With hospitals having scooped up hundreds of physicians in the past three years—putting nearly all of them under non-compete agreements—there are bound to be legal tussles when some of those physicians decide their new matches aren’t exactly made in heaven.
Another physician is leaving Indiana University Health Morgan Hospital in Martinsville to join Franciscan St. Francis Health. Dr. Thomas Lahr told the Reporter-Times of Martinsville he will make the move after Nov. 15. “I have turned in my resignation and unless the court says otherwise, I plan to leave,” he said last week. A court could become involved because earlier this month IU Health sued Lahr’s colleague, Dr. Dianna Boyer, saying she was violating a non-compete clause in her contract by moving over to Franciscan St. Francis. IU Health was denied a preliminary injunction last week seeking to stop Boyer from leaving until the case is settled. Both Boyer and Lahr would work at a new medical office near State Road 37 in Martinsville, which is opening Sept. 1. The 9,000-square-foot facility will house Indiana Heart Physicians, which is a part of the St. Francis Medical Group, as well as primary care physicians and nurse practitioners.
Arcadia Resources Inc. plans to let its stock be delisted from the NYSE Amex Equities Exchange as the company focuses instead on selling its home health care business to raise cash. Arcadia, which had been planning a huge expansion in Indianapolis, is running low on cash in part because the ramp-up of its DailyMed pharmacy service has been slower than expected. DailyMed is a service that packages patients’ medications into packets marked by the time of day or the meal at which they are to be taken. The service has major contracts with Indiana Medicaid and Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. DailyMed sales drove up Arcadia’s pharmacy division revenue by 7 percent, to $4.3 million, in the three months ended June 30. Arcadia’s home health care services unit posted $20.4 million in revenue, flat from the same quarter a year ago. Overall, Arcadia lost $3 million in the quarter, or 2 cents per share, compared with a loss of $4.7 million, or 3 cents per share, a year ago. In June, Arcadia announced that its auditor issued a going-concern warning about the company, because it faces a pile of debt that comes due in April 2012. After the delisting later this year, Arcadia’s shares will trade over the counter, which makes them harder to buy and sell.
Warsaw-based Zimmer Holdings Inc. is closing a plant in Statesville, N.C., and eliminating 124 jobs, according to Charlotte Business Journal. Employees will start losing their jobs in mid-October until the plant, which makes tourniquets and slings, closes by the end of the first quarter. A Zimmer spokesman said the company is streamlining its operations and will produce goods made in Statesville at other locations.
Profit and revenue rose at West Lafayette-based Bioanalytical Systems Inc. during its third quarter, as the pharmaceutical research company benefited from outsourcing by large drug companies and was also hired by small biotech firms. The company earned $418,000 in the three months ended June 30, up 45 percent from the same quarter a year earlier. Revenue rose 5 percent to nearly $8.5 million during the quarter. Bioanalytical also raised $5.5 million during the quarter in a public offering of convertible preferred shares. The new preferred shares resulted in special dividend payments of nearly $4.3 million, which are not included in the company’s profit calculation for the quarter.
Hartford-based Aetna Inc. and Philadelphia-based Cigna Corp., the nation’s third- and fifth-largest health insurers respectively, have announced their departure from Indiana’s individual health insurance market.
Victoria Champion, a registered nurse and professor at the Indiana University School of Nursing, has been named associate director of population science research at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center. Champion has conducted research on behavioral oncology that has helped with earlier discovery of cancer.
Dr. Adam M. Paarlberg has joined Beech Grove Family Medicine of St. Francis Medical Group. He most recently worked in the emergency department at Rushville Memorial Hospital and completed residency training at Franciscan St. Francis Health. Paarlberg holds a bachelor’s in religion from Wabash College and earned his medical degree at the IU School of Medicine.
Dr. Tobi Reidy, a colon and rectal surgeon, has established a practice with Kendrick Colon and Rectal Center, which is owned by Franciscan St. Francis Health. She earned her medical training at Nova Southeastern University-College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Jessica Saberman, a family and pediatric physician, recently joined Indiana University Health Physicians in Fishers. She had been part of the St. Vincent Physician Network in Fishers since 2002.
Dr. Brett Neff, a family physician, will join IU Health Physicians Northside Adult & Pediatric Care, in Carmel, on Aug. 25. Neff also used to be part of the St. Vincent Physician Network in Fishers.
Dr. Jessica Swenberg and Dr. Jama Gail Edwards, both family physicians, are joining IU Health Physicians in Zionsville. Swenberg previously practiced at the Village Doctors in Zionsville. Edwards has been an independent family physician in Zionsville since 2001.
Dr. Laura Calili recently joined IU Health Physicians as a new pediatrician in Greenwood.
