IU Health is making healthcare prevention more convenient. Here’s how:

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

For more than 20 years, William Blakely has brought his son, William Blakely IV to Master’s Touch barbershop at New Direction Church, located on East 38th Street.

In those 20 years, the senior Blakely has never seen a blood pressure check in a barbershop.

Rick Taylor has been a barber for three decades. Never in his career has he seen a blood pressure check in a barbershop.

That is until recently.

As the younger Blakely got a trim by Taylor, his dad got his blood pressure checked by IU Health Certified Medical Assistant, Angela Poore. The screenings are part of a community health initiative to provide prevention, education and early detection of cardiovascular disease.

“With men they kind of shut down when it comes to talking about health until after the fact,” said Taylor. “I think this is a great idea. We tend to wait until something hits us and the damage is already done.”

Research indicates cardiovascular disease is a chronic condition affecting the heart and a leading cause of poor health. In the United States, serious complications of heart disease are 23 percent higher among the African American population compared to the white population. In response to a growing need, IU Health is taking free screenings into community barbershops. In addition to blood pressure checks, clinicians are providing cholesterol and diabetes screenings. If a client shows signs of elevated blood pressure he will have an opportunity to meet with a virtual health consultant at no charge.

Barbershop locations were specifically chosen based on the greatest needs – neighborhoods where there is the greatest prevalence of hypertension, said Calvin Sanders, health equity manager with IU Health Office of Health Equity Research and Engagement.

As of late October, 101 people were screened and 78 showed a risk of hypertension. About 37 of those people had never been told they had high blood pressure, said Sanders.

“There is a such a high concentration of the disease but so few access points of care so if you’re a resident in those neighborhoods, we need to see how we can imbed help to improve heart health,” said Sanders.

The American Heart Center reports about 55 percent of Black adults have high blood pressure. The number means that high blood pressure among Black people in the United States is among the highest in the world. The most adverse social determinants of health include lack of access to care and lack of access to healthy foods.

The Indianapolis Health Equity, Access, outReach and Treatment (iHEART) is a free service that connects clients with health workers. The program is funded through a collaborative agreement with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Services offered include education about managing blood pressure and connecting clients with additional resources to assist with food, housing, utilities, transportation, medical care, and prescription costs. For more information on this free service: email chw@iuhealth.org or call 317-963-2013.

IU Health Arnett is the exclusive athletic trainer and sports medicine provider for several Lafayette area high schools including William Henry Harrison High School. It’s not uncommon for an athletic trainer, primary care doctor and orthopedic surgeon to be on the sidelines during games, caring for young athletes. “It’s a unique situation and that’s one reason I really like being a part of this,” said Jonathan Mongold, primary care sports medicine physician. “Our team… we all love our sports and love caring for young athletes.”

More than 6,800 Hoosiers are living with HIV, with approximately 500 new cases diagnosed each year.

Positive Link—a service of IU Health, which offers free HIV prevention, testing and services for those living with HIV—is working to turn those numbers around.

“Our mission is to work with our communities to end the HIV epidemic in Indiana,” says Jill Stowers, director of Positive Link, which operates throughout the state. “We provide services to any individual affected by the disease and to organizations that serve the populations most affected by HIV, including the LGBTQ+ community, the substance abuse community, communities of color and those between the ages of 16 and 26.”

In Greater Lafayette, where the Arnett team has been a pioneer in providing AIDS care since the 1980s, the Positive Link team serves Tippecanoe and all its surrounding counties.

Among the services Positive Link offers are rapid result finger prick antibody testing (for HIV, as well as Hepatitis C and syphilis), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention, mental health care, assistance navigating the healthcare system and paying medical bills, and so much more.

“Each year, we serve around 400 people in the Greater Lafayette area,” says Logan Lee, Positive Link health educator in Lafayette. “And, we’re always looking for new community partners where we can offer free onsite testing.”

Supporting the whole person, at no cost

“The most unique feature of our service model is that we are a community-based social service agency that operates within a clinical model,” says Stowers. “While many traditional offices may refer patients to social services agencies, we provide those services as our primary objective and integrate them within a medical model to also provide medical care.”

“This holistic approach to serving the whole person keeps clients engaged who may otherwise need to prioritize other issues in their lives.”

