News to Use
What's going on around the IU School of Medicine
July 17, 2014
IU Health mandatory flu vaccination deadline -- Nov. 14
To help protect patients, team members and guests from flu and the serious complications it can cause, IU Health will again require mandatory influenza vaccinations for all its team members.
As a trusted leader in caring for people and advancing health, IU Health is responsible for delivering the best care in the safest environment. Influenza has the highest death rate of any disease for which a proven vaccine exists and can be fatal in hospitalized patients who are seriously ill. IU Health's highest priority is patient safety
For the 2014 to 2015 flu season, all IU Health team members, medical staff members and volunteers must be vaccinated by Nov. 14, or have an approved exemption.
Team members and medical staff members who wish to apply for an exemption from receiving the vaccine must do so between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1. The exemption form will be available on pulse.iuhealth.org/flunews.
Decision (grant or denial) on requested exemptions will be sent to team members by Oct. 13. If the exemption request is denied, team members must be vaccinated by the November deadline.
IU Health Employee Health Services (EHS)—Employee Occupational Health Services (EOHS) at some entities—will offer vaccines to IU Health team members at various locations and times starting in August. More information on flu clinics will be available on pulse.iuhealth.org/flunews. Vaccine received through the IU Health clinics will be documented automatically. Team members, including physicians associated with IU Health Physicians, who decide to receive the flu shot elsewhere must submit vaccine documentation to EHS/EOHS. Medical staff members not affiliated with IU Health Physicians must submit documentation to the IU Health Central Verification Office by emailing the documentation to iuhealthcvo@iuhealth.org.
For more details about the flu vaccine program, visit the IU Health Pulse Flu News page.
The Commonground is located just outside the Eskenazi Health main entrance of the new campus and just west of Eskenazi Avenue.
The Commonground at Eskenazi Health Grand Opening
All IUPUI students and staff members are invited to join community members and civic leaders from across Central Indiana from from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, to celebrate the official grand opening of The Commonground at Eskenazi Health.
The Commonground at Eskenazi Health is a unique outdoor green space focused on community, serenity and wellness for patients and visitors on the Eskenazi Health campus. The Commonground creates an ideal environment for community connectedness and cultural activities like the aforementioned programs, serving as a gathering place for patients, their families and the public. The Commonground aligns with the health system’s wellness-focused model of care and represents a new paradigm for outdoor green spaces as integral components of health care facilities.
The grand opening will feature remarks at 11:15 a.m. from Eskenazi Health leadership, elected officials, philanthropic leaders, and the design and architect firms responsible for establishing the space, as well as a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the space.
Festivities during the event will also include the Taste of Eskenazi Health, an event featuring healthy food offerings from the various food retail outlets at Eskenazi Health, as well as yoga demonstrations, live entertainment and the Eskenazi Health Farmers’ Market.
Several community partners and local organizations will be present to help celebrate the space, including the Cultural Trail; Fifth Third Bank; Growing Places Indy; Know No Stranger; Tuxedo Brothers; University of Indianapolis; Joseph [Allen] Woods; Blue Mile; Rene’s Bakery; HUSK, LLC; D&S Kettle Corn; Maya’s Barkery Holistic Dog Treats; Van Antwerp Farms; and more.
Construction of The Commonground was fully supported by philanthropy, including gifts from Frank and Katrina Basile, the Griffith Family Foundation, the Central Indiana Community Foundation and St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild.
The Commonground is located just outside the Eskenazi Health main entrance of the new campus and just west of Eskenazi Avenue.
IU Health ranking changes
U.S. News & World Report released its 2014-15 “Best Hospitals” rankings today, placing IU Health as the top-ranked hospital system in Indianapolis and Indiana. It is among the 3 percent of U.S. hospitals to earn a national ranking.
IU Health has been nationally ranked for 17 consecutive years. While IU Health did not achieve “honor roll” status this year, four IU Health service lines or specialties are included in this year’s rankings.
Why did IU Health’s position in the rankings change this year?
Several sources of information are used in the rankings, so fluctuation year to year is anticipated. Many sources of truth and opinion -- including patient satisfaction measures, quality data and reputational scores -- influence the rankings. With all that in mind, the data will be analyzed to better understand the key factors influencing the change.
Why do rankings like this matter?
Patients and their families face many choices in considering their care, and IU Health applauds efforts like the U.S. News & World Report rankings that help inform those choices. While the U.S. News rankings are just one of many important sources of information for patients, the rankings offer IU Health and other health systems an important opportunity to track and compare progress toward our commitment to best serve our patients.
Graduate Medical Education Office relocates
The office of Graduate Medical Education will relocate from Fesler Hall Room 224 (2nd Floor) to Fesler Hall Room 318 (3rd Floor) effective Tuesday, July 22, 2014.
The office will be closed for the relocation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, and will resume regular business hours at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 23.
For more information, email Sharmin Bruen at srbruen@iu.edu.