Peggy Homeier has been appointed director of operations for Franciscan St. Francis Health Network, replacing Pam Jursik. Homeier most recently managed Medicaid programs for the Indiana Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning. She previously held positions at Health Systems International, Intercontinental Corp. and Golden Rule Insurance Co. She has a business degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Dr. J. Scott Cline opened Avon Neurology, part of the Hendricks Regional Health Medical Group. Cline did his medical training at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he also went through residency training in neurology.
Ohio-based insurance brokerage Hylant Group hired Michael Gilbert to lead its Indianapolis office. Gilbert was executive senior vice president of First Merchants Insurance Group.
Methodist Sports Medicine-The Orthopedic Specialists appointed H. Thad Johnson its new CEO. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and has attended the graduate school of public administration, health policy and administration at New York University.
Lisa Davey, a registered nurse, has joined the St. Francis Cancer Center as a breast nurse navigator. Davey worked for St. Francis from 1981 to 2007. She holds a nursing degree from the University of Indianapolis.
Leah Scalf, a registered nurse, has been appointed quality manager of emergency services at Franciscan St. Francis Health’s hospitals in Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville. Scalf earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the Indiana University School of Nursing.
That didn’t take long. After finalizing its merger with Morgan Hospital & Medical Center on July 1, Indiana University Health announced a new medical office building in Mooresville. According to The Reporter-Times of Martinsville, the 15,200-square-foot building should be finished by December. The $3.6 million project will unite physicians who work out of two separate office buildings in the area. The southern suburbs of Indianapolis have become a battleground for Indianapolis’ major hospital systems. Franciscan St. Francis Health has long dominated the area. But Community Health Network recently expanded its hospital on County Line Road and also formed a close partnership with Franklin-based Johnson Memorial Hospital. IU Health’s acquisition of Morgan Hospital gives it a toehold in the region, and the system still has a chunk of land in Bargersville it could build on if its leaders see the opportunity for further growth.
As part of their partnership announced in November, OrthoIndy and St. Vincent Health have begun offering orthopedic care in Bedford, where St. Vincent is in crosstown competition with Indiana University Health. Orthopedics is a key specialty to bring lucrative surgeries into a hospital. In Bedford, OrthoIndy’s Dr. Benjamin Justice and Dr. Matthew Lavery, along with St. Vincent’s Dr. James Rickert, are accepting patients at St. Vincent Dunn Hospital.
Robert W. Markette Jr. has joined the health care practice group of the Benesch law firm in Indianapolis. Markette focuses his practice on home health agencies, hospice providers and private-duty agencies. He holds degrees from Hanover College and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
Carol Seals has been named chief financial officer at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital. She was previously director of finance at the Muncie hospital. Seals also has held positions as controller for American Heritage Life Insurance Co., a publicly held life and health insurance company, and as an audit manager with Ernst & Young LLP. She holds a degree in accounting from Ball State University and a master’s in management from Indiana Wesleyan University.
RaeChelle B. Bennett, a registered nurse, has been appointed a quality manager for oncology at Franciscan St. Francis Health. Bennett is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Nursing.
Vince Corbin, a registered nurse, has been selected as manager for the emergency department at Franciscan St. Francis Health’s soon-to-close Beech Grove hospital. Corbin holds an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University as well as degrees in business and nursing from Marian University.
Citizens Action Coalition Education Fund and Indiana Legal Services Inc. claim that “a good number” of Indianapolis south-side residents who should have qualified for reduced or waived bills at St. Francis were instead steered into payments plans.
Say what? “Excessive hospitality” while promoting its drug Byetta got Eli Lilly and Co. dinged by the U.K.-based Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, a self-regulatory group. And what exactly counts as “excessive”? Seven pints of beer, two gins, two whiskies, seven whisky liqueurs and three large glasses of red wine—oh, and a taxi fare afterward, according to a summary of the case posted by the practice authority. The booze was purchased at an Indian restaurant for three Lilly sales reps and two diabetes nursing specialists. The occasion was the endocrinologist speaking about off-label uses of Byetta. The practice authority asked Lilly to look into the complaints of an ex-employee, but Lilly said there was no case to answer. The authority determined otherwise, which is why it gave Lilly its public flogging.
Indiana University Health has pulled a prominent practice of cancer physicians into its fold. Central Indiana Cancer Centers sold its five facilities to IU Health and transferred its 150 employees to the Indianapolis-based hospital system. The 16 physicians in the practice will remain independent, but they have signed a service agreement with IU Health. Financial terms of the deal, which closed June 1, were not disclosed. But it is a big win for IU Health, as Central Indiana Cancer Centers has a well-established presence in Carmel, Fishers, Greenfield, Greenwood and the east side of Indianapolis. Cancer services are key financially for hospitals because of the growing prevalence of the disease, and also because cancer patients often need surgery. IU Health now has more than 60 medical oncologists, not counting any of its radiation oncologists or cancer surgeons. Central Indiana Cancer Centers, established near Community Hospital-East in 1976, also had discussions with the three other major hospital systems in Indianapolis: Community, St. Vincent Health and Franciscan St. Francis Health. A partnership with a hospital became essential for Central Indiana Cancer Centers as hospitals have spent the past three years gobbling up physicians of all stripes—both primary care doctors and specialists. IU Health Physicians now employs more than 500 doctors and Community Health Network has more than 550.
