Health

By: Dawn Brand Fluhler— Muncie, IN – Indiana University Health East Central President Jeff Bird, MD, recently announced the new role of chief operating officer for Critical Access hospitals in the East Central Region, which will be filled by Rodney Stevens, MSNL, RN. In this new role Rod will have direct operational responsibilities for both IU Health Jay and IU Health Blackford. He will continue to serve as chief nursing officer for IU Health Blackford. “Rod has been an important part…

By: Kourtney McCauliff— Muncie, IN—Open Door Health Services announces that Suzanne Clem has joined the Open Door team as Director of Community Awareness. Suzanne received a bachelor’s degree in advertising and master’s degree in social psychology from Ball State University. Her experience includes 13 years in marketing at Ball State, focusing on strategy development, social media, and wellness marketing for the university food service. She also has written for higher education publications and community projects and has provided volunteer communications…

By: Jennifer Hurtubise— Muncie, IN—Delaware County ranks 85th out of Indiana’s 92 counties in overall health outcomes. Thirty-one percent of the adults living in the county are considered obese, and there are 24.6 drug overdose deaths annually per 100,000 population, compared to the national average of 15.6. Twenty percent of Delaware County’s residents smoke, and the mother smoked during pregnancy in 22.3 percent of births—more than three times the national average of 7.2 percent. These poor health rankings limit the…

By: Dawn Brand Fluhler— Blackford President Steven West to retire, Jay President Dave Hyatt promoted Muncie, IN—IU Health’s East Central Region President Jeff Bird, MD, recently announced the retirement of IU Health Blackford Hospital President Steven West, and the promotion of IU Health Jay Hospital President Dave Hyatt. West will retire from his administrative duties at IU Health effective June 10, 2018. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Miami University and his graduate degree from The Ohio State University, Mr….

By: Nancy Larson— As I sit at my computer writing this article stressing about my procrastination, I reached for a cookie…then I stop myself and realize that I am “stress eating!” Everyone eats for emotional and stress relief occasional. That’s not what gets you in trouble. It’s the constant, mindless “grazing” or reactive eating that will put on the extra weight. Stress eating itself is not the problem. It is what ever is DRIVING you to turn to a drug,…

By: Matthew Cox— Muncie, IN—Warm days at the beach, golf course or swimming pool are near-universal visions of summer, and the game of baseball is synonymous with summer for many youth players, their parents and adult fans.  Wednesday, May 31 is also World No Tobacco Day, and the image of baseball players using chewing tobacco and other products is infamously timeless as the game itself. Baseball’s attempt at positively influencing youth is certainly behind its decades-old ban on smokeless tobacco…

By: Courtney Thomas— Muncie, IN– Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement. The advanced certification is for Joint Commission-accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers seeking to elevate the quality, consistency and safety of their services and patient care. IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital is the first organization in the state of Indiana to earn this advanced certification. “The ability…

By: Dawn Brand Fuller— Muncie Hospital is one of only 4 hospitals statewide and 418 healthcare providers nationwide to earn the “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation  Muncie, IN—Last week, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital announced that it has achieved “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) for the seventh consecutive year. IU Health Ball was the first hospital in Indiana to earn the LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader designation in 2012. The designation was awarded in…