan, he agreed to allow the visits. Excited to have someone to talk with about baseball, the patient and chaplain formed a special bond, and Mercer went above and beyond to create an exceptional experience for this person in his final days of life. “As part of my care for him,” explains Mercer, “I was able to arrange a personal phone call from a player on the Chicago Cubs team to encourage him.”

Community Help was established for employees of Community Health Network, to assist them with challenges they may be facing in their personal lives. Access to the program is available 24/7 by calling the Community Help line, 317-355-HELP. The line is staffed by members of Community’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), who can connect employees in need with the appropriate resources for their situation, which may include an interest-free loan through the Community Health Network Foundation. All calls to the Community Help line are kept confidential.

When Jasmine Hamilton, R.N., learned her patient was about to receive a special visitor, she knew she had to do something to commemorate the experience. The patient’s son had just returned to Texas after a tour of duty in Iraq and was planning to drive immediately to Indiana to see his mom at Community Hospital South. The hospital staff worked together to surprise the mom and son with a special meal for their reunion.

Patients talk about their joint replacement experience at Community Health Network’s Center for Joint Health, a dedicated unit for hip and knee joint replacement patients that focuses on the entire patient experience. The goal is to help patients get back to doing the things they enjoyed before being sidelined by joint pain. The distinctive center allows patients to work together and support each other as they build strength, mobility, and a better quality of life.

Center for Joint Health at Community Hospital East

Center for Joint Health at Community Hospital North

Center for Joint Health at Community Hospital South

Tony Lennen will join the Community family when he assumes his new role as president at Community Hospital South August 31. An experienced hospital administrator with in-depth understanding of the South market, Lennen admits, “No question, this is an incredibly exciting time for CHS, and I feel extremely honored to be a small part of this.”

Most recently, Lennen served as managing director for Catalyst Healthcare Advisors, a health care process improvement consulting firm. Prior to that, he held the position of president and CEO of Major Hospital in Shelbyville from 1993 to 2008.

“I am confident in Tony’s ability to lead during this exciting time at Community Hospital South, given his strong track record of success,” says Mike Blanchet, president and CEO, Community Hospitals of Indiana. “He brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm around creating exceptional experiences for patients and families, building strong physician relationships, and serving as an advocate for employees. In addition, he is very excited about the opportunities for Community Health Network to grow in the South market.”

“Community Health Network’s culture of valuing physician integration gives it a significant advantage in the central Indiana market,” Lennen observes, “and as the network continues to ‘connect’ this culture with its informatics plan and its physician growth plan, it will continue to afford us with tremendous growth opportunities.”

Having demonstrated leadership at Major Hospital, Lennen embraces the culture of Community and is committed to realizing his design for growth and outreach. “Patients, families and physicians have many choices and our goal is to make Community the system of choice for our clientele.”

Lennen’s personal interests include golf, weight lifting, running, spectator sports and reading. He lives in Shelbyville with his family, which includes wife Beth, a cardiac critical care nurse, and two children.

Expertise in case management and a connection to the eastside community are among the benefits that Robin Ledyard, M.D., will bring to her new role of Community Hospital East president beginning August 31. She has been serving as physician advisor for case management as well as medical director for the network’s community benefit program.

“I’ve always been one as a physician to look at the global picture,” she says. “I like to think about the system of medicine, and how we can provide care to as many people as possible in a cost-efficient manner, at the same time maintaining quality and safety. We want to take care of the people in our local community.”

That’s exactly what she has already been doing in her community benefit work. For example, her fingerprints are all over the plans for The Jane Pauley Community Health Center, which will open in September to provide primary care to eastside patients—regardless of their ability to pay.

As president of Community East, she vows that the hospital will continue the various works that improve health and quality of life in the neighborhoods that launched the institution. She notes that the hospital has a rich tradition of involvement in the community, from the construction of Habitat for Humanity homes to this summer’s planting of a medicinal garden on the grounds of a local school. “I think all of these things help improve the health of the community in a global perspective.”

“Robin’s wealth of experience ranges from private practice to public health to hospital care,” notes Mike Blanchet, president and CEO, Community Hospitals of Indiana. “She brings to her role passion for promoting health, eagerness to get involved in the community, and commitment to continuing Community’s long-standing mission of meeting health care needs on the eastside. I look forward to having another very engaged physician on our leadership team.”

Dr. Ledyard is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine and holds a master’s degree in public health. In her free time, she enjoys running, biking and other outdoor activities. She lives in downtown Indianapolis with her husband, Tom Ledyard, M.D., a family physician with Community’s Family Medicine Residency Program. They have two daughters.

Community Health Network’s Open Arms program offers many different services to help families grieve the loss of a pregnancy or newborn. Tressia Puller, R.N., works in maternity services at Community Hospital North and tells about an experience she had with a family during their time of need.

When Michelle Holmes of Bloomington, Indiana, found out she was having twins, she sought the care of maternal-fetal medicine specialists at Community Health Network. Holmes was admitted to Community Hospital North at 26 weeks gestation so her babies, who were diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, could be monitored on a regular basis. After seven weeks as an inpatient, Holmes delivered two beautiful baby girls. She is grateful to the staff at Community for treating her not just as a patient, but as a person.

Please take a few minutes to nominate one or several Community nurses for the 2009 Nursing Excellence Awards.

To nominate a nurse, visit eCommunity.com/nursing. All nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m., July 31—NO EXCEPTIONS. All nominations must be completed and submitted electronically.

Patients, physicians, family members and co-workers can nominate a nurse, or a nurse can nominate himself or herself. A nurse may be nominated in multiple categories, but each nomination must focus on only one category. A nominee must have worked as an R.N. or LPN for Community Health Network for at least five years and must be in good standing without disciplinary issues.

One Nursing Excellence Award will be given in each of the five categories of Community Nursing Excellence:
• Patient-Focused Care
• Therapeutic Relationships
• Art and Science of Nursing
• Evidence-Based Practice and
• Facilitative Leadership

On eCommunity.com/nursing, you’ll also find detailed descriptions of each award category, last year’s winning nomination letters and nomination writing tips.

The awards will be presented at a banquet to be held on Friday, November 13, at the Marriott North hotel.

Thank you for taking the time to show Community nurses your appreciation!

Tim Hoffer suffered a brain injury in 2006 after falling from a golf cart and fracturing his skull. He was transferred from his Fort Wayne home to Hook Rehab in Indianapolis to undergo both inpatient and outpatient therapies. During this process, Tim also lived in the semi-independent living home since his family resided in Fort Wayne and his therapy was taking place in Indianapolis.

Hook Rehabilitation Services at Community Health Network offers a comprehensive program dedicated to providing the rehabilitation of individuals who sustain physical disabilities and/or cognitive disabilities. It primarily services patients with brain injury, stroke and spinal cord injuries. It offers the most comprehensive continuum for brain injury rehabilitation in Indiana, including acute, neurobehavioral and outpatient day treatment programs. Hook Rehab also has the only semi-independent living home in the state, allowing patients with brain injury to transition to a home environment, while undergoing intensive daily outpatient therapies.