Once Stormy Nantz got her foot in the door at IU Health, it didn’t take her long to start taking advantage of the growth potential.

In 2014, Nantz began her career with IU Health in environmental services. Soon after, she was promoted to the patient transport team, where she discovered her passion for patient care, fostering numerous relationships between floor staff and unit managers. This experience motivated her to pursue further education in patient care.

By 2015, she had become a patient care assistant (PCA) for the medical stroke unit. During her tenure there, she was constantly learning. Two years later, she transitioned to the medical diabetes unit, where she excelled in patient care, drawing labs, and mastering time management.

“As a PCA, I felt challenged and I love learning new things,” Nantz shares. “However, eventually, the routine became familiar, and I sought greater challenges, prompting my decision to return to school.”

Nantz enrolled in part-time classes at Ivy Tech in Muncie, juggling her studies with work. Her PRN position offered a flexible schedule, allowing her to balance work, study, and attend classes. On busy days, she had the option of working four-hour shifts, while on lighter days, eight or even twelve-hour shifts were possible.

“I have always been surrounded by incredible leaders,” she reflects. “The IU Health culture fosters a flexible, encouraging, and supportive environment for ongoing education and career advancement.”

In July, she celebrated her graduation as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). By February, she had joined the adult surgical unit (ASU) as a newly promoted LPN.

Her LPN role is a new addition to IU Health Ball, and the adult surgical unit is among the first to welcome this position. This role enhances support, allowing RNs to concentrate more on patient education and specialized tasks.

As an LPN, Nantz and her team are responsible for administering oral medications and managing IV piggybacks. They also engage in dressing changes, focused assessments, and collaboration with PCAs and RNs to optimize patient care. With her background as a PCA, Nantz brings a solid foundation in patient communication, now focusing on mastering new medications and routines associated with her position.

She credits her strong work ethic to her daughter, aiming to serve as a role model and emphasize the significance of education, dedication, and the pursuit of new experiences.

On Monday, April 8, many parts of Indiana, including Bloomington, will experience a total solar eclipse while other areas in the state may see a partial eclipse.

The total solar eclipse is rare and you should make sure you know how to enjoy the event while staying safe in addition to wearing sunscreen and staying hydrated.

Follow safety precautions

Temporary or permanent eye damage can occur if you stare directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun without proper solar filters/viewers.

Direct viewing

Special eclipse viewers with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 12312-2 filters are required for safe viewing during eclipse partial phases.

Not all solar filters/viewers are actually safe to use.

Visit the American Astronomical Society’s website for a list of reputable solar filter vendors or check your local library or science museum to see if they offer free viewers.

Do not use damaged filters. This includes tears, dents and scratches.

Do not use water, glass cleaner, baby/wet wipes, or any other solvents or liquids to clean the filters. The American Astronomical Society suggests using a soft, nonabrasive tissue or cloth such as a microfiber cloth.

Indirect viewing

With your back to the sun, look at the shadow cast by a pinhole onto white paper. Do not look at the sun directly through the pinhole.

Have eye discomfort or changes to your vision after viewing the eclipse?

Contact your local optometrist or ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

Additional resources

Visit NASA’s website for more information about enjoying the upcoming total solar eclipse safely. More resources, including a more detailed map, can be found here.

More information related to the 2024 total solar eclipse will be shared in the upcoming weeks.

Source: NASA and the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

Debora Herold was 24 when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Now, she’s enjoying family life and a healthy lifestyle.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

In the past two decades, Debora Herold finished grad school, got married, became a mother of two, started a teaching career, and traveled abroad.

To some, that may seem like a normal course of life’s journey. For Herold, that course became reality following a diagnosis of and surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC). She was a 24-year-old graduate student at Emory University living in Atlanta, Ga. when, in 2004, Herold began having symptoms she thought were related to stress. Her boyfriend at the time (now her husband, Brad) encouraged her to see a doctor. On a Friday in February she went in for a colonoscopy and the next day received a phone call telling her she had colon cancer.

