<p><em><strong>She was 12 years old when Deeanna Harris had her first surgery at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. Fifteen years later she was back at IU Health Methodist Hospital for a second intricate back procedure.</strong></em><br></p>
<p><em>By IU Health Senior Journalist, TJ Banes, </em><a href=”mailto:tfender1@iuhealth.org”>tfender1@iuhealth.org</a>.</p>
<p>Deeanna Harris looks forward to spring. She will hit the trails around her Hendricks County Home and the state parks in southern Indiana. Hiking is something that she has come to enjoy these days. </p>
<p>There was a time however, when it was painful to even walk a few steps. </p>
<p>At the age of nine, Harris was diagnosed with scoliosis. In the years that followed she developed a degenerative disease. At the age of 12, she said her spine was curved 60 degrees – considered severe scoliosis. Generally, diagnosed in childhood, scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine. It affects two to three percent of the population, an estimated six to nine million people in the United States. The primary age of onset is 10 to 15 years of age in both males and females. </p>
<p>The American Association of Neurological Surgeons reports symptoms include uneven shoulders, the head is not centered above the pelvis, one or both hips are raised or unusually high, the rib cages are different heights, the waist is uneven, and the texture of the skin overlying the spine can change to show dimples, patches of hair, or color abnormalities.</p>
<p>“When I was little, they told my parents that my lungs could be crushed if I kept progressing and I wouldn’t live a full life,” said Harris. She first looked into surgery at the age of 21, specifically to fuse the bottom half of her spine. As a result of her degenerative disease, the pain increased over the years. She also had some arthritis build up. </p>
<p>“It got so bad that I could only go a little way before I had to sit,” said Harris. The lack of movement combined with depression caused her to gain weight. At one point, another facility advised her to lose weight before surgery would be an option. </p>
<p>“It was like Catch-22. I needed surgery to relieve the pain and improve my movement, but I couldn’t get the surgery because I was gaining weight because I wasn’t moving,” said Harris. When she became familiar with <a href=”https://iuhealth.org/find-providers/provider/david-w-stockwell-md-9508″>Dr. David Stockwell</a> at IU Health West, she found the answers she was looking for. </p>
<p>On March 28 and 29 2002, Harris was admitted to IU Health Methodist Hospital. In the care of Dr. Stockwell, she underwent the intricate surgery that would bring relief from her pain. </p>
<p>She spent three months in a brace to stabilize her core. Afterward, she said she felt pain free. Her favorite activities are playing with her 10-year-old son at local parks, and hiking state parks. </p>
<p>“Last summer I went to North Carolina and climbed a mountain and saw a waterfall,” said Harris. “I never would have been able to do that without surgery.”</p>

IU Health Bloomington General Surgery has a not-so-secret weapon: da Vinci.

This team utilizes the state-of-the-art tool for robotic surgeries that are more precise and less invasive than traditional open surgery, meaning patients can potentially recover quicker with fewer complications.

Watch the video above to learn more.

“Nationally, the number of available jobs outpaces the number of available applicants. Healthcare is not immune,” says Matt DeGolyer, talent acquisition team lead for the West Central Region. “Today, talent acquisition requires proactive recruiting in the form of talent pipelines.”

The West Central Region of IU Health has led the way in developing a playbook for talent pipelines that not only benefits the organization, but also gives local students a meaningful opportunity to explore and decide if a career in healthcare is right for them.

Building the playbook

Working with local high schools, several team members, including DeGolyer, Kathy Moon, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, director of nursing practice and Renea Smith, MSN, BSN, RN, NE-BC, chief nursing officer for IU Health Frankfort and White Memorial hospitals, built a program from the ground up.

“We created a career awareness survey to assess the type of talent we have in our own backyard,” explains DeGolyer. “Figuring the average commute time is 30 minutes to any of our locations — that includes 38 school districts.”

Each school district was asked to complete a survey, and 32 of the 38 responded. The next step was to build relationships with school personnel and share opportunities for interested students.

Then a survey was sent to high school students in grades 9 – 12 with 5,500 students responding. Of those responding, 1,200 were interested in a career in healthcare and 1,200 were undecided on their next steps.

“When we can get in front of the students, we ask what kind of jobs come to mind when we say a career in healthcare? Many respond doctors and nurses,” says Smith. “We need providers and nurses, but our goal is to also show them there are so many options they may have not considered like MRI techs, nutrition, maintenance and more.”

The Crossing at Frankfort was the first formal stop in speaking with a small group of diverse students. They were the first students to formally job shadow.

