IU Health Starke President Discusses Strategic Partner Search

Posted on Author WKVI

IU HealthIU Health Starke and LaPorte Hospitals are in search of health care delivery partners to provide the best care possible to the residents they serve. IU Health Starke President Craig Felty says they’ve sent out requests for proposals and are keeping their options open.

“Our goal would really be to maintain a relationship with IU Health,” Felty said last week during an interview at WKVI.  “We cherish that relationship, but we also just identify that over the years as health care has changed we need to look for somebody additional who might be able to help us meet that need.” Continue reading →

IU Health LaPorte and Starke Hospitals Searching for New Strategic Partner

Posted on Author WKVI

IU HealthIU Health officials are looking for a new strategic partner to serve the health care needs of Starke and LaPorte Counties. Leadership  has decided that’s the best approach to create the strongest strategy going forward, according to a news release. IU Health LaPorte Hospital President and CEO G. Thor Thordarson said in a statement, “We have a strong plan for taking care of our community that includes investing in new facilities, best people, and leading-edge technology. We will work with an organization that is as dedicated as we are to this mission.”

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Police Investigate Shooting in LaPorte

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Officers from the LaPorte City Police Department are looking for more information in a shooting early this morning at Ellian’s Pub/Avenue Bar in the 600 block of Michigan Avenue.

Witnesses told police that an African American man confronted another African American man which escalated into gunfire. The victim was shot once and the suspect fled the establishment in an unknown vehicle.

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IU Health LaPorte Hospital Partners with Miller’s Health Systems for New Health Facility in LaPorte

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Effective June 1, Miller’s Health Systems, Inc. will become the operator of IU Health LaPorte Hospital Continuing Care Center. Most, if not all, employees will continue in their current employment.

IU Health LaPorte Hospital President and CEO Thor Thordarson said the board of directors explored many options for this new skilled nursing care facility and decided that it was not possible for the hospital to provide the needed space within the current facilities to continue with the service without a partner.

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No Local IU Health Layoffs Expected, Says Director of Marketing

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

With the recent announcement from IU Health that the healthcare provider will soon be cutting 800 jobs at several facilities throughout the state, many people are left wondering how that will affect the Kankakee Valley at a local level. Fortunately, there are no layoffs anticipated for IU Health LaPorte or IU Health Starke hospitals, but the director of marketing at IU Health Starke Hospital, Neil Mangus, told WKVI that these local hospitals are suffering from fewer patients and declining payment rates as well.

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IU Health Starke Hospital Names New Interim President

Posted on Author WKVI

Linda Satkoski
Linda Satkoski

A familiar face is once again at the helm of IU Health Starke Hospital. Linda Satkoski has been named interim president at the Knox facility following Jared Beasley’s recent resignation from that post. Satkoski served as the hospital’s president from July of 2009 until May of 2012.

During her previous tenure at IU Health Starke Hospital, more than 80 new physicians were added to the Medical Staff—providing Kankakee Valley with specialized care in cardiology, women’s care, orthopedics and sports medicine, close to home. Under Satkoski’s leadership, millions of dollars were invested into new technology to assure the highest level of care to the community.

In addition to her interim role in Knox, Satkoski will continue her duties as Chief Operating Officer at the partner-facility IU Health La Porte Hospital, where she’s served for the past year. Continue reading →

Local Doctor Presented with Outstanding Teaching Award

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Curtis Bejes
Dr. Curtis Bejes

Dr. Curtis Bejes was recently recognized for outstanding teaching,

The IU Health LaPorte physician who has a practice in North Judson was the recipient of the 2012-2013 Outstanding Teaching Award for being an exceptional educator, a passionate teacher and an engaged provider. Those who evaluated Dr. Bejes determined that he had a student-centered approach and help students develop clinical skills and family medicine.

The Outstanding Teaching Award was presented by the Predoctoral Education Division of the IU Department of Family Medicine.

IU Health LaPorte Offering Educational Session on Immunization Practices

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
For those whom administer immunizations or are interested in learning more about vaccine-preventable diseases, an IU Health is offering an educational session covering all aspects of immunization practices. “Immunizations from A–Z” will take place on Saturday, April 20 from 8 a.m. to noon CT at IU Health LaPorte Hospital in the lower level auditorium.