City officials on Thursday unveiled a long-term plan to redevelop an industrial stretch northwest of downtown with the goal of attracting hundreds of residents and dozens of high-tech companies to the area. The ambitious urban renewal effort, dubbed the 16 Downtown Technology District, builds from a strategy discussed over more than a decade to turn the corridor between IUPUI and 16th Street into a life-sciences research hub. The idea is to create a trendy urban district where residents can live within blocks of work. The project could require $15 million to $20 million in public investment and hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment. It is expected to take 10-20 years to complete. Officials said a final agreement is near for the redevelopment of the historic Bush Stadium site, which is wedged between 16th Street and the White River near Harding Street. The city is contributing about $5 million to the $23 million project, including tax dollars generated in the area and more that will be transferred from the consolidated downtown tax-increment financing district. Developer John Watson said he also is seeking a federal loan to help finance part of the project. Indianapolis also will invest another $3 million in public money to renovate Indiana Avenue from roughly 10th Street to 16th Street with new landscaping, walking paths, bike lanes and other streetscape elements designed to brand the area. That funding will come from initial proceeds from the sale of the city’s water and sewer utilities to Citizens Energy Group.
Aaron O'Mara, co-owner of Augustino's, expected to open several locales until the economic downturn and a dip in sales scuttled those plans. Now he hopes to hold the line.
A federal experiment of accountable care organizations produced lackluster results, adding to withering criticism of federal rules proposed for ACOs. But local hospital systems like Indiana University Health aren’t backing away from the idea.
Over the last three years, all major hospitals in Indianapolis have been active in hiring physicians. Competition was especially intense for cardiologists.
Eli Lilly and Co. lost the first round of its family legal dispute with Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. The California-based company won an injunction that prevents Indianapolis-based Lilly from using the same sales force to sell the Amylin-created drug Byetta as well as a new drug called Tradjenta, made by Germany-based Boerhinger Ingelheim GmbH. Both drugs are for patients with Type 2 diabetes, and therefore would compete against each other. Byetta is an injectable medicine and Tradjenta is an oral agent. Lilly said it is disappointed with the first ruling and will keep fighting Amylin’s lawsuit.
Franklin-based Johnson Memorial Hospital and Indianapolis-based Community Health Network will put their clinical collaboration agreement into effect June 1. The agreement was reached in February, after Johnson Memorial also considered proposals from Franciscan St. Francis and Indiana University Health. The deal, while not an acquisition, solidifies Community’s presence in the fast-growing southern suburbs of Indianapolis, where it already maintains a 150-bed hospital along County Line Road. Johnson Memorial, located nearly 15 miles south, is licensed for 101 beds. Hospitals and doctors are being pushed by health insurance plans to partner up to keep patients healthy—both before and after they actually seek medical care. But Community and Johnson Memorial are also looking to expand their offerings, particularly for heart patients.
Advion BioServices, a subsidiary of New York-based Advion BioSciences Inc., has opened its 22,000-square-foot drug-discovery and bioanalytical laboratory at the Purdue Research Park of Indianapolis' technology center at the Ameriplex Business Park near the Indianapolis International Airport. The new facility, staffed with 50 employees, was announced in March. Advion, a contract-research organization, will focus on earlier-stage, drug-discovery and metabolism bioanalytical services that evaluate how a potential new medicine is absorbed and metabolized in experimental models. Many of these services generate the data needed to prepare a molecule for human trials.
Indianapolis-based BioStorage Technologies announced Thursday it has opened a 60,000-square-foot biorepository facility in Indianapolis. The $4.6 million facility, located near the Indianapolis International Airport, will be used to prepare, store and transport tissue and blood samples. BioStorage serves biotech companies, such as Massachusetts-based Biogen Idec, as well as medical-device makers such as Minnesota-based Medtronic Inc. and academic research institutions. The facility will allow BioStorage to prepare samples for its clients via automated equipment, which the company says provides the accuracy needed by high-volume medical researchers. BioStorage, founded in 2002, is one of a handful of central Indiana companies that have developed a specialty in life sciences logistics. Others include Indianapolis-based Sentry BioPharma Services Inc., Plainfield-based MD Logistics Inc., and Bloomington-based BioConvergence LLC.