The Greater Lafayette Career Academy (GLCA), a partnership between multiple school corporations in Tippecanoe County, was the next focus due to its size and established programs. GLCA has programs that lead to in-demand certifications like certified nursing assistant (CNA) medical assistant (MA) and emergency medical technician (EMT).

“We wanted to cast a broader net, which encompasses the entire West Central Region of IU Health,” says Smith. “Our goal was to work with all high schools that would feed into all three hospitals in our region — Arnett, Frankfort and White Memorial — and talk about all career path programs to offer the structure of both job shadow and clinical placements.”

Job shadowing and clinical opportunities

Over 2,000 students indicated they would like an opportunity to job shadow, which can begin at age 14.

Each student was paired with an IU Health team member and assigned to a job shadowing opportunity ranging from a few hours, an entire day or more. To make the experience even more representative of what it’s like to start a true career in healthcare, each student received an official welcome letter sharing what to wear, where to meet and who will be meeting them.

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” says DeGolyer, explaining why giving students exposure to healthcare careers is important. “People tend to go where they know. Now those students have a relationship with IU Health.”

The working slogan to highlight the relationship-centered approach, became ‘You go where you know.’

Whereas the job shadowing structure is a great way to grow interest in healthcare related careers, clinical rotations are the best way for students that are already in healthcare courses to gain experience and complete their required clinical rotations for certification. Students who applied to do clinicals, like all team members, had to go through drug screening, vaccinations, fit testing and other requirements for employment.

“Our hope was to challenge the students,” says Moon. “If you don’t know what you want to do, let us help you explore. If you know what you want to do, let us put you in that department, yet challenge you to explore other areas.”

Next up, a career

“After their clinical rotations, these students will graduate high school and will be certified as an CNA, MA or EMT and may immediately join our team,” says Smith. “If further education is the plan, their experience with us can significantly impact their studies, helping them get through quicker because they have already completed 40 hours of clinicals.”

“It gets your wheels turning on the importance of making intentional connections with local youth,” says DeGolyer. “We can hire students at the age of 16. They have their foot in the door and can begin thinking about long term employment opportunities with IU Health.”

The playbook has been written.

“It has been great. Students have been hired already. It is a great return on investment,” says Smith, adding, “it has been cup-filling work.”

Modern-day prescriptions typically include an “Rx.” This symbol may come from “recipe,” the Latin word for “take,” or the ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus symbol, associated with healing powers.

Pharmacists have been crucial to healing efforts over the centuries as they work with providers and patients to ensure safe and effective treatments. In the health system, pharmacists can play a central role in leading safe and effective use of medications, and advancing patient care.

Recently, the Indiana Society of Health-System Pharmacists recognized Derek Fields, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, and Jennifer Reiter, PharmD, MBA, for their efforts to advance the field while improving patient lives.

Derek Fields

Fields is the IU Health South Central Region Regional Executive Director for clinical operations and received fellow status from the Indiana Society of Health-System Pharmacists. This recognition is given to pharmacists who demonstrate “an outstanding commitment to the practice of pharmacy in the hospital setting.

“It’s certainly a personal award and recognition, but all the achievements I’ve had as a leader in pharmacy have been through the amazing pharmacy team members I’ve had the pleasure to lead,” says Fields. “Pharmacists and technicians—It’s a collaboration.”

Licensed in 2004, Fields went into pharmacy leadership early in his career and has guided many pharmacists and technicians into being the best they can be.

“Fields is always trying to get the best out of everyone,” says Reiter. “He believes in you when you may not believe in yourself and helps put people in the position to succeed.”

Jennifer Reiter

Reiter knows the importance of supporting others as the IU Health Southern Indiana Physicians Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Manager. She credits Fields for helping her career development over the ten years he was her boss.

As a leader herself, Reiter has helped design practices to take better care of patients and is active in trying to improve healthcare and pharmacy. Both areas of interest tie in directly to the IU Health goal of making Indiana a healthier state.

Reiter says, “You always have to be willing to be part of the change. You don’t have to settle for the way things are. You have a role in making healthcare and pharmacy better. You have to be involved.”

These efforts and more are why Reiter was given the “Glen Sperandio Award for Excellence in Health-System Pharmacist Practice” for outstanding excellence in health-system pharmacy practice.

Please help the team congratulate Fields and Reiter in the comment section below.

March 30 has been designated National Doctors’ Day, a day set aside to honor physicians who work tirelessly to achieve a healthier community.

To celebrate IU Health’s dedicated and highly skilled doctors, we asked them about what is most meaningful to them in their career. Their responses are examples of why they’re deserving of endless appreciation.

