The need for blood donations has soared along with COVID-19 deaths, which are closing in on 400,000 in the United States and just hit a new daily record of more than 4,300.
Blood shortages have been reported nationwide during the coronavirus pandemic, with life-saving blood supplies dwindling, putting patients in emergency rooms and hospitals at risk.Â
Franciscan Health Michigan City has scheduled two blood drives to help make up for the lack of donations taking place at workplaces and schools during a time of remote work and e-learning.
Versiti Blood Center will accept donations outside Entrance A at the hospital, at 3500 Franciscan Way, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 27 and from 2 to 6 p.m. Jan. 28.
Honoring Our Nurses
Nurses comfort, care, educate, console, relate, endear and provide direction and assistance. They are at the forefront when we are sick; their work responsibilities immense, their efforts tireless and their commitment endless. They are the heart and soul of medical facilities including residential care, hospitals, clinics, doctorsâ offices, schools, in-home care and much more.
To celebrate National Nurse Week, May 6-12, 2019, The Times Media Co.; Title Sponsor, Methodist Hospitals; Presenting Sponsors Franciscan Health; Community Healthcare System; Visiting Nurse Association of Northwest Indiana; Castle Subaru/Mitsubishi; University of St. Francis â Crown Point; Indiana University-Northwest; and Pinnacle Hospital, are showing our true appreciation for area nurses with nominations and evaluation, a section and planned events.
Northwest Health has honored two nurses with Daisy Awards for extraordinary and compassionate service.
The annual awards were established to honor the late J. Patrick Barnes, whose family wanted to recognize the nurses who treated him after he died at 33 in 1999 because of complications from the idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura autoimmune disease.
The health care system honored Patricia (Patti) Martin, the manager of the Infusion Center at Northwest Health â Porter, with a Daisy Award.
âIt is difficult to find words to express my gratitude for line nurse Patti Martin at Northwest Health â Porter, said the patient who nominated here. She was my first nurse when I began cancer treatment in summer 2019. She took my first blood draw for labs and accessed my port-a-catheter the first time. I was anxious about my first port access. Patti s steady hands and gentle approach made the access absolutely painless along with every time since the first visit.
St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago named Nina Stur its new chief nursing officer and president of patient care services.
Stur started as a registered nurse in the medical surgical unit at the hospital 37 years ago, and has served as interim chief nursing officer since January. She previously served as director of case management and associate director of patient care services at St. Catherine, filling each position for a decade.
âNina is a dynamic and well-respected collaborator with extensive knowledge of the patient population, accreditation processes, wellness initiatives and innovative nursing practices,â CEO and Administrator Leo Correa said.
Stur became director of nursing and nurse clinician at the hospital in 1990, and went on to become the clinical case manager three years later. In that role, she served as consultant to doctors, patients and families on everything from diagnoses to discharges.
MUNSTER â North Point Orthopaedics opened a new $10 million medical office building in Munster five times as large as its previous office down the street.
The new medical office at 9445 Calumet Ave. in Munster that North Point Orthopaedics moved into last month offers physical therapy, braces, X-Rays, ultrasound, injections for joint pain and other orthopedic services. It also has urgent care services that allow patients to walk in without appointments to get orthopedic care within in an hour.
Patients can go there to be treated for back pain, hip pain, sports injuries and many other conditions. Patients also can get physical therapy there as they recover from an injury or surgery.