Franciscan Alliance Unveils New Logos for System and Hospitals

Ongoing rebranding symbolizes unified mission of system’s 13 hospitals

As part of Franciscan Alliance’s ongoing rebranding initiative, the Board of Trustees and senior leadership of Franciscan Alliance (formerly Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc.) are unveiling the logo marks for the system and its 13 hospitals throughout Indiana and northeastern Illinois.

For consistency and clarity of Franciscan Alliance’s unified mission to provide the highest-quality, value-based, compassionate medical care, the word “Franciscan” was placed before each hospital name, and the word “Health” added at the end.

Two exceptions: The name of St. Clare Medical Center in Crawfordsville is being changed to Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Crawfordsville to more accurately reflect the hospital’s existing management and patient care alignment with its two regionally aligned hospitals (Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Lafayette East and Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Lafayette Central) in the Western Indiana Region of Franciscan Alliance. And, the name of Franciscan Physicians Hospital, LLC – Munster is not being changed.

The system’s new hospital names are:

• Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point
• Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Michigan City
• Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Crawfordsville
• Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Lafayette East
• Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Lafayette Central
• Franciscan St. Francis Health – Beech Grove
• Franciscan St. Francis Health – Indianapolis
• Franciscan St. Francis Health – Mooresville
• Franciscan St. James Health – Chicago Heights
• Franciscan St. James Health – Olympia Fields
• Franciscan St. Margaret Health – Hammond
• Franciscan St. Margaret Health – Dyer
• Franciscan Physicians Hospital, LLC – Munster

Sister Jane Marie Klein, O.S.F., chairperson for the Board of Trustees of Franciscan Alliance, said, “With the rapid changes occurring in the health care industry, we are adapting to the ‘new norm’ while remaining deeply rooted in our ministry and values.”

Kevin Leahy, Franciscan Alliance president and chief executive officer, said, “The development of a strong, consistent identity and brand replicated across the entire system is an important part of telling our story with one voice. And it is a unifying symbol of what my fellow 18,000 plus Franciscan Alliance physicians, nurses, employees and volunteers do every day to create positive experiences for our patients and their families.”

To be as cost efficient as possible, the new logos will be assimilated into the various applications across the system and at each hospital in a planned and organized manner. Leahy said, “We are prioritizing our efforts, and the integration of our new logo will occur over the next 12 months or longer.”

Franciscan Alliance provides care for more than 2.9 million outpatient visits and more than 100,000 inpatient discharges every year with the most effective medical treatments, state-of-the-art medical equipment and an abundance of compassionate care.

The system employs 18,200 co-workers including 556 physicians – both primary care and specialists – and expects to grow its physician team to more than 630 physicians this year, serving the system’s service-area population of 3.7 million people.

To learn more about the Franciscan Alliance, visit http://www.franciscanalliance.org.


About Franciscan Alliance
Franciscan Alliance is one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the Midwest with 13 growing hospitals and a number of nationally recognized Centers of Health Care Excellence. Franciscan Alliance includes: Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point, Ind.; Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Michigan City, Ind.; Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Crawfordsville, Ind.; Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Lafayette East, Ind.; Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Lafayette Central, Ind.; Franciscan St. Francis Health – Beech Grove, Ind.; Franciscan St. Francis Health – Indianapolis, Ind.; Franciscan St. Francis Health – Mooresville, Ind.; Franciscan St. James Health – Chicago Heights, Ill.; Franciscan St. James Health – Olympia Fields, Ill.; Franciscan St. Margaret Health – Hammond, Ind.; Franciscan St. Margaret Health – Dyer, Ind.; and Franciscan Physicians Hospital, LLC – Munster, Ind.

Health Tip: Frostbite Prevention

Frostbite occurs when the skin and body tissues are exposed to cold temperatures for a prolonged period of time. Hands, feet, noses, and ears are most likely to be affected. Keep these tips in mind this winter to help prevent against frostbite.

• Be aware of factors that can contribute to frostbite, such as extreme cold, wet clothes, high winds, and poor circulation.


• Wear suitable clothing (mittens – not gloves, multi-layered clothing, two pairs of socks, hat and scarf) and protect exposed areas.


• If you expect to be exposed to the cold for a long period of time, don't drink alcohol or smoke, and get adequate food and rest.


• If caught in a severe cold weather storm, find shelter early or increase physical activity to maintain body warmth.

To learn more about frostbite, or for more health and wellness tips on a variety of topics, visit our online Health Library.

Starting an Exercise Program

Surrounded by New Year's Resolution proposals and an overwhelming mass at the gym, you may be considering the start of an exercise program yourself.

Carlos Celis, Franciscan Alliances' Regional Wellness Director offers the following advice and information for those considering an exercise program.

"Starting an exercise program can be potentially hazardous if started incorrectly. The biggest hazard is injury. People often jump into an exercise program without considering what they can and can't physically handle. This can lead to injury, and although the injury may not be serious, it often prevents individuals from coming back to the gym for quite some time."

What is the best way to start an exercise program?
"Good exercise techniques are the best thing to concentrate on if you're just starting off. After the patient or individual has clearance to exercise from a physician, I generally suggest cardio programs to begin. Doing cardio exercise for 20 to 30 minutes a session, three times a week, is a great start. After the individual has done this for several weeks, I like to add resistance training to stimulate muscle growth. Always talk with a physician or trainer before starting an exercise program so that the direction given is level with your physical ability."