Dr. Kate Pollard – Critical Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine

I am a doctor because: “I find meaning in using my knowledge and skills to help patients in their time of greatest need.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “During the COVID surge, the team at Methodist did incredible work to stand up entirely new care spaces in a very short period of time – including turning the ED observation unit into an ICU in the middle of the night. It was inspiring!”

Best part of being a doctor: “I work in the ED and ICU and often meet patients and their families at a very stressful moment in their lives. It’s great to cross paths again when they’ve recovered.

Dr. Kashif Saleem – Thoracic Surgery, Cardiology, Transplant Surgery

I am a doctor because: “I like solving puzzles. Patient’s don’t always follow ‘the books.’ I enjoy looking at patients as a whole and putting the pieces of the puzzle together (their medical issues) to help them improve their quality of life.”

Best part of being a doctor: “Being able to help the sickest of the sick. My area of expertise did not really exist 15-20 years ago. It is always advancing. I look forward to what the future has to bring in the heart failure world.”

Dr. Onyedika Ilonze – Cardiology

I became a doctor to: “Make a difference in the lives of my patients. My grandmother had severe congestive heart failure that eventually led to her demise. I want to help my patients become the best versions of themselves. Moreover, I wanted to make my parents proud.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “The day that we performed a heart transplant on a young patient who hugged the whole team and broke down in tears because he was getting a second lease on life. He was misdiagnosed for many years and on our first encounter we arrived at timely diagnosis, initiated an evaluation and our team performed a heart transplant within a few months.”

Best part about being a doctor: “When we are able to take a patient who would have otherwise died and lead them to a successful outcome whether it is through disease (heart failure, pulmonary hypertension or cardiogenic shock), stabilization with medications, or advanced therapies such as left ventricular assist devices or heart transplantation.”

Dr. Bradley Sutter – Hospitalist

I am a doctor because: “I had the wonderful opportunity in high school (dare I admit in the early 1970’s) to shadow my own family physician–Dr. Davis W. Ellis–in Rushville, Indiana, while he saw patients in the office and small hospital. I was totally enthralled and motivated by his compassion, expertise, genuine concern, and excellent care of all of his patients. That was the “light bulb” moment in my life when I knew I wanted to be a physician.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “I have experienced many memorable happy and tragic days as a physician; however, I recall a particularly ironic and funny event that occurred shortly after Dr. Mike Reeder and I helped launch the “new” Methodist Hospitalist Program back in the Summer of 1998. The term “Hospitalist” was quite new, and many physicians, nurses, and patients were unfamiliar with the terminology. When I walked into the Methodist PACU to see a new postoperative consult, one of the nurses sitting behind the desk looked at me and said: “Oh, are you from HOSPITALITY?” I smiled, agreed, and saw the patient. Hospitalists hopefully provide “hospitality” and expert inpatient care to every patient they encounter on a daily basis, so while the term the nurse used was incorrect, the intent was spot-on.”

Best part about being a doctor: “Being able to intimately share in the lives and health of others. I learn from all of my patients as much or more than they learn from me.”

Dr. Jim Cleary – Palliative Care

I am a doctor because: “It provides me the opportunity to provide optimal comfort for patients with advanced cancer while applying advancing the scientific knowledge that is the basis for that comfort. Being a University based physician, especially at IU, allows me to provide supportive oncology here to Hoosiers as well as leading initiatives in supportive oncology around the world.”

I became a doctor to: “Do what my Dad, a physician scientist, did: providing care while improving science of medicine. I made that decision at age 17, in Australia, which still amazes me. I evolved into Internal Medicine, and then Medical Oncology and Palliative Medicine, to provide total care for patients, addressing the physical, social, psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care. Coupled with this is an interest in global health which extends from a medical elective in Kolkata, India in 1983.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “My medical career is full of memories (some not so pleasant) but the most memorable days are often when I met patients and their families for whom I have cared. Oncology is unique in that we can cure some cancers, resulting in patients living normal life spans. But as it is memorable to meet those living with long term after a cancer diagnosis, meeting the families of those who have died under my care is equally memorable. There is a humbling joy to receive the thanks from these family members.”

Dr. Naga Chalasani – Gastroenterology, Hepatology

I am a doctor because: “I am able to serve the suffering whenever possible.”

I became a doctor to: “Help people who are ill and for life-long learning.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “Many memorable days in my long clinical career, but one day that stands out is when a young patient, whom I took care for near fatal liver failure and managed through a liver transplant, comes to clinic with their new born baby and a box of candies.”

Best part about being a doctor: “To be able to engage in the tripartite mission. Seeing patients especially those whom I have seen for long time gives me the most joy. Conducting clinical research, mentoring younger colleagues, and close friendships at work give me tremendous joy.”

