Caring for Your Kidneys

Your kidneys: one of many organs that provides more than meets the eye. While you may not spend much time thinking about your kidneys and their functions, they spend lots of time working for you!

The kidneys are bean-shaped organs located near the middle of the back, just below your rib cage. They are roughly the size of a fist and one is located on each side of your spine. Do you know how much your kidneys work? Each day, your kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood, sifting out nearly 2 quarts of waste products and extra water for excretion and recovering nearly 198 quarts.

How does the filtration work?

Kidney function is performed through a complicated chemical exchange that allows the organ to filter waste materials and water out of your blood and into your urinary system. Your kidneys have roughly 1 million nephrons; a nephron consists of a filtering unit of tiny blood vessels called a glomerulus attached to a tubule. In this tubule, chemicals and water are either added to or removed from this filtered fluid according to your body's needs. The final product: the urine that you excrete.

Why are my kidneys important?

While the major known function of the kidneys is to remove excess waste and fluid, it serves another purpose: the kidneys are critical in regulating the body's levels of salt, potassium and acid content. Furthermore, your kidneys produce a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production! Other hormones that come from the kidneys regulate blood pressure and control calcium metabolism.

While kidneys sustain life in a number of ways, they are susceptible to damage and disease like any other organ. For more information on kidney disease, click here.

For more information on kidneys or any other medical topic, visit our complete online health library.

Franciscan Alliance Appoints New Director of Imaging Services

Michael Budimir's interest in his future career began when he needed an ultrasound as a high school student.

Today, Budimir, a Chicago native who resides in Dyer, brings 24 years of experience in the radiology field to Franciscan Alliance's four Northern Indiana Region hospitals, where, since mid-September, he has served as director of imaging (diagnostic) services.

He also is glad to be headquartered at Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Crown Point.

"I once had a very pleasant and positive experience with the emergency room there, which made a statement about the hospital's quality of services," he said.

Soon, in addition to other duties, he will preside over the hospital's newly revamped $6 million Radiology Oncology Department, which is expected to be completed in December, and will be home of a Trilogy Linear Accelerator. The device, which utilizes microwave technology, will make cancer treatment more efficient and more effective, with fewer side effects for patients.

"This new equipment makes a statement to the area that we offer complete care for all patients – oncology cases in addition to providing diagnostic imaging."

An open magnetic resonance imaging unit also is on the horizon for Franciscan Point, St. Anthony-Crown Point's outpatient treatment center, which, he said, "will be very beneficial for patients who may be  claustrophobic," while providing state-of-art imaging to help diagnose problems.

In addition, a new Cancer Treatment Center of Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Michigan City is scheduled to open in April 2012. 

The 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility will combine the most advanced technologies available to fight more forms of cancer with the latest treatments available and access to clinical trials.

Services will include a state-of-the-art Linear Accelerator and PET/CT Scan, along with 14 infusion bays, lab and pharmacy.    

There likewise will be a patient and family education center and a community room. Treatment of all types of cancer will be consolidated into the facility, making the process more accessible and comfortable for patients and their families.

Budimir said one of his goals to is coordinate the services and equipment use for all of the region's hospitals, which also include  Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Dyer and Hammond and Franciscan Physicians Hospital in Munster, "so that no matter where a patient goes, there will be a positive experience."

"We want to streamline services and provide the highest-quality imaging available so our patients will be happy. Patients are number-one to us; they're why we're here," he added.

Days of Health - Get Screened!

You and your family are invited to Franciscan St. Margaret Health's Days of Health screening days. Learn more about Franciscan St. Margaret's services and take advantage of a wealth of health information, screenings, giveaways and refreshments.

Thursday, September 22, 2011
5 - 7:30 p.m.
Franciscan St. Margaret Health - Hammond
Renal Dialysis Building
5454 Hohman Ave., Hammond

Thursday, September 29, 2011
5 - 7:30 p.m.
Franciscan St. Margaret Health - Dyer
Outpatient Center
24 Joliet St. (US Route 30), Dyer

Screenings Available

You must register for the following screenings by calling the Health Resource Center at (800) 931-3322:

• Bone Density Screening for Osteoporosis
• Foot Screening (free)
• Peripheral Vascular Disease (free)
• Prostate Screening ($8)

Registration is not necessary for the following FREE screenings:

• Balance Test and Posture Screening (Dyer only)
• Blood Pressure
• Blood Glucose Screening for Diabetes
• Body Fat Analysis
• Heart Risk Assessments
• Oxygen Saturation
• Sleep Disorder Screening (Dyer only)
• Stroke Screening (Dyer only)

Unless otherwise noted, screenings are free. Other screening fees may be paid by cash or check.

For more information, contact the Health Resource Center at (800) 931-3322.