What are the biggest fears people generally have?
"People usually become intimidated at the gym because they are not sure what to do and often feel like everyone else around them does. It can be intimidating using machines that you haven't used before and program structure takes getting used to. Women often fear that they will build too much muscle, although the reality is that it takes a significant amount of exercise to see results of such nature."

For more information on starting an exercise program, watch Carlos' videos.

Making an Impact in Our Community

As we enter the New Year with optimism and determination, it’s important to consider the effect we’ve had on years of the past.

At Franciscan Physicians Hospital, we’ve opted to look at our impact for the 2009 year in both monetary and social terms. In the following report, distributed by the Indiana Hospital Association (IHA), we give numerical determinations of the impact we have on our local community.

As health care providers, we’re in the business of helping not only patients, but communities. Our impact on the surrounding area is quite large and encompasses a host of contributions that aren’t as apparent as our clinical excellence. By reading the following pages, we hope you come to an appreciation for the contributions that both Franciscan Physicians Hospital and every organization make on their social and economic environment.

Read the report >>

FranciscanFit Mallwalkers Program "Steps Off" Again Jan. 26

"Steppin Out in 2011" will be the presentation topic for the next Franciscanfit -- Steps to Good Health monthly Mallwalkers program.

The free program, sponsored by Franciscan Alliance Northern Indiana Region hospitals and Westfield Southlake Mall, is scheduled for 8 to 10 a.m. Jan. 26.

The public is invited to attend a 9 a.m. presentation of the program theme offered by Jane Bogordos, fitness supervisor for Omni 41 Health and Fitness Connection in Schererville. Bogordos will discuss the importance of stretching and warming up before walking, teach participants how to check their heart rate and lead the group in stretches that can be performed before walking. Blood pressure and resting heart rate screenings also will be available.

New Mallwalkers members are welcome to register for the program, which takes place on the mall’s lower level, outside of JC Penney, on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Regular walkers hours are 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 9 to 11 a.m. Sundays.

For more information, call (1-800) 931-3322.

Glaucoma: The Blinding Truth

This January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and Franciscan Physicians Hospital is here to provide you with some important information about the disease and how you can stay alert toward its occurrence. Dr. Karen Briggs, DO, brings us the following beneficial information.

What is glaucoma?
"Glaucoma is a disease of potential blindness. It is the #2 cause of blindness in the U.S. and the #1 cause in African American patients. Glaucoma is an elevation of pressure in the eye that destroys the optic nerve. The elevation of pressure causes minimized blood flow to the eye. The damaged nerve eventually kills the other nerves."

How long does glaucoma take to have a detrimental effect on an individual's vision?
"Each person is different. There are different types of glaucoma and depending on the individual, it progresses at different rates."

How many people in the U.S. have glaucoma, roughly?
"They figure that one in fifty people have it and don't even know. The number one age group is non-Hispanic white females above 80. The Hispanic population has emerged as especially susceptible to glaucoma. The chance of Latino individuals becoming blind is now equal to that of African American individuals. Macular Degeneration risk is the same as well."

What is the average age for acquiring glaucoma?
"Glaucoma can come on at any age, which is the problem. The misconception is that glaucoma only affects the elderly population. Patients should be screened much sooner than they often are. You should always have your eye pressure checked when you have an eye exam. Not every place takes eye pressure readings, which can be a mistake."

What are some early symptoms of glaucoma?
"Primary glaucoma, the most common form, has no symptoms until the patient has suffered such severe nerve damage that their side vision is affected. The goal in the United States is to catch that before it happens and the disease speeds up. Also, primary glaucoma has no pain, so it can't be physicially detected in the patient."

Can glaucoma be prevented?
"No, there is no prevention at this time."

How does someone with glaucoma treat the condition?
"in the U.S. the first role of treatment is eye drops."

What is considered normal eye pressure?
"Eye pressure below 21 with no nerve damage is considered normal. Unfortunately, there is a form of low tension glaucoma. People with this type have eye pressure in the normal range, yet they still face damage."

How is glaucoma diagnosed?
"Family history comes first. After risk and prevalence from family history is assessed, we take the eye pressure by dilating the patient and looking at their optic nerve. Nearly 50% of glaucoma is missed if you dilate the patient and don't take the eye pressure. Pressure can be normal at the doctors office, but it can also fluctuate from the time of day and from day to day. After assessing the patient's eyes, they determine if there is damage or not. If so, they do visual fields to determine side vision and many doctors now do nerve fiber analysis to measure the thickness of the nerves. They compare results with averages from age, sex and race."

How long does glaucoma treatment last?
"Each patient is different but almost always it's the rest of the patient's life. If surgery is successful, patients can stay off eye drops for a while, but they will eventually be back on them due to digression of the condition."

What are the risks and side effects associated with treatment?
"one of the risks associated with treatment is medication. Medications can cause increased pigmentation of the iris, dryness of the eye, and beta blockers can cause breathing problems in patients with asthma and COPD. Depression and slow heart rate can also occur. Patients have to be very forward about their medical history so that there aren't any confrontations."

As glaucoma treatment and research continues to expand, so does the knowledge of physicians at Franciscan Physicians Hospital. Dr. Briggs is exceptionally knowledged in glaucoma diagnosis and treatment. A special thanks to Dr. Briggs for the information she provided!