Dr. Khadijah Breathett – Cardiology

I am a doctor because: “I wanted to make U.S. cardiovascular care delivery more equitable. In my youth, I knew that cardiovascular disease devastated communities in the U.S. Minoritized racial and ethnic groups and women like my grandmother were disproportionately more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and less likely to receive appropriate treatment than their counterparts.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “My most memorable day was finding out that my dream of making cardiovascular care delivery more equitable was coming true. I received a perfect score on a competitive grant funded by the National Institutes of Health to test a strategy to make heart transplants and ventricular assist devices more accessible to minoritized racial and ethnic populations and women. The findings from this national study will help make the process of allocating advanced heart failure therapies, heart transplants and ventricular assist devices, more equitable.”

Best part about being a doctor: “Helping patients live a long and healthy life. Patients, their families, and the community look to us for assistance and guidance during some of their darkest hours. Even when life-saving therapies are not available, we can still help address quality of life.”

Dr. Shalu Manchanda – Pulmonary Critical Care, Sleep Medicine

I am a doctor because: “I have enjoyed studying human physiology and decided to pursue this further. I enjoy talking with patients and listening to them explain their symptoms. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out what illness is affecting the patient.”

I became a doctor to: “Educate patients about their own health and empower them to take better care of themselves. I often saw my own family members not taking care of themselves because they were ill-informed about their illnesses. I think their outcomes would’ve been better if they were better equipped with knowledge from reliable sources. Educating the next generation of physicians falls into this category as they will carry on this important task.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “Several years ago, while still working as an Intensivist I was involved in the care of a patient with necrotizing pancreatitis and he recovered. Several months later he came to see me in the sleep clinic. This was a particularly rewarding moment to see a patient who was critically ill walk into my office.”

Best part about being a doctor: “Seeing the comfort and reassurance I can provide the patient. The joy you see in the patients’ eyes when you have helped them out is very rewarding.”

Dr. Colin Good – Family Medicine

I am a doctor because: “Healthcare is a universal human need and I love to serve others by meeting and caring for them in their time of need.”

I became a doctor to: “Meet the needs of individuals and communities as well as to advocate for those who are most in need.”

Best part of being a doctor: “Is seeing people find health and be able to flourish in their lives as a result.”

Dr. Ashley Hunter – Hospitalist

Dr. Eric Westergren – Family Medicine

I became a doctor because: “The practice of medicine exists at the intersection of medical science and relationships. It is very satisfying to get to use new knowledge and technological advancement to help improve the people’s lives in real ways every day. More specifically, I became a primary care doctor because I enjoy taking care of individuals over long periods of time—getting to know their desires, their goals, their concerns, and their fears—which, if done well, establishes trust over time. With this trust in place, I am able to effectively treat the majority of my patient’s medical problems, as well as provide good counsel as my patients seek care in more specialized areas of medicine.”

Dr. Rocky Singh – IU Health North Chief Medical Officer

I am a doctor because: “My dad is a doctor. I felt this as a calling and realized I would be good at it as I sat in my father’s clinic during my preteen and teenage years. The best part is the satisfaction of knowing you’ve made a positive difference in someone’s life.”

Dr. Michael Sim – Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery

I became a doctor to: “Help those suffering from head and neck cancers. The best part of being a doctor is doing what I love, every day.”

Dr. Douglas Tannas – Palliative Care

Best part of being a doctor: “Is the opportunity to build a relationship with patients and their families.”

Dr. Karen Crevier – IU Health West Emergency Department Medical Director

Best part of being a doctor: “Is finding some sort of connection during my time with each patient. This can be challenging in the fast-paced environment of the emergency department, but it can be as simple as a discussion about where they are from and whether I’ve been there. Or, asking what they do for a living and whether I’ve ever anything similar—though this usually this ends up with me sheepishly admitting that my only skills are related to medicine. Even just an encouraging statement such as, ‘I remember when my child was three. Those were some crazy years. You’re doing a great job, dad!’ Making those connections helps improve my care and gives the patient the chance to open up and discuss what matters most to them.”

Dr. Nathan Lambert – Interventional Cardiology

I am a doctor because: “Of my father, Dr. Destry Lambert. He was my role model from a young age and still is to this day. I hope I can do the job half as well as he did!”

Dr. Elisabeth von der Lohe – Interventional Cardiology

Most memorable day as a doctor: “I remember a night 10 years ago. A patient having a heart attack came in around midnight. He was in cardiac arrest on the table and despite opening the artery and resuscitating him, he went into cardiac arrest over 30 times. At 6 a.m., they were still resuscitating him. I remember he looked into my eyes and said, “Am I going to die?” And I said, “Not with me.” And he survived and did well and I still see him in clinic today. It was one of the worst days, but one with a really good outcome. It’s really rewarding to still see him.”

