Community Health Network News from eCommunity.tv

The Near Eastside Orbiter, or NEO, is a new shuttle service providing convenient and affordable transportation for eastside residents to home, work, shopping and schools, while also offering a direct service to patients along the route who need to get to the hospital or to regular appointments. The cost is only $1 per ride. Many organizations, including the Boner Community Center, IndyGo and Community Health Network, collaborated together to bring about this new service.

Wellspring Pharmacy, the community benefit department and Community Heights, the neighborhood group around Community Hospital East, recently partnered with the Indiana Medical History Museum and IPS School 88 to build a “medicinal garden” on the school’s grounds. The crops will be harvested and sold at local markets, with the proceeds funneled back into the upkeep of the garden itself.

Community Health Network’s Open Arms program offers many different services to help families grieve the loss of a pregnancy or newborn. Tressia Puller, R.N., works in maternity services at Community Hospital North and tells about an experience she had with a family during their time of need.

When Michelle Holmes of Bloomington, Indiana, found out she was having twins, she sought the care of maternal-fetal medicine specialists at Community Health Network. Holmes was admitted to Community Hospital North at 26 weeks gestation so her babies, who were diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, could be monitored on a regular basis. After seven weeks as an inpatient, Holmes delivered two beautiful baby girls. She is grateful to the staff at Community for treating her not just as a patient, but as a person.

Tim Hoffer suffered a brain injury in 2006 after falling from a golf cart and fracturing his skull. He was transferred from his Fort Wayne home to Hook Rehab in Indianapolis to undergo both inpatient and outpatient therapies. During this process, Tim also lived in the semi-independent living home since his family resided in Fort Wayne and his therapy was taking place in Indianapolis.

When nurses at Community Hospital North learned that one of their patients was going to miss her senior prom, they started planning a special celebration in her honor. With help from the hospital’s guest relations team, food services, and the Community Health Network Foundation, they created a magical evening for the patient, her friends and family.

Community Health Network helped support the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition home that was recently renovated on the Indianapolis east side with donations of trees, volunteers and other items. Community donated a truckload of 160 trees, maintenance on the trees for one year, volunteers, and 250 shoe covers (surgical booties) for the television crew filming the show. The ABC-TV episode showing the Indianapolis home, located in the 2300 block of Oxford Street, airs May 17th during the shows 2009 season finale.

Andy Costner says his father, Mark, and his mother, Jenifer, are the inspiration for his Eagle Scout project, a healing garden at Community Regional Cancer Center-North. While Andy’s father was treated for lymphoma at Community last year, Jenifer would spend a lot of time in the waiting room during her husband’s eight hour chemotherapy treatments. Andy saw how his father’s illness affected his mother and realized he could brighten the days of other families who wait while their loved ones receive treatment, by creating a cheerful outdoor space.

Meet Community Health Network's new President & CEO Elect, Bryan Mills

Margaret Moore, R.N. talks about being nominated for the 2009 Indianapolis Star Salute to Nurses awards. Margaret was the recipient of the "Lifetime of Compassion" Award.