“The doctor called me on a Saturday and I thought it was so kind of him to call on a weekend and then I hear the words that I had cancer,” said Herold. Her mom flew to Atlanta to join Herold for follow-up appointments and then they returned to Indianapolis. On March 1, 2004, Herold underwent surgery at IU Health Simon Cancer Center to remove a tumor from her colon.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a reminder that early detection increases the chances of treatment and a cure. Researchers with the American Cancer Society reported last year that CRC is swiftly shifting to a more advanced disease and in younger individuals. Last year, an estimated 153,020 people were diagnosed with CRC, making it the third most diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States.

Through genetic testing Herold learned that she has Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition and the most common form of hereditary colorectal cancer.

“It puts people at a high risk for various cancers and women at a greater risk for urinary tract, endometrial, and ovarian cancers,” said Herold.

The American Cancer Society recommends starting regular screenings at age 45. The screening can be done either with a sensitive test that looks for signs of cancer in a person’s stool (a stool-based test), or with an exam that looks at the colon and rectum (a visual exam). Individuals are encouraged to talk to their health care provider about which tests might be the best options.

Herold’s colonoscopy revealed a tumor in the ascending colon. “I was incredibly lucky that it had not spread and that I did not require any additional treatment,” said Herold. She remained in Indianapolis for about a month before returning to Atlanta to complete her degree. She now continues her care with IU Health’s Dr. Douglas Rex and undergoes and annual colonoscopy.

“I remember the day of my surgery, March 1, hearing news anchor Katie Couric on national television talk about colon cancer,” said Herold. Couric’s husband, Jay Monahan died of colon cancer at the age of 42. In 2004, Couric established the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at the New York–Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, which offers screening and treatment for the disease.

In the past 20 years, Herold has enjoyed a full and healthy life. She and her husband Brad have been married 18 years. They have two sons, Ari, 16, and Levi, 13. Herold works as a Teaching Professor in the Psychology Department at IU Indianapolis. She has enjoyed spending time with her family including travel to Israel, Paris, and northern Michigan.

After her diagnosis, Herold began researching diets to help reduce inflammation and eventually stopped eating meat. She began running and has completed both mini and half marathons.

What’s next for her: She is now marking her 45th birthday on May 25 by running a full marathon.

Happy pulmonary rehab week to all our rehabilitation therapists who positively impact the lives of their patients with chronic pulmonary illnesses. Respiratory therapist, Vikki Watts has been caring for lung patients for more than 40 years. “The best part is seeing them do better, be able to do more than they did the first day they walked in to [pulmonary rehab]. They quickly become part of our family, our pulmonary rehab family.”

As we step into National Healthcare Human Resources week, we want to recognize and thank all our human resources teams who bring empathy, compassion, and expertise to help IU Health leaders and team members succeed. Perhaps nobody carries that mission forward better than human resources consultant, Bret Cummins. “I started out in food services at IU Health Tipton… now to have a human resources team who really saw my potential and took a chance on me, I feel very fortunate.”

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, and Women’s History Month, please help recognize a group near and dear to the foundations of IU Health Bloomington: The Local Council of Women.

The Council started in 1897 with a call to Bloomington women’s clubs to help promote items of community interest.

Moving forward to the early 1900s, the group took up the discussion of a new city hospital the day after a young man died after being struck by a train.

They worked with local leaders to find a location, eventually settling on a 4.5-acre parcel with a 10-room red brick house belonging to Isaac Hopewell. Through fundraising efforts including rummage sales, recitals, lectures, a theater benefit, bake sales and selling refreshments at the county fair and baseball games, the Council purchased the site and through extensive remodeling projects, converted the building into the much-anticipated hospital. On November 29, 1905, the doors opened, welcoming a new era of care for the community.

Five members of the Council were named to Bloomington Hospital’s first board of directors the following year, showing the continued importance of the group’s leadership.

Since then, the facility has undergone tremendous change with expansions, new buildings, medical advancements and even a move to the current IU Health Bloomington site on the North side of town.

What has remained unchanged is the Council’s dedication to this hospital and its mission to be a voice for community health and advocate for solutions to accessibility and delivery of health care.

Thank you to the past, present and future Council members for your dedication to doing good in the lives of others.

Happy National Hospitalist Day to all our hospitalist teams who work tirelessly to care for patients during their inpatient stay. “Medicine is a team sport. You can think of hospitalists as the quarterback [for patients admitted to the hospital],” said Abby Wegehaupt, a hospitalist at Methodist Hospital. “Sometimes we direct the care and other times we coordinate between our different specialty services to move patient’s care forward.”