Dr. Justin Fuller – Pediatrics

Best part of being a doctor: “There are many things I love about being a doctor. I get to work alongside amazing doctors and practitioners every day. Our incredible office is full of caring, hardworking, and talented staff and nurses who make my job easy.”

Dr. Tashera Perry – Obstetrics & Gynecology

Most memorable day as a doctor: “I had to rely on my training, my instincts, and on the silent prayers I could feel from my team members in the room. That day in the delivery room stands out in my mind as one of the most frightening and humbling experiences of my career.”

Dr. Denisse Ambler – Psychiatry

I became a doctor because: “I felt that if even in a small way, I am able to help a child feel less misunderstood or broken, the world could be that much better.”

Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad – Urgent Care

Best part of being a doctor: “Is being able to see the direct impact I can make on my patient’s lives. Whether I am doing a simple procedure or diagnosing a life-threatening condition, every patient encounter is fulfilling and drives me to become a better physician. From a young age, I have always been fascinated with medicine and have constantly worked to stay up-to-date with the latest literature, so as to provide the best quality of care for my patients.”

Dr. Lindsey Reese – Infectious Diseases

Best part of being a doctor: “Is that I get to work in multiple areas, touching many lives. I have a wide perspective of care with Population Health and Value-Based Care, looking at 100s of patients and keeping them as healthy as possible. But I’m also a virtual care infectious disease provider and have outreach clinics that provide access to patients that are struggling with social determinants of health, HIV, Hepatitis C and addiction. There are some days I spend hours with just a single patient. They are very different types of work, but I love them both.”

Dr. Thomas Lardaro – Emergency Medicine

I became a doctor to: “Alleviate suffering and promote happiness wherever possible using my knowledge and skills.”

I am a doctor because: “It allows me to help people through some of their worst days and be a bridge to hope during challenging times. I learned this from watching my grandfather’s primary care doc make house calls and care for him when he had advanced heart failure near the end of his life. This same doctor, Dr. Hanson, made a phone call to my family after the loss of my grandfather to console us, and the conversation impacted me profoundly as a freshman in college at that time. Many years later when I decided to become a doctor, it was that simple act of compassion and kindness that taught me the profound privilege of being able to care for others in the way he took care of my grandfather and family. I am still grateful for his example to this day, it made me a better person.”

Best part of being a doctor: “Is working with incredible teams of people who come together with the purpose of caring for others.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “Was helping deliver a baby in the back of someone’s car that pulled up to the ambulance bay at Vanderbilt University Medical Center during my intern year. The baby was breech and premature, but everything went well despite a very stressful situation. It really drove home for me the responsibility and privilege of being able to help people by practicing medicine.”

Dr. Randon Upp – Radiology

I am a doctor because: “As an undergraduate student at Indiana University, I took a variety of courses, but I always had the most interest in courses involving the human body, kinesiology, anatomy, etc. I took one particular anatomy course, and I remember vividly the first time we cut into a cadaver and thinking: ‘This is awesome. I want to go into medicine.’”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “Was my first day on the job, right out of residency, at Arnett Hospital in the reading room. I remember strolling in and feeling proud of what I’d accomplished, but also a big sense of responsibility. I looked around and had this realization of, ‘oh my gosh, this is it, it’s the real deal.’ It was scary but also really exciting.”

What keeps me inspired: “About 1.5 years ago, I got a letter from a patient. I had found a tiny spot on her scan that turned out to be cancer. She was so thankful. That really affected me, and I still remember it. It’s easy to get caught up in the mundane day-to-day, but I try to remember that there are people out there who appreciate what we do.”

Dr. James Emerson – Hospitalist

I became a doctor because: “I enjoy taking care of sick patients with a wide range of diagnoses in the hospital. Being a hospitalist allows me to treat many different patients with many different disease processes and make a positive impact on these patients during some of their worst times.”

Best part of being a doctor: “Is the ability to help patients through some of the most challenging experiences of their life.”

Dr. Roy Abraham – Emergency Medicine

I am a doctor because: “I always had a heart for helping people, healing people; it’s where my calling was.”

Best part of being a doctor: “When you can help a really sick person, especially someone on their deathbed, make a recovery. The happiness you see on their face and their loved ones’ faces is rewarding.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “When I graduated residency at the University of Kentucky in 2013.”

Dr. Julie Becker – Family Medicine

I became a doctor because: “I witnessed several family illnesses as a child, and just grew up wanting to make the world a better place for patients and their families.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “The days I delivered babies will always be the most memorable. The day I delivered the first baby to be born at White Memorial Hospital (then, White County Memorial Hospital), was pretty special.”

