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Whew! A contract dispute that almost kicked seven central Indiana hospitals out of the network of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield was averted at the last minute last week. On Dec. 30, Anthem released a “News Flash” saying that its customers no longer would receive negotiated discounts at Hancock Regional, Hendricks Regional, Henry County, Morgan, Riverview, Westview and Witham hospitals, beginning the next day. The hospitals are part of Indianapolis-based Suburban Health Organization. But by 4 p.m. the same day, the two sides came to terms.

What Dow AgroSciences has done with corn, it’s now trying to do with cotton. The Indianapolis-based company has licensed genetically engineered cotton traits from Switzerland-based Syngenta AG. Dow Agro will combine Syngenta’s traits with cotton traits it developed. In 2012, Dow Agro expects to launch cotton seeds stacked with the traits to better protect against cotton pests. Dow Agro, a subsidiary of Michigan-based Dow Chemical Co., developed corn seed with eight genetically engineered traits following a licensing deal with St. Louis-based Monsanto Co. Dow Agro and Syngenta did not disclose financial terms of their deal.

St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers has sued three OrthoIndy physicians over the group’s new $20 million outpatient surgery center scheduled to open in Greenwood next year. The complaint alleges the new facility breaches an earlier partnership between the two health care providers. According to St. Francis’ civil complaint, filed Dec. 18 in Hamilton County Superior Court, St. Francis and an OrthoIndy affiliate agreed in 2001 to become equal partners in another facility—the Indiana Orthopaedic Surgery Center at 5255 E. Stop 11 Road on the St. Francis campus on the south side. But in December 2008, OrthoIndy announced it had purchased property four miles from the Indiana Orthopaedic Surgery Center and planned to construct a competing facility there. An attorney for the OrthoIndy physicians said St. Francis’ lawsuit has no merit.

When production at Tippecanoe Laboratories in Lafayette started today at 9:30 a.m., it officially launched a new era for the drugmaking plant. Germany-based Evonik Industries AG is now operating the plant after acquiring it from Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. Lilly sold the plant as part of $1 billion in operating cuts it wants to achieve by the end of 2011. Lilly signed a nine-year contract for Evonik to supply it with the materials made at the Lafayette plant. Gov. Mitch Daniels attended the start of production this morning.

Community Health Network’s philanthropic foundation received $1 million in cash from John W. “Jack” Heiney, a retired president and CEO of Evansville-based Indiana Gas Co. Heiney’s gift, made in honor of his late wife Betty, will be used to fund outreach, wellness and prevention programs, as well as improve Community’s facilities and employees.

Clarian North Medical Center named Damita Williams, a registered nurse, its chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services. She has been interim chief nursing officer since September. Williams joined Clarian North in 2005 as director of Riley Hospital North and Resource Center.

Dr. Andy Dillingham, has joined St. Vincent Physician Network in Carmel as a family medicine physician. Dillingham, a former pharmacist, earned a pharmacy degree from Butler University and a medical degree from Midwestern University’s Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine.

An Indiana community is mourning the loss of one of the first U.S. soldiers to die in Afghanistan this year. Specialist
Brian Bowman died Sunday after being hit by a roadside bomb. Bowman, who enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2006, is a Waveland
native and a 2004 graduate of Southmont High School. His funeral will be at Woodland Heights Church in Crawfordsville, where
he and his wife were married.
 

Freshman State Rep. Dennie Oxley, D-Taswell, won’t be at the Indiana Statehouse when the General Assembly reconvenes Tuesday.
Oxley has been under medical care since suffering cardiac arrest in mid-November. His family said they’ve asked House Speaker
Pat Bauer to excuse him from attending sessions in Indianapolis this week.
 

Police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Tuesday morning in Indianapolis during an apparent home robbery.
Just after 7 a.m., four suspects allegedly tried to rob a home near 21st Street and Drexel Avenue. Police say gunfire was
exchanged and a female robbery suspect was fatally shot by the homeowner following a struggle. The homeowner, who was shot
in the face, was taken to Wishard Hospital in stable condition. Fox59 will have more at 4 p.m.

Because of the holiday, there is no mortgage interest rate survey this week.