HENDRICKS REGIONAL HEALTH CHRONICLES | VOL. 2 - ISSUE 1 | HENDRICKS.ORG

JANUARY 2016

THANK YOU TO OUR 210 ASSOCIATE VOLUNTEERS

Dr. Mike Hartley strives to lead by example. “I’m one of those people that thinks it’s important to be active in the community,” says Hartley. “I feel that being a part of the community is a responsibility we all share.”

A longtime volunteer at his church and at local food pantries, Dr. Hartley is always on the lookout for a fulfi lling new pathway. His personal quest to fi ght homelessness led him down a path that resulted in the establishment of Family Promise of Hendricks County; Dr.

Hartley is currently active in Family Promise as a board member and volunteer.

Family Promise of Hendricks County is an organization that coordinates immediate shelter and assistance programs for homeless families in Hendricks County. Still in its infancy, Family Promise partners with several local churches, and Hendricks Regional Health, to provide temporary housing for families in need. Each host location houses families for one week at a time, providing breakfast and dinner each day. During the daytime, children go to their enrolled school programs and adults in the family either go to their jobs or the Family Promise business offi ce for skills training and job search assistance. Dr. Hartley gets to know each family that comes through the program and tries to see them on a weekly basis to check on their progress.

Family Promise provides a way for the entire county to get involved in the cause of homelessness. “The program creates the opportunity for entire families to give back to other families who are less fortunate. As

a volunteer, you can be more than just an example for your kids - it’s an experience you can share with your kids,” says Hartley.

So far, 10 families have participated in the program and fi ve have been successfully placed in sustainable housing. Awareness of Family Promise is growing in our community and more volunteers are getting involved. “It’s a personally fulfi lling action, the more you do it the more you want to do it to become a healthier you. The program allows volunteers so many diff erent avenues to get involved and help the cause of homelessness in a safe environment,” says Hartley.

HRH is committed to supporting the fi ght against homelessness in Hendricks County. The hospital has served as a host site for families and has sponsored the annual Family Promise Golf Outing for the past couple of years. HRH Danville will host families in the Family Promise program periodically, throughout 2016. Associates are encouraged to get involved and sign up for volunteer opportunities at hrhvolunteer.com.

WORKING TO END HOMELESSNESS

Thank you to the 210 HRH associates who fi lled 352 volunteer shifts and accumulated nearly 1,500 hours of community service through HRHVolunteer.com!

HRHVolunteer.com was implemented at the start of 2015 to help allow associates to serve a positive role model and provide learning opportunities for the community. Research shows that associate volunteerism not only helps develop professional and leadership skills, but also boosts associate morale, loyalty, productivity and motivation.

Even more important is the impact that our associate volunteers have on building stronger communities. In 2015, for instance, our associates helped to build two new homes for local families through Habitat for Humanity. In addition, through our partnership with Family Promise, our associates provided four weeks of temporary housing to local families experiencing turbulent times. At the Hendricks County 4-H Fair, HRH provided nearly 1,000 man hours through delivery of medical coverage and health education throughout the week for the 55,000 visitors.

As a thank-you, HRH provided corporate apparel gift certifi cates, ranging from $20 to $70 based on volunteer hours, to each of the 210 associates who volunteered through HRHVolunteer.com this past year.

If you are interested in volunteering in the community on behalf of HRH, please visit HRHVolunteer.com to start signing up for 2016 events today! If you are leading a community service project in 2016 and could use some HRH associates to help, please contact Adam Scott at 317-745-8606 or adscott@hendricks.org.

When she was just 17, Mulumebet Tamru left her home in Ethiopia to start a new life in the United States. Her older sister was already in the U.S. on a university scholarship and was able to adopt Mulu to bring her here. She arrived in Washington, D.C., in 1999 and settled in Columbus, Ohio.

The immigration process was not easy and, due to a misunderstanding in filing paperwork, Mulu’s ambitions of attending school were put on hold as she was originally only granted a work permit. She was eventually able to obtain her green card, which allowed her more freedom to pursue a job or school.

Mulu had a bright future in the U.S., but she had left many important friends and family members back home in Ethiopia. For several years, Mulu corresponded with the love of her life, Getenete Beyene, while he was still

in Ethiopia. The two were able to marry in 2006, but Mulu was required to apply for citizenship before her husband could join her in the U.S.; Mulu became a U. S. citizen in 2010 and Getenete was able to join her at that time.

The couple settled in Hendricks County and Mulu started working at HRH in the Support Services department in 2010. Today, she is a unit clinical attendant on the Medical Unit and Getenete works in the HRH Support Services department. Mulu says she has more opportunities here in the U.S. – she could never have found a good job or owned her own car in Ethiopia because of the poor economy. She still considers going back to school someday, possibly to become a registered nurse, but for now, she is happily tending to her current obligations.

Mulu says she stays in touch with her family in Ethiopia by video calling. Her only regret is that she could not be closer to her family when her father passed away recently. She considers co-workers at HRH to be her family here and she is happy to enjoy a great life, with wonderful friends, at a great place to work.