Best part of being a doctor: “The patients, absolutely. When they’re grateful, even for a small thing like a timely refill on a prescription — that’s what I go home at night and feel good about.”

Dr. Mesha Martinez – Pediatric Radiology

I am a doctor because: “I like to serve and help others.”

I became a doctor to: “Help others feel loved and have hope.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “There are many. Whenever a patient looks me in the eyes and says that they feel safe, they give a sincere thank you, and/or say that I helped them, I will never forget.”

Best part of being a doctor: “Is the impact you can make on patient’s life in a positive way. Oftentimes patients have stories to tell their friends and families about their physicians and their experiences with their health. I often overhear others talking about what their doctor said, or their experience at the doctor’s office. Thus, we have a very special role to play in people’s lives, and if we can make a person feel good/excited/hopeful/optimistic after we have an encounter with them, that is the best feeling and reward on Earth.”

Dr. Dorota Szczepaniak – Pediatrics

I am a doctor because: “I enjoy
and appreciate science, and want to apply science to help people.”

I became a doctor to: “Make
a difference in people’s lives.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “When I saved my patient’s life. I performed CPR on and infant that stopped breathing
and the baby survived.”

Best part of being a doctor: “Is
getting hugs from my patients; all of them from toddlers to teenagers, and
their parents too.

Dr. Emily Scott – Pediatrics

I am a doctor because: “I love working with families to help their little ones grow and thrive.”

I became a pediatrician because: “I believe that advocating for the health and wellbeing of my littlest patients and their families is the best way to grow a strong society.”

Most memorable day as a doctor: “Was the day I received a letter from a family several years after I had cared for their baby in the well newborn nursery. Hearing what an impact I’d had on their first days as a family helped me realize that even small encounters with a pediatrician can be significant.”

Best part of being a doctor: “Is sharing joy with families when their babies achieve new milestones. I am thrilled to hear about my patients’ first smiles, first tastes of food and first words. And I LOVE seeing first birthday pictures!”

Dr.
Brian Gray – Pediatric Surgery

I am a
doctor because: “I can’t imagine being anything else.”

I
became a doctor to: “Help make life a little better for people.”

Most
memorable day as a doctor: “The day that one of my longest-stay patients
finally went home.”

Best
part of being a doctor: “Seeing a happy post-op patient back in clinic.”

When she knew she would need not one, but multiple organs transplanted, this patient moved nearly 900 miles from her home state.

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

For the first time in her life, Christy Heath feels warmth. Oddly enough, she is spent her third winter in Indiana. Her entire life has been lived in Dallas, Tx. where temperatures can climb well past 100 degrees.

“It wasn’t unusual for me to be snuggled up with fuzzy socks, sweats and an electric blanket. A 110 degree Texas summer felt good to me,” said Heath, who turned 50 this month. As she talks, her southern accent is pronounced, and her words indicate affection for her new Hoosier home.

“I can’t say enough about IU Health – the fact that they were willing to take my case when other places would probably have turned me down. They are a safety net for those of us who have these unique conditions. They’re not afraid to take on the challenge,” said Heath.

For her, the challenge was that she needed a multi-organ transplant.

“I didn’t have a choice but to have surgery. It was risky but it was risky not to have it,” said Heath, who has been married to her husband, Phillip for 20 years. She is also the mother to a son, 26.

Looking back, Heath believes her health began to decline in her late 20s. At the age of 28 she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. She was treated with eight rounds of chemotherapy and eight rounds of radiation at a hospital near her home in Texas. She also went through genetic testing to see if there was an inherited mutation. It came back negative.

A middle school teacher, she was back at work and deemed “cancer free.” When she had a second occurrence 15 years later, Heath again went through several rounds of chemotherapy.

“We have no family history of any type of cancer. I am the first,” she said. “Hindsight is 20/20 and my blood took on an auto immune disorder created by the chemotherapy. A few years prior to her second breast cancer diagnosis she began experiencing severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

“The bleeds were so often that the ER doctors knew me,” said Heath. After a routine endoscopy and colonoscopy, doctors discovered a polyp. A followup biopsy revealed she had Stage 4 lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system – the body’s disease-fighting system. As she was going through chemotherapy, Heath’s liver enzyme numbers were escalating, indicating inflammation or damage to her liver. She discontinued the chemo and hoped for the best. Her scans and bloodwork showed the lymphoma was in remission and her breast cancer was gone.

She opted for a double mastectomy as further prevention. Nine hours after reconstructive surgery, she was back in the operating room due to excessive bleeding. In all, she had seven surgical procedures in six days.

