Health

By: Gerry Moore, Principal, Longfellow Elementary School— There is an African adage that states, “It takes a whole village to raise a child.”  This statement was put into action in a unique way last month for Longfellow Elementary students. Bright and early on Wednesday, May 25, volunteers from a bevy of community organizations gathered at four locations in the Whitely neighborhood to show our students that walking and biking to school can be fun ways to promote fitness and healthy…

Muncie, In —Muncie Mall, East Central Indiana’s family-friendly shopping destination, will launch the Mall Walker Program on Tuesday, May 3rd  to support the healthy lifestyles of Muncie residents. This initiative, sponsored by Waters Edge Village, will feature monthly breakfasts, early access to Muncie Mall and added amenities. “We’re proud to provide this new program for our loyal customers to enjoy,” said Amanda Stickann, marketing director at Muncie Mall. “Muncie Mall is the place for residents to stay active while shopping,…

MUNCIE – Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital has been recognized as one of four hospitals in the State of Indiana as a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization. The findings were part of HRC Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index 2016, a unique annual survey that encourages equal care for LGBT Americans by evaluating inclusive policies and practices related…

MUNCIE, IN – IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and Medical Consultants are pleased to announce that they have entered into definitive agreements for Medical Consultants to become part of the IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital family effective October 1, 2016. With shared values of ensuring the delivery of quality health care and the availability of comprehensive specialty care services within the local community, the addition of the Medical Consultants multi-specialty Physician practice, including its outpatient surgery center, will greatly benefit patients…

By: John Disher— Leaders of local organizations are encouraged to learn more about a new community initiative aimed at making our community become a healthier place to live learn, work and play. The Healthy Community Alliance of Delaware and Blackford Counties will hold information sessions on April 14 to explain how the Alliance works and how local organizations can become involved. The two-county effort is being led by a steering committee composed of a cross-section of community stakeholders, and supported…

Muncie, IN— Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana has selected Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies with input from the medical community. Knee and hip replacement procedures are among…

By: Jacob Taylor—  “Nag them. Urge them. Love them. $49 Lung Scans.” Those are the words that Betty Retherford saw on a billboard while traveling to Muncie in late August of 2015. She instantly thought of her husband, Bill Retherford, and decided to register him for a scan at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital. “As an RN, I knew the combination of Bill’s COPD and smoking history put him at a greater risk,” said Betty. “And, $49 was worth…

By: Neil Gifford— Indiana has seen an increase in flu activity in the past three weeks. To protect patients, families and team members from unnecessary potential exposure to the flu virus, Indiana University Health is taking the precautionary measure of restricting patient visitors to its hospitals. Beginning this Friday, March 11, the temporary policy will take effect at IU Health Ball Memorial and IU Health Blackford Hospitals and other IU Health facilities statewide. Visitors should call the hospital they plan to…