As an example of the compassionate care that is a trademark
of Saint Anthony Medical Center, Sister Renee Duplessis,
a chaplain in the Spiritual Care Services department,
prays with pre-surgery patient Laura Vucko, of Merrillville.SAMC expands technology, offers more help for underprivileged
Saint Anthony Medical Center saw a productive 2009, despite economic challenges, and looks forward to expanding its services and boosting its spirit of compassionate care for patients and the community this year, President David Ruskowski says.
“Despite the challenges presented to us by the weak economy last year, Saint Anthony continued growing and raising the bar in offering quality care and technological advancements,” Ruskowski said, adding “In 2010, we will continue to make our high level of care more accessible to the communities we serve.’’
Ruskowski cites the anticipated May opening of a new complex to house the St. Clare Health Clinic and the Prenatal Assistance Program, both of which provide services to area underprivileged and uninsured residents, and a new home in June for the Franciscan Physicians Network Demotte Clinic, at the top of his list.
The Prenatal Assistance Program, which has served the community since 2002, had been housed at the former Crown Point Clinic, which lies on a 1.2-acre site at 1121 S. Indiana Ave., and is the site of the new complex. Prenatal is in a temporary location at Saint Anthony-North Point, 2050 N. Main St.
St. Clare, which has been in operation since 1996, is operating at 1000 S. Court St., until the new, $2 million complex is completed. Construction on the 7,500-square-foot-plus building began in October.
The new, joint complex also will include:
* A social services section where case workers can provide those in need with appropriate
resources.
* Conference rooms and reference areas to give patients information about options.
* A medication assistance program and medication area to provide a range of free services
and to help people understand their prescriptions.
* An expanded food pantry.
The new, 9,000-square-foot Franciscan Physician Network - Demotte Clinic at 200 3rd Court, SE, will be located about a mile south of the current site it has occupied since the 1990s at 417 N. Halleck St.
Better care, close-to-home
Patients also can look forward to close-to-home technological advancements at Saint Anthony
that will improve care and convenience. Jackie Katz, Saint Anthony director of imaging, outlined some of the programs and plans. “Our linear accelerator project, which will take about 18 months to complete, will be an expansion of cancer treatment and services. The area is going to be prepped for a new linear accelerator, which has new technology that will be able to reduce by half the time a patient is treated each day.’’
She added that area also will be prepped for future expansion to two linear accelerators.
“As cancer is expected to bypass heart disease in the near future as the number-one health issue in the U.S., Saint Anthony’s goal is to develop a comforting, yet high-tech environment in which to care for those patients,’’ Katz said.
A nuclear medicine camera evaluates cardiac, cancer, urology endocrine and orthopedic diseases.
“The expectation is that as our patient population ages, they will need to be evaluated for any one of these conditions so that follow-up treatment can be devised. The newer systems have better image resolution and can be upgraded to do single photo emission computed tomography studies,’’ Katz said, adding, “Radiation oncology and radiology are committed to providing excellent care with the assistance of advanced technology.’’
Capital Campaign effort makes new clinic complex possible
The Saint Anthony Medical Center Capital Campaign, which kicked off in February 2008 and is expected to continue until the end of this year, seeks to raise $4.5 million, including matching funds from a private donor, to fund construction of a new complex to house St. Clare Health Clinic and the Prenatal Assistance Program. The campaign so far has raised $2.85 million, which includes the matching funds. For more information on the campaign, contact Catherine Biller, regional development associate, at (219) 932-2300, ext. 34556. Campaign donations may be mailed to:
Saint Anthony Medical Center
1201 S. Main St.
Crown Point, IN 46307
Attention: David Ruskowski
President-Capital Campaign
Saint Anthony care recognized among America’s best
Saint Anthony Medical Center is 5-Star rated in 2010 for treatment of stroke for the eighth consecutive year, according to a comprehensive annual study by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization.
In addition to its stroke care, Saint Anthony was recognized for quality performance in the area of orthopedics. Saint Anthony is 5-Star rated for hip fracture repair for the third consecutive year and ranks among the top 5 in Indiana for Overall Orthopedic Services.
The study annually assesses patient outcomes – mortality and complication rates – at virtually all of the nation’s nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals.
President David Ruskowski is pleased with the latest news from HealthGrades.
“These latest accomplishments, as recognized by HealthGrades, are examples of our continuing commitment to our patients. Nothing matters more to us than their treatment and recovery and their safety and comfort while they are in our care. We look forward to making even further strides and are honored by the national recognition we have received,” Ruskowski said.
Last year, Saint Anthony was a recipient of the 2009 Patient Safety Excellence Award and ranked among the top 5 percent in the nation for patient safety in the sixth annual HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study.