“It wasn’t until 2020 when I was back in the hospital with a GI bleed that a team of liver transplant doctors in Texas looked at my films and determined I had clots throughout my abdomen. Basically, my body had built roads around the bigger clots to pass blood. That’s when they said I needed a multi-organ transplant,” said Heath.

Her team in Texas ranked only the top three hospitals in the United States known for multi-organ transplants. They put IU Health at the top, said Heath.

“I knew I needed the transplant and because of the magnitude of the transplant, I knew I needed to be in arm’s length of the hospital,” said Heath. After doing her research, she chose IU Health where she was in the hands of Dr. Richard Mangus.

“We knew there was a team that knew what to do and what not to do. Back home our church family packed our house in one day and within three weeks I was in the car with the dog for an18-hour drive ready to move into temporary housing,” said Heath. It was December of 2020. Her husband stayed behind to close their house and then joined her right before Christmas. It was all during COVID when Heath went through extensive testing and was listed in January 2021.

“I heard enough that I knew I would be on a waiting list for some time but I also knew that the team at IU Health recognized that I needed to be listed as soon as possible. I was most likely months away from probably going into Hospice when I received the call in the middle of the night on Oct. 9, 2022,” said Heath.

Over the span of two days – Oct. 9 and 10, Heath received transplantation of a liver, pancreas, stomach, large and small intestine.

“When I woke up and was lucid, I started self-assessing and I immediately felt different,” said Heath. “The first thing that hit me was that I felt warm for the first time in almost five years. The transplant team at IU Health pushed through a difficult surgery; I pushed through it and each day feel better.”

She was discharged a month later. “I progressed so quickly that they couldn’t find a medical reason to keep me,” said Heath. She celebrated the first part of December by attending a concert with a friend. “I said, “I’m ready. Let’s get dressed up and go out.”

When Carlie Oakley learned she needed a kidney transplant doctors encouraged her to look for a living donor. “They gave me all this info when I left that appointment about how I could advocate for myself,” said Carlie, who opted to send a text and email to 100 people in her network of friends and family. 78 of them filled out the initial donor paperwork, including her eventual donor and friend, Jenny Deppen. “I guess it’s not a completely selfless gift because it makes me feel good,” said Jenny. “I see her sitting here, healthy… and that’s all I wanted was for her to have a long, good quality of life.”

You know your body better than anyone else, and listening to it can save your life, which Michele Ridge, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer for IU Health Paoli Hospital knows all too well.

“It was 2009, and I hadn’t been feeling well,” says Ridge. The then 42-year-old nurse was visiting the doctor every three months, and they thought the issues stemmed from pre-existing thyroid issues or her having gone through menopause at 40.

But with no reason for a 30-pound weight drop, a change in bowel pattern, and a three-point hemoglobin drop—she knew something was wrong.

“I saw everybody I was supposed to see before deciding to go see a specialist,” says Ridge. “I went in to see Daniel Selo, MD, a gastroenterologist. I looked at him and said, ‘I really think something’s wrong with me. I think I might have cancer.’”

Selo agreed the diagnosis was likely and scheduled a colonoscopy, during which they found a rectal tumor and polyps all the way up to her small intestine. Even without the biopsies, they knew it was cancer. And it turns out, it was stage-four.

Ridge has made many friends throughout her healthcare career, in fact, she was the director of the endoscopy department at the time of her colonoscopy and had managed the specialty team for ten years. These people were her friends, and she is so thankful for how well they took care of her while maintaining her privacy during this very stressful time.

Locally, there was one oncologist she could have seen, but the wait was three months to see them.

So, as she prepared for the next part of her journey, she did what any nurse would do—she called on her friends to see who they thought would be the best oncologist to help her fight stage-four colorectal cancer.

Three people all recommended the same doctor—Paul Helft, MD.

Helft sent her to a colon and rectal surgeon, Bruce Robb, MD.

“The day I went to the office was the most whirlwind, comprehensive experience I’ve ever had,” Ridge says. “I saw the surgical oncologist, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, social worker, nutritionist, genetic counselor, and social worker all in one day, and I never moved. The team came to me.”

Helft says the multidisciplinary team approach is essential for colorectal cancer patients. There are many needs, and young patients, in particular, can have various concerns, so they want to make those resources available.

And at the end of the day, Ridge met with the surgeon again, who laid out her options and told her and her husband, Steve, to go home and think about what they wanted to do.

One option required daily radiation for six weeks, and while she didn’t want to drive back and forth to Indianapolis every day her husband pushed her to go the literal extra miles.