Another unique feature about Positive Link is one that might come as a surprise: All services are free, and financial assistance is available to offset the costs of any additional medical care clients might need.

“It is rare in a healthcare setting, and many are surprised they are not charged for services,” says Stowers.

Whether you are living with HIV, wanting to find out your HIV status or are looking for ways to protect yourself and others, Positive Link offers a continuum of services to support you with the standard of care you deserve. Learn more: https://iuhealth.org/find-medical-services/positive-link-hiv-services

IU Health Arnett’s highly-skilled hospice team believes in taking a holistic approach to caring for patients and their families. “Having [my mother] at home and having us there with her 24/7 was the gift we could give to her,” said caregiver, Dedra Jones-Markovich. “Hospice made it possible for us to give her that gift of being in the home she created.”

By Emma Avila, epackard1@iuhealth.org, writer for IU Health’s Indianapolis Suburban Region

Laura Mrozinski, diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, navigates her treatment journey with her oncologist at the IU Health Joe & Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center.

Laura Mrozinski is a wife, a mother and a grandmother. She has also been battling lung cancer since her diagnosis in 2019.

“I honestly had no idea I had lung cancer,” she says. “I really didn’t feel bad. I worked every day of my life.”

Before her diagnosis, Mrozinski was babysitting her grandchild for the weekend. The next day, she felt off and her hand was shaking so badly that she had difficulty writing a check.

“I kept trying to write the check and my writing kept going uphill.”

She went to her doctor’s office. The nurse practitioner thought Mrozinski was overwhelmed from babysitting. To be safe, a brain scan was ordered. As Mrozinski and her husband drove home, the nurse practitioner called and suggested visiting the Emergency department in case Mrozinski had a brain bleed.

After testing, she was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer is a rare and fast-growing form of lung cancer that can spread quickly. Because of this, it is difficult to treat.

Mrozinski sought treatment at another health facility. She initially responded well. Unfortunately, almost four years after her diagnosis, she experienced disease reoccurrence.

This led Mrozinski to connect with Dr. Misty Shields.

Dr. Shields is a thoracic medical oncologist for the Multi-D Oncology Clinic at the IU Health Simon Cancer Center. She also sees patients at the IU Health Joe & Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center in Carmel, which is where she currently sees Mrozinski.

“She was diagnosed five years ago with extensive stage, which is metastatic small cell. This means it had extended out of the chest and into another area, such as another organ,” Dr. Shields explains. “She had radiation and then met with me to discuss other potential treatment options.”

“Dr. Shields, she and I get along very well. She explains everything very thoroughly and very carefully,” Mrozinski adds. “She’s really the best.”

Dr. Shields enrolled Mrozinski in a clinical trial that combined immunotherapy with a pill called Temodar, which works by stopping cancer cells from making DNA.

“Unfortunately, her disease did start to grow, so she had to come off trial. She was switched to another FDA-approved option,” says Dr. Shields. “Her cancer has begun to grow again and spread, so we are looking to get her on another clinical trial.”

The new trial opens next month.

“We have a new class of treatment for small cell. They are called DLL3 BiTEs. They force the immune system to engage with the small cell cancer cell,” Dr. Shields explains. “It’s almost like a glue that brings the small cell close to the immune cell.”

This is just one of the new advancements in how to treat small cell lung cancer. Dr. Shields says the new options are showing exciting data in clinical trials.

“I’m very hopeful that some of these discoveries will be home runs in giving patients options.”

Mrozinski will find out in December if she is accepted into the clinical trial. In the meantime, she remains hopeful.

“You can’t just give up,” she says. “I always want to hope. I want to keep trying. I’ve got to trust the process.”

“Laura really is outstanding,” Dr. Shields adds. “She is encouraging others out there that there is hope.”

Learn more about lung cancer here.

In emergency situations, patients and their families often find themselves in a position of uncertainty, fear and worry. They may wonder how they’ll get back home after being flown to the hospital via LifeLine helicopter, or if their family can afford a hot breakfast after a long night in the emergency department. Thankfully, philanthropy-supported Patient Assistance Funds are often available to help patients and their loved ones in situations like these. Social Work teams serve as stewards of these funds and can dispense resources immediately to qualifying patients and families in need.