Dustin Flanigan has made more hospital visits than he cares to count. Each time, he returns home with hope for healing.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

During a recent hospital stay, Dustin Flanigan, 37, worked with IU Health Art Therapist Valeria Guzman to create a mosaic. As Flanigan chose colorful pieces of glass, Guzman asked:

“What broken pieces of your life would you like to put back together?” Flanigan thought and then responded: “I want to stand again. My mind tells me to get up but my body won’t let me.” When Guzman asked who helps Flanigan he said, his mom, his teenage son, and a few friends. They all live in New Castle, Ind. – an hour from IU Health.

Yet, Flanigan has become all too familiar with IU Health Simon Cancer Center. His first stay was in December 2015.

“I was out deer hunting and I passed out in the woods for five and half hours. When I came to there was a buck and two does staring at me,” said Flanigan. With no cell service he crawled on his hands and knees for two hours, pulled himself up into his jeep and drove two miles to his mother’s home. He was rushed to a local hospital .

“My spleen was the size of an NFL football and my white blood count was over 90 million,” said Flanigan. Additional testing showed he had cancer. Further testing was done at IU Health Simon Cancer Center where it was discovered that he has Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a slow progressing blood and bone marrow disease; and also Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), a cancer that starts in the white blood cells.

“When I first got to Simon Cancer Center, they couldn’t even start my chemo because the cancer was eating my teeth away. I had to have them all pulled,” said Flanigan. He went in for three bone marrow biopsies where cancer was discovered in his spine, traveling up to his brain. Thirty-five spinal taps with chemo infusion followed.

In November 2016, a University of Pennsylvania Sophomore football player, named Sam Philippi made headlines when he organized a “Be The Match” Donor registration drive. In his efforts to help build a nationwide base for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), Philippi became the face of the cause. He was a bone marrow match for Flanigan.

Three days after the transplant, Flanigan’s body began to reject the donated marrow.

“Since 2016, I’ve been in the hospital around 100 times – probably more,” said Flanigan, who has been in the care of Dr. Jennifer Schwartz. The disease has caused severe skin conditions, taken 30 percent of his vision, and caused blood clots in his lungs. During one of his hospital stays he learned he has a rare blood disorder. His most recent hospital stay came when he had difficulty breathing and learned he had pneumonia. He said he ended up in ICU and was on the verge of coding.

Inside his hospital room is a heart with the question: “What matters most?” Inside the heart is written the word, “Jesus.”

“I used to be an avid hunter and fisherman. I loved mudding and everything outdoors. Now I pray every day and stay focused on my mom and my son,” said Flanigan, who has spent his life working a variety of jobs. His last was a manager of a rental center. He has 18 certifications including those in dog grooming, pet training, fork lift operation, brake repairs, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

He enjoys woodworking and arts and crafts. During his days-long hospital stays he has taken part in music, yoga and art therapies, offered through IU Health’s CompleteLife Program.

While he worked on his mosaic, Flanigan talked about the meaning behind his art. He chose a blue piece of glass because blue is his favorite color.

The center of the piece showcased a bold red tile – illustrating him as the head of his household; blue for his mother, as an overseer like the clouds; and dark gray for his son, who has experienced a rough year but remains bold.

“Right now I just try to take one day at a time and take the good with the bad,” said Flanigan.

It’s almost time to start your climb at the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb at the Salesforce Tower in downtown Indianapolis. Online registration is open through Thursday, March 7th. IU Health respiratory therapist and climb participant, Mike Meska is climbing for his mom, who was a tobacco user for decades. “As a result of her tobacco dependency and nicotine addiction, my mom developed lung cancer which involved undergoing radiation therapy and chemotherapy. She also developed COPD and was oxygen dependent in her later years. I’m climbing because she and people like her can’t.

He grew up in a church family of 10 and realized his spiritual calling after a fatal plane crash.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

There is so much peace when Alan Mincy plays the harp. Few would guess that it was chaos that lead to his calling as a chaplain.