The Meaning of Our Tau Symbol

The tau is the sign used by St. Francis to wish peace to all he met. The tau cross is a common symbol of the Franciscan Order. It looks like a T. In the Old Testament, it is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For Christians, the T came to represent the cross of Christ as being the fulfillment of the Old Testament and it also represented the means by which Christ reversed the disobedience of the old Adam and became our Savior as the "New Adam."

After St. Francis's conversion, he worked with a religious community whose main ministry was caring for lepers. These men wore the cross shaped like a T as a symbol of their trust in God to ward off skin diseases. Eventually, St. Francis adopted the T as his own symbol. For him, it represented lifelong fidelity to the Passion of Christ and a reminder to be an example of compassion for God's people.

Today, followers of St. Francis - laity or religious - wear the tau cross as an exterior sign, a seal of their own commitment to exemplify God's love and continue the ministry of Christ.

The symbol of Franciscan Alliance, is a tau cross with a giving hand and a receiving hand. The giving hand is generously prepared to minister Christ's healing to the weak, the suffering and the vulnerable. The receptive hand is ready to receive His healing power through our joyful, sensitive Franciscan ministry.

FPH Recognizes CPHQ Recipient Lisa Leckrone

Lisa Leckrone, Franciscan Physicians Hospital director of risk management and quality assessment, recently attained the prestigious international credential – that of a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality.

Leckrone recently passed an international examination that assesses knowledge and understanding of the process to achieve regulatory compliance and accreditation/licensure, program development and management, continuum of care, quality improvement concepts and departmental management skills.


Lisa Leckrone, CPHQ recipient, in her office at the hospital.


The credential covers the field of quality, case/care/disease/utilization and risk management and emphasizes how the programs and processes integrate into an effective system.

Leckrone, looking to utilize the skills gained from the program, said, “Getting this certification will help me determine what quality strategies are needed in our organization with the coming changes of health care reform. I’m very happy to have earned this CPHQ distinction.”

Leckrone joins the ranks of more than 10,700 colleagues internationally who have achieved the certification.

Barb Greene, president of Franciscan Physicians Hospital, states “We look forward to Lisa’s continued professional contribution to Franciscan Physicians Hospital and are pleased to celebrate this success story with one of our valued employees. Lisa does a wonderful job leading many of our quality initiatives.”

Pumpkin Prance 5K Set for October 1 ... Sign Up Today!

Omni 41 Health & Fitness Connection's 30th Annual Pumpkin Prance 5K Run/Non-Competitive Walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 1. Applications are currently being accepted and are available at the club and also at omni41.com.

Download and print your application >>

The race/walk will start at 9 a.m. Race day registration will be held across the street from Omni 41 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. The course is a flat 5k (3.1-mile) course through the Plum Creek Subdivision across the street from Omni 41, 221 US Hwy 41 in Schererville.

Prizes will be awarded to overall and master winners and top three male and female finishers in the different age divisions. Prize drawing for participants who come in costume. Tee-shirts and goodie bags are guaranteed for pre-registered participants only.

Pre-registration entry deadline is September 24. Entry fee for the race is $20, which includes apparel, or $15 fee if no apparel is desired. Participants under age 18 must have a parent present the day of the race to fill out and sign a liability waiver.

For more information on this event, please contact Lisa at Omni 41 at (219) 865-6969.

Disaster Training: Going Full Scale to Prepare for the Future

On September 24th, 2011, Franciscan Physicians Hospital will take part in a full-scale exercise plan that simulates a disaster, providing hospital participants with experience, knowledge and coordination to handle a large influx of patients should such a disaster occur.

The Federal Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) requires that emergency preparedness exercises be built on the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). The exercise is designed to test the operational capabilities of multiple response functions, such as resource coordination, mental health, continuity of operations and risk communication.

The purpose and scope of this operation is to address hospital response elements to a massive surge in patients resulting from multiple detonations of radiological explosive devices in Northwest Indiana. Multiple hospitals and agencies across the District will coordinate and communicate response actions in a live, functional environment.

Five objectives exist for Franciscan Physicians Hospital:
1. Redundant Communications
2. Effective implementation of the Hospital Incident Command System
3. Surge Response, coordinating a massive surge of patients
4. Procedures to support family reunification
5. Mutual aid response for decontamination

To further the seriousness of this staged emergency, Franciscan Physicians Hospital will utilize mock "patients" that simulate a variety of medical conditions relevant to the specific mocked disaster. Each hospital will provide patient role play cards to the mock "patients" to act out various roles.

In planning the scenario for this exercise event, participants are asked to accept the details of the scenario, even if exact timing of the exercise does not correspond to the timing of events as they would actually occur. All hospitals participating in this exercise will be evaluated for their performance against the objectives and tasks set forth by the controllers.

Franciscan Physicians Hospital has employees trained at the state-level to provide direction and communication should a disaster ever occur. Several employees and administrators are trained twice a year through the Indiana State Department of Health and the Lighthouse Readiness Group.