Lesly May, a social worker in the Cardiology Clinic at IU Health Methodist Hospital, says her work often addresses psychosocial factors that profoundly impact health and well-being. “My work includes talking to patients about trauma and social determinants of health and educating families about their loved ones,” she said.

Over the past three years, May has seen an increase in need for housing assistance with the patients she works with. “Too many individuals face eviction, resorting to living in cars or enduring life on the streets, all stemming from overwhelming debt,” said May.

In June of 2023, May was working with a patient who had been unhoused for six months. Through the generosity of donors to IU Health Foundation, May was able to offer a lifeline, using Patient Assistance Funds to pay a security deposit, ensuring her patient’s access to safe housing to continue her focus on her cardiac health.

“The most rewarding aspect of my role is offering tangible solutions that can positively impact a patient’s long-term well-being,” May said. “I’ve learned that sustaining health requires a collaborative effort. Donor contribution to the Patient Assistance Fund is a testament to your dedication to our shared community.”

May’s unwavering commitment exemplifies the transformative power of compassion and community support, illuminating the path toward a healthier and more hopeful future for those in need.

To date, our Patient Assistance Funds have served nearly 13,000 patients and/or family members. However, due to overwhelming need, our Social Work team consistently receives more requests for help than they can adequately provide. Supporting the Patient Assistance Fund is simple and accessible—and every gift makes a difference for a patient in need. Donors can feel confident that 100% of their gift goes directly to patients and their loved ones for immediate, necessary care.

Join us in making all the difference in the lives of patients and their families with a gift to the Patient Assistance Fund.

IU Health North has a new team member who is helping make deliveries to different units throughout the hospital. The IU-D2 robot will support Lab and Pharmacy teams by delivering samples from units to the lab and medications to hospital units. The four-month pilot program is underway, and at the end of the pilot period, its success will be evaluated. The goal is to reduce the time team members spend delivering items between units.

By Emma Avila, epackard1@iuhealth.org, writer for IU Health’s Indianapolis Suburban Region

Bradley Kruszynski has had type 1 diabetes his whole life. When he decided to change insulin pumps, the team at IU Health West helped him navigate the transition.

Bradley Kruszynski doesn’t know what it feels like to live life without diabetes. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 16 months old.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body cannot produce insulin—a hormone that enables cells to absorb, use or store glucose (blood sugar), the body’s key energy source. In the absence of insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, where it can damage the vessels and eventually cause problems such as heart disease, kidney disease and blindness.

“I was sick for a while,” he says. “My dad brought [diabetes] up to my pediatrician and I was diagnosed.”

Kruszynski spent some time after diagnosis at Riley Hospital for Children, where he was put on insulin.

When he was around three years old, he was put on his first insulin pump, a device that is attached to the body, which infuses insulin rather than giving injections.

“Being diabetic is nothing new or abnormal for me,” he says. “It’s been who I am.”

Since he was young, Kruszynski has relied on his insulin pump to help regulate his blood sugar. However, as technologies evolved and new options became available, he decided to switch to a new pump in September 2023.

After letting his endocrinologist at IU Health West, Dr. Michael Morkos, know his decision to switch, Kruszynski was connected with someone who could help him learn about the new device.

Kristen Chitwood is a clinical dietician who works as a diabetes educator, primarily at IU Health West.

As someone who also has type 1 diabetes, Chitwood has a passion to help improve the lives of others trying to navigate their diabetes.

“We do a lot of different types of education,” she explains. “We see all different types of diabetes. We also teach people about their diabetes technology.”

“I spent three or four hours with her,” Kruszynski adds. “She walked me through every single step, no matter how small it was.”

The new pump has features his former pump did not, including a sensor that automatically measures his glucose and adjusts insulin doses off the glucose value. Before, he had to stick his finger to check his blood sugar levels.

Chitwood followed up with Kruszynski a couple of days after he received his new pump. Though he hadn’t had any issues, it was a comfort to know he had someone to help if any complications arose.

“Say I can’t get my blood sugar to stay stable, I know I can email or make an appointment,” he says.

For Kruszynski, he hopes that sharing his story will help educate others about what it is like to live with type 1 diabetes.

“I just want people to see the normalcy of it,” he says. “I can’t get rid of it. I can’t quit.”

Learn more about Type 1 diabetes and the resources available at IU Health here.