WorkingWell in Munster Opens at Franciscan Hammond Clinic

WorkingWell, the occupational health program of Franciscan Alliance's Northwest Indiana hospitals, has moved from its Franciscan Physicians Hospital location and is now open at the Franciscan Hammond Clinic Specialty Center, 7905 Calumet Ave.

The move was sparked by efforts to combine the forces of Franciscan Hammond Clinic's occupational medicine department with the WorkingWell entity. WorkingWell, a freestanding occupational health provider, is the only program of its kind to receive the designation of ISO 9001:2008 certification.  

The International Organization for Standardization is the world's largest developer and publisher of international standards, instituted in 162 countries. ISO 9001:2008 certification, which has been awarded WorkingWell, ensures the effectiveness of all documented processes, and the commitment to their use for every patient.

Aside from ISO 9001:2008 certification, the transition of the clinic's Occupations Medicine department into WorkingWell brings a host of benefits, says Tim Ross, regional director of WorkingWell.

"This move and merger allows growth opportunity to our program, along with having a board-certified occupational health provider on board for Munster and the surrounding communities. Further, a convenient location just south of 80/94 on Calumet Ave. brings centrality to those coming from any direction."

Patients of the Franciscan Hammond Clinic Occupational Medicine department will gain access to all five of the Northwest Indiana WorkingWell locations Jan. 3, when the new department location opens.

Richard Rodarte, M.D., a board-certified occupational health physician, has worked in the Franciscan Hammond Clinic Occupational Medicine department since November 2005.

"I am very eager for this transition, with WorkingWell bringing their broad scope of services and physician expertise to the Franciscan Hammond Clinic. The move provides extended daytime and after-hours coverage to the local business community."

Irene O’Neill, M.D., works at the current Franciscan Physicians Hospital location.

"I look forward to working with Dr. Rodarte and utilizing his knowledge and experience with occupational medicine. Being in a facility with many medical specialists will be a great resource."

The move is applauded by Gene Diamond, Franciscan Alliance Northern Indiana Region CEO.

"The merger of WorkingWell into Franciscan Hammond Clinic’s Occupational Medicine program benefits everyone. Our client companies benefit from the synergies created as two strong programs come together in one location to offer more services and additional expertise, while their employees benefit from what we believe will be quicker and easier access. We hope everyone agrees that the outcome is an even better program."

WorkingWell hours at Franciscan Hammond Clinic are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The new phone number is (219) 836-4690.

For more information, visit www.franciscanhammondclinic.com or www.workingwellsite.org.

Two Wellness Centers In One

Franciscan Alliance partners Omni, Duneland locations

Omni 41 Health and Fitness Connection in Schererville and Duneland Health and Fitness Institute in Chesterton have merged to form Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness-Chesterton and Schererville. Both are under the auspices of Franciscan Alliance Northern Indiana Region.

"We have regionalized our wellness centers to create growth and efficiency in their staffing, facilities and programs," said Sharon Sporman, Northern Indiana Region executive director-wellness centers, adding, "Memberships are reciprocal; Schererville members now have access to Chesterton and vice versa."

Members were notified of the merger in September.

The partnership comes on the heels of the facilities recently becoming the first of their kind to achieve International Organization of Standardization 9001:2008 certification.

"The ISO process provides Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness a pathway to build a stronger foundation for our operations and enables us to deliver a high-quality product to our members and the community that we serve," Sporman said.

ISO is the world's largest developer of international standards that have been instituted in 162 nations. ISO certification, which is achieved following requested audits of practices, assures a quality management system that provides a foundation of best practices, resulting in highest-quality services.

Gene Diamond, CEO of Franciscan Alliance Northern Indiana Region, called the certifications "a milestone," and applauded the merger.

"Our members expect us to provide high-quality facilities, programs and services, but we're committed to offering them added value in the form of late-breaking advances tailored to meet their specific health and wellness needs. It's our mission. We think it makes us unique."     

What Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness locations offer:

The Chesterton location, 810 Michael Drive, is a comprehensive destination for wellness needs. Fitness memberships include access to state-of-the-art facilities, including a warm water therapy pool, Olympic pool, locker rooms with full amenities, massage therapy, a workout area, complete with cardio and strength equipment; and more than 65 group exercise classes per week (land and aqua included in membership fee). It also offers Kidzone, a safe place where children can play and stay while their parents work out.

The Chesterton location also hosts a number of programs and events throughout the year that cater to client needs. It prides itself on a world-class/professional staff that provides as much, or as little, hands-on attention to each member as needed, keeping individual desired results in mind. Onsite physical therapy and physician offices round out a comprehensive approach to aid those who are in need of medical attention and services. 

For more information, call (219) 983-9832 or visit www.franciscanalliance.org/omni.

The Schererville location, 221 U.S. 41, offers services in one location that include physician offices, rehabilitation services through the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, chiropractic services, weight-loss and fitness programs, Vanis salon and day spa, a White Sox baseball training academy, Parisi Speed School, a sports performance training center; a playroom for children and a soon-to-open Family Entertainment Center.

Fitness services include:

• More than 80 group exercise classes per week.
• A more than 18,000-square-foot Fitness Center that includes cardio, strength training, a Pilates studio, personal and group training; two swimming pools, sports facilities, including basketball, volleyball, racquetball and tennis; Thin and Healthy Total Solutions – billed as a last stop for weight loss and a staff of professionals who want to create a positive experience and assist clients open 24 hours a day.

For more information, call (219) 865-6969, or visit www.franciscanalliance.org/omni.

All Franciscan Alliance WorkingWell Sites Achieve Worldwide Recognition

WorkingWell, the Occupational Health program of Franciscan Alliance's Northwest Indiana hospitals, reached a milestone recently when the last three of its five sites gained International Organization of Standardization certification.

WorkingWell's Hammond, Munster and Valparaiso locations recently joined their Crown Point and Michigan City counterparts in gaining the ISO 9001:2008 certification.

(Pictured: Rich Shelhamer, far right, national sales manager for Rosemont, Ill.-based Perry Johnson Registrars, displays the latest ISO certification award with Tom Gryzbek, center, president of Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Hammond and Dyer; and Tim Ross, Franciscan Alliance regional director of occupational/employee health.)

WorkingWell, a freestanding occupational health provider, is the only program of its kind to receive the designation.

ISO is the world's largest developer of international standards that have been instituted in 162 nations. For more than 65 years, ISO has been a leader in quality certifications for the steel and manufacturing industries. ISO certification assures a quality management system that provides a foundation of best practices, resulting in highest-quality care, improved outcomes and reduced errors for patients.

ISO certification follows a rigorous audit of an organization's quality management system. Quality goals are set, and when they are met, new goals are determined for a continuously improving quality system.

"Industry recognizes ISO as a global standard," said Tim Ross, Franciscan Alliance regional director of occupational/employee health. "Industry vendors are held to those standards, so why not hold occupational health to those standards? We are aligning ourselves with businesses; what better way to do that than to reach industry standards they understand." 

WorkingWell provides occupational health care services for all types of workers, including professional, industrial, police officers and firefighters.

Tom Gryzbek, president of Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Hammond and Dyer, was pleased to hear of the certification.

"Franciscan St. Margaret Health always strives to meet and exceed quality standards and metrics. The ability of our occupational medicine program to achieve this stellar recognition reflects the commitment to provide top-notch quality to the employees of the industrial clients we are privileged to serve," he said.

For more information on WorkingWell, visit: http://www.workingwellsite.org/.