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IU Health LaPorte Offers Emergency Skills, First Aid Courses

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

IU Health LaPorte Hospital has begun offering emergency skills and first aid training and cpr in ottawa to the public in honor of American Heart Month, teaching adults CPR and the use of automatic external defibrillators as well as how to relieve choking on an adult.

Students in the Heartsaver® CPR/AED course will learn the critical skills and the knowledge required in order to respond to and manage an emergency situation within the first few minutes until emergency medical services can respond to the scene. The course runs at a cost of $50 and includes all teaching materials.

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Knox Woman Named As Transitional Care Director For IU Health Starke, LaPorte

Posted on Author WKVI
Melissa Grcich

A Knox local has been named the new transitional care/care management director for both IU Health Starke and La Porte hospitals. In her new role, RN Melissa Grcich will oversee the departments and collaborate in the development and implantation of Transitional Care and new structure within the Social Services/Case Management department.

Grcich brings a variety of leadership experience in charge nurse roles, development of cultural standards, coordinating chair of the shared governance council and supervision, having previously worked with Methodist Hospitals. There, she served in critical care, renal, case management and utilization review. Most recently, however, she served as the care manager at IU Health Starke Hospital – a position she held since 2011. On top of that, Grcich worked as an investment representative for New York Life and AIG before making her transition into nursing.

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LaPorte County Jail Inmate Miscarries

Posted on Author WKVI
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff's Office

An inmate at the LaPorte County Jail miscarried after an incident with police.

A woman who had been incarcerated in the jail on a probation violation since November 14, was reportedly involved in a physical altercation with another inmate. A jailer intervened and was taken to the floor by one of the inmates before other deputies responded to the incident.

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Free Prostate Screenings In North Judson, LaPorte

Posted on Author WKVI

IU Health LaPorte Hospital and IU Health Starke Hospital will be offering free prostate cancer screenings on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 8–11 a.m. CT.

The screenings will be offered at two locations: one in LaPorte and the other in North Judson. You must preregister in order to receive the free screenings. To schedule an appointment in LaPorte, call (219) 326-2073 and in North Judson call (574) 896-5533.

Prostate screenings are recommended annually for men age 40 and older.

The screening is made possible through funding provided by the LaPorte Hospital Foundation, the philanthropic arm of IU Health LaPorte Hospital and fiscal manager of the Starke Health Fund.

IU Health La Porte Hospital Receives Excellence Award

Posted on Author WKVI

IU Health La Porte Hospital has proudly announced that they have received an Excellence in Patient Care award from outcomes firm Studer Group. The hospital received their award for their exceptional “doctor communication” ratings on the HCAHPS patient survey, and they will be presented with their award at the 10th annual What’s Right in Health Care conference.

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems is a national standardized survey tool used to measure the quality of care received by adult inpatients at a given acute care hospital. The results of the 27-question survey are public posted four times a year at hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

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LaPorte’s Fitness Friday Set for March 30th

Posted on Author WKVI

The City of LaPorte, in partnership with the LaPorte County Family YMCA and IU Health LaPorte Hospital, will be marking the inaugural Fitness Friday on March 30th, at 4:00 p.m. CT.

Everyone in the city is invited to join in a 5k run or walk every Friday afternoon until September with Mayor Blair Milo. Milo says this is part of an effort to provide positive community events that brings people out into the city to “enjoy some fun and fellowship together” while also promoting healthy lifestyle choices. She says that shorter distances will be marked as well, and everyone is invited to participate at whatever level they are comfortable.

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North Judson Woman Injured in Two Vehicle Accident

Posted on Author WKVI

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department investigated a two vehicle accident at the intersection at State Road 39 and U.S. 30 last night.

Flora Howard, of North Judson, was reportedly traveling through the intersection and a semi ran a stop light and hit Howard’s car. She received non-life threatening injuries in the incident and the semi driver was not injured. Howard was taken to IU Health LaPorte Hospital for her injuries.