JANUARY 2016

DIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT - MEET MULU

In July, 2014, Bob Morrow began experiencing intense tooth pain. He suspected an abscessed tooth and paid a visit to his dentist. The dentist immediately recognized that Bob’s issue was much worse than an abscess. A tumor in Bob’s jaw was pushing against his teeth and actually pushed two teeth out of his mouth while he was in the dentist’s chair. A biopsy was conducted and results revealed an aggressive squamous cell carcinoma.

Bob was referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist who scheduled him for surgery in late August. In the three weeks between diagnosis and surgery, Bob’s tumor doubled in size. His PET scan also revealed the cancer was not only in his jaw, but also in the lymph nodes in his neck. The race was on to save Bob’s life.

Bob’s surgery was performed at St. Vincent Health. The area of Bob’s jaw that was affected by the tumor had to be removed and a piece of Bob’s fibula was grafted to rebuild his jaw. The surgery was not without complications and, the following day, Bob had to undergo two more surgeries because he had developed a blood clot then a hematoma.

An ancient but effective therapy of applying live leeches to Bob’s face and mouth helped restore blood flow and prevent blood clots.

Bob’s wife, Polly, had to help the nurses monitor and remove the leeches as needed.

As if Bob had not endured enough, a few days later, doctors discovered that the bone they implanted in Bob’s jaw was dying and would have to be removed. Bob went back

to the operating room for his fourth surgery, this time to have a titanium plate placed in his face. Surgery number five came a few days later to place a feeding tube.

During the 12 days that Bob was in the ICU, he suffered a mild stroke and a collapsed lung. He lost all ability to communicate with his loved ones as he was unable to talk and his hands were too swollen to write messages. Finally, three weeks after his last surgery, Bob was released from St. Vincent and sent to the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indianapolis to regain more function before he could go home. After three weeks of rehab, Bob learned to talk again through his tracheostomy tube; he got to go home in mid-October.

Radiation was the next step in Bob’s cancer journey and he began treatment at the HRH Cancer Center in November. Dr. Stanley Givens worked in conjunction with Dr. Sridhar Bolla to create a treatment plan for Bob. After daily treatment for seven weeks, Bob’s last radiation session took place on Christmas Eve. “We just can’t say enough good things about Dr. Givens,” says Polly. “He is so kind and always there to answer our questions. He’s wonderful.”

In January, 2015, Bob and Polly began attending the HRH Cancer Center Head & Neck Cancer Support Group. The group meets once each month and is facilitated by Cancer Center nurse, Eva Burgan, and dietitian, Lisa Maccaroni. Many of the patients in the group went through their treatment at other hospitals but landed at HRH for continued support. The HRH Head & Neck Cancer group is one of the only ones in our area that is a designated oral, head and neck cancer group. Bob and Polly enjoy the topics covered and the socialization the group provides. “We often get off on tangents in our group meetings, but we always have so much fun,” says Polly.

Bob’s journey did not end here. This past spring, the titanium plate in his jaw began to fail. This time, he sought care at the James Cancer Center at Ohio State University. Doctors there performed a second fibula graft (on his other leg) and, in an 18-hour surgery, successfully implanted the bone to create Bob’s new jaw. Days later, with the help of a sonogram, Bob and Polly got to hear a heartbeat in the new bone. “It was just like listening to a baby’s heartbeat,” says Polly. A very reassuring sound, indeed.

On June 30, Bob had his seventh surgery, one that would slim down his lower lip so he could

close his mouth completely. After all of the surgeries Bob has endured, his tongue has been compromised and he still has trouble eating and talking. He has worked with HRH speech pathologist, David Cravotta, who has gotten Bob involved in a study at Purdue University. Bob and Polly are hoping they can find some new options for swallowing and eating as part of the clinical study.

Bob is primarily on a liquid diet and still relies on the feeding tube for his nutrition. He has lost between 70 and 80 pounds since his ordeal began. “I miss food,” says Bob. “Especially, cole slaw and raw vegetables. I just miss having a good salad!”

This fall, Bob went back to his warehouse job for the first time in over a year. He and Polly still attend the Head & Neck Cancer Support Group regularly. His advice to others is “Surround yourself with positives, have a strong faith and don’t lose your sense of humor.” His other motto, “This is the road the Lord has chosen for me to walk and I’ll walk it as long as he wants me to.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

HEALTHFAIR SCREENINGS

MARSH SUPERMARKETMonday, January 182002 Stafford RdPlainfield, IN 46168

DANVILLE WALMART GRAND OPENING / HEALTHFAIRThursday, January 274:00-7:00 P.M.

KROGERFriday, February 12108 Indiana 267Avon, IN 46123

KROGERSaturday, February 13530 S Indiana StMooresville, IN 46158

LA FITNESSSaturday, February 139030 Rockville RdIndianapolis In 46234

Hendricks Regional is proud to partner with HealthFair to deliver affordable & convenient cardiovascualr screenings for the community. We encourage you to be proactive about your health. Learn your risk and take control. Sign up online at Hendricks.org/HealthFair.

OVERCOMING HEAD & NECK CANCER