He grew up in South Bend, Ind. the son of the late Mamie Wigfall Mincy and Sewonie Mincy, Sr. Alan Mincy was born the youngest of eight children including six brothers and one sister. He attended South Bend’s Washington High School and grew up a Notre Dame football fan. After high school Mincy attended Indiana State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and a Master of Public Administration degree. He went on to attend Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where he completed a graduate certification in Biblical Studies, and Liberty University where he obtained a master’s degree in divinity.

“My parents and church family ingrained in me at a young age the value of caring for others because they are human beings created in the image of God,” said Mincy, who said church was a place to grow spiritually and socially as he met new friends.

It was a devastating plane crash that ultimately led to Mincy’s spiritual calling.

Three decades ago, Mincy was working for USA Group as a loan guarantor, traveling the country conducting financial aid workshops on college campuses. On one trip to Houston, Tx. a last-minute flight change also changed the course of Mincy’s life. His original flight left Indianapolis and was headed to Chicago when it was placed in a holding pattern due to inclement weather. Ice formed on the plane’s wings. Two minutes after taking off, the plane crashed in a field in Roselawn, Ind., killing all 68 people on board.

“My coworkers were unaware of the fight change until I arrived in Houston and they assumed I had suffered a horrific death on flight 4184. When I called the office, they were shocked and told me about the plane crash,” said Mincy. His initial reactions were disbelief, followed by sadness for the people on board and confusion about why he had been spared.

“I felt incredibly thankful to be alive. I had no idea what my future occupation would be after that, but I knew in my heart that God had kept me alive for a reason, and I believed that my purpose was to dedicate my life to helping people in trauma,” said Mincy.

His mother worked at St. Joe Regional Medical Center in South Bend for 40 years, so Mincy was familiar with the hospital setting.

He completed his internship and residence with IU Health Methodist, University and Riley Hospital for Children in 2019-2020 and worked as a part-time resource chaplain. Four years ago he became a full-time chaplain for the State of Indiana Department of Correction working in Plainfield, Ind. In 2022 he became a full-time staff chaplain at IU Health Methodist Hospital.

As a result of his religious upbringing and the influence of his parents, Mincy said he has cultivated an inner channel of compassion that allows him to inspire and support others.

“My family was not one to openly discuss feelings and emotions, so I grew up talking very little about them. However, I felt at ease sharing my feelings with my parents, especially my mother. I was the youngest; she always called me her baby son. That made me feel loved and appreciated on the inside,” said Mincy.

“On the other hand, my parents grew up in the segregated South between the 1920s and 1950s,” said Mincy. His parents moved to South Bend in 1953 where his father worked in construction. “When I was a child, my parents shared many stories about the hardships they faced – growing up in the South, where their first job consisted of working on a farm and picking cotton. During that time, they were subjected to the horrors of racism, during which they were frequently called obscenities, including the ’N’ word, which was highly offensive.” They went on to celebrate 70 years of marriage in June of 2020. Mincy’s mother died in October of that year and his father died two years later.

Throughout his life, Mincy said he’s always been involved in outreach services to help others, including providing food for shelters and joining his church choir on community outings. He also played saxophone in his high school band and bass guitar in a rhythm and blues band with is older brothers. As an avid reader of scriptures, Mincy found solace in the book of Psalms and began noticing a repeated reference to the harp as a therapeutic instrument thousands of years ago.

“I began listening to harp music for self-care and soon after I wanted to learn to play the harp and share the soothing and relaxing effects,” said Mincy. Only a few short month ago, he began taking lessons with Christy-Lyn, an online teacher and has already had public performances at a nursing home, IU Health special events, and a family church.

He specifically performs on a 34-strong “Music Makers” versatile harp designed for both a concert stage and at home. His harp is “Angelite Blue,” because blue is his favorite color. He eventually hopes to incorporate his harp into his chaplaincy by become certified through “Harps for Healing.”

“I like everything about hospital chaplaincy. I believe hospital chaplaincy is my spiritual calling because it allows me to care for people who have experienced trauma. This can involve providing a listening ear, emotional support, and a compassionate presence,” said Mincy. “I believe one of my greatest strengths is maintaining composure with individuals during trying and traumatic circumstances. These result from the characteristics that make up my personality. I think of myself as a calm and sympathetic person, and it brings me great satisfaction to help others feel genuine love, safety, and security. I am quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. My personality impacts how I care for patients and family members.”