Ridge says, “Maybe less than 17% of people would survive, and I have four small kids. I remember standing in the barn and Steve said, ‘I don’t know that they do enough of that specialized radiation locally. We have one chance, Michele, and if this doesn’t work, you won’t be here to live with the fallout. I am, and I have to be able to live with this decision.’”

That’s when it sank in that cancer is a family experience. So, they agreed to radiation in Indianapolis, followed by an ileostomy.

Then came the hard part of telling their family. With their youngest still in grade school and their eldest just starting college, there was a lot to consider when discussing this monumental event. And on their college freshman’s first visit home, they sat everyone down to tell them mom had cancer and this is their plan to fight it.

During the six weeks of radiation, she was driven back and forth due to the treatment drain. Adding to that, she was working.

“There were a couple of people at work who knew, but not very many,” Ridge says, explaining how she would work until 2:30 pm and then drive to Indianapolis.

Cindy Herrington was one of those people Ridge told early on. As a certified oncology nurse and someone Ridge had known for years, Herrington was a shoulder to lean on as both a friend and an expert. She was even in the waiting room with Ridge’s family for the entire nine-hour surgery in February 2010.

After the surgery, Ridge rested and waited for news in her hospital room with her husband steadfastly by her side. On day 5, her husband briefly stepped out of the room, which was rare, and missed the doctor coming in to tell her that they got all her lymph nodes, and they were negative—she was cancer-free.

Her husband was distraught to miss out on that wonderful news and asked him to come back and repeat himself, the memory of which still makes Ridge chuckle.

From there came the healing.

“By the time treatment is done, your family is like, ‘Alright, it’s done,’” she says. “And you’re just now processing all you went through.”

Her work family knew the journey wasn’t over and asked how they could help. They brought dinner to her house every day for three months and once even came by to clean the house.

“It created a lot of great family memories,” says Ridge. “And it taught my daughters how to support someone else when you don’t know how to help.”

From there, Ridge continued to have cancer on her mind with checkups every six months. It helped that Helft would call her on her way home to share her results. She was even able to support another patient who was going through similar circumstances.

“Helping somebody else through the journey is very healing,” Ridge says.

And after her five-year checkup with Robb, Ridge knew she would be fine.

“There are days I still get frustrated with my ostomy or because I have hearing loss from chemotherapy or the neuropathy in my feet,” says Ridge.

But throughout this experience, Ridge says, “I’m grateful to still be here.”

Birthdays, her children’s graduations, anniversaries, her first grandchild…Ridge could have missed so many special events if she had waited much longer to seek a specialist’s help, so she encourages everyone to listen to their bodies and speak up when something is “off.”

Ridge finishes, “You have to advocate for yourself and say if something isn’t right with you. You know you better than anyone else.”

Zuni Olivares is a nurse who works on Methodist Hospital’s renal-metabolic unit. He cares for patients with a variety of kidney issues. “I can’t see myself doing anything other than [nursing],” said Zuni. “I love taking care of people at the bedside. I connect with people really well and… just seeing them through the process is very rewarding.”

<p><strong>Tammy Burton: Part 3</strong></p>
<p>About six
weeks ago, Tammy Burton received a double lung transplant at Methodist
Hospital. After doctors discharged her from the hospital, Tammy entered an
intensive rehabilitation program required of all lung transplant patients.
“It’s warmups, it’s physical therapy, it’s riding the bike…. and the therapists
push you physically, but in an encouraging way,” said Tammy. “I graduated [from
the program] on March tenth and I can’t believe how good I feel.” </p>
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<p><strong>Tammy Burton: Part 2</strong></p>
<p>For the past few months we’ve been following Tammy Burton’s journey to get a much-needed double lung transplant. A few weeks ago, her surgeon, Dr. Chadrick Denlinger invited cameras into the operating room to get an unveiled look at what that surgery entails. “In the OR you can see there are ten people there, at least. These operations could never happen without the anesthesiologists, the anesthesia resident, surgical residents, the surgeons, the nurse circulators, the scrub nurse, perfusionists, and so on. There’s a huge team that’s there, working to get these patients through these high-risk operations.”<br></p>
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<p><strong>Tammy Burton: Part 1</strong><br></p>
<p>Doctors diagnosed Tammy Burton with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2021. Since then her disease has progressed to where she needs a lung transplant. “Once I got to know the [transplant team] I knew right then that IU Health was the place to be,” said Tammy who went through the extensive pre transplant process and is now on the transplant list.</p>
<p>”The pre transplant process is a major commitment on the patient and their family,” said Dr. Chadrick Denlinger, IU Health’s lung transplant program director. “There’s a lot that goes into getting through the evaluation. There are lots of appointments, there are lots of tests… but once they actually get to that big day when they get listed it’s a huge deal.”</p>
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