Whether it was organizations donating supplies to local hospitals, clinics, or shelters, new breakthroughs being created to care for patients of all kinds, or businesses being celebrated for protecting, informing, and taking care of others, the health of our Northwest Indiana community was the focus all 365 days of 2020. Even as our abilities were tested or our hope was questioned, our hearts remained positive, as seen in the hundreds of health-related articles that we produced this year.
In no particular order, here are the top 10 health articles from NWI.Life in 2020:
NW Indiana ER & Hospital supplies a quick, quality healthcare option in Hammond
Since the start of the pandemic, healthcare workers have been stared in the face with new challenges and unprecedented volumes of patients seeking COVID-19 testing and treatment in addition to their regular workloads. In the midst of this overflow, healthcare workers from Northwest Indiana and beyond decided to come together to build a hospital where they could serve patients across the Region.
COVID-19 versus the flu: spotting the differences
While flu season is always difficult to navigate, this year has been a bit more complex with the added stress of the global pandemic. Both are respiratory viruses and produce similar symptoms, so waking up with a sore throat or a fever may leave you wondering whether it’s the flu or COVID-19. Understanding the similarities and differences between the two may help you determine which virus you are dealing with.
VNA of Northwest Indiana’s veterans program provides education for veterans’ hospice needs
When the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) partnered together to create the We Honor Veterans program, education and compassion were at the heart of their mission. A pioneering program, it can now be found in hospice programs around the country, including locally at the VNA of Northwest Indiana.
Community Healthcare System’s Stroke & Rehabilitation Center offers national level care
Community Healthcare System is a network of four hospitals and countless professionals who work in tandem to offer expert high-quality care across Northwest Indiana and the southern suburbs of Chicago. The biggest recent addition to their network is the Community Stroke & Rehabilitation Center, a hospital that offers some of the highest level physical, occupational, and speech therapy rehabilitation services in the country.
A Franciscan Health Employee Spotlight: Sister Petra
Often the seeds of our future careers and endeavors are planted in us from a young age, and we draw inspiration from the people around us that we admire most. For Sister M. Petra Nielsen, Sister of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration and Vice President of Mission Integration for Franciscan Health Michigan City, that seed was planted back in elementary school. She has been a Sister since 2008 but knew she was drawn to the religious life from the time she was in the first grade.
Franciscan Health in Crown Point hosts groundbreaking ceremony for new hospital
Having first opened in 1974, the existing hospital at Franciscan Health Crown Point has been around for nearly 50 years. After decades of technological advancements in the medical field, it becomes increasingly expensive to update the hospital to fit the standard of today.
Porter-Starke Services provides accessible care with on-site pharmacy
With health care locations across Northwest Indiana, Porter-Starke Services is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in communities through prevention, treatment, education, and research. Their full continuum of care serves adults, families, adolescents, and children with mental health or substance abuse issues. All clients are placed on individual plans of care tailored to specific needs, but Porter-Starke takes care a step further by having a full pharmacy on-site. Mike Weaver, Vice President of Medical Services, has worked for Porter-Starke Services for 20 years and seen the benefits of their on-site pharmacy since its inception 11 years ago.
Testing becomes cornerstone of care at Midwest Express Clinic
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly imperative that accurate testing is available to as many people as possible. Here in Northwest Indiana, Midwest Express Clinic has been there from the start, providing testing for all as well as virtual healthcare options for regular patients.
Shelly Recktenwall noticed a lump in her breast back in 2014. Having just lost a close friend to breast cancer, she knew she wanted to get it checked out, but with no health insurance, she thought the cost would prevent her from getting the examination she needed. That’s when her daughter-in-law discovered Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospital’s No Woman Left Behind program online.
St. Mary Medical Center hosts 15th Annual Hearts of Hope Ceremony
Community Healthcare System Cardiovascular Research held its 15th Annual Hearts of Hope Ceremony at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart on Thursday, Feb. 13. The event is the capstone to the Hearts of Hope campaign which raises funds for cardiovascular research at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System. Culminating in a tree lighting in which each bulb shines in honor or memory of those who have battled cardiovascular complications; the event celebrated life while raising awareness about heart disease and its latest therapies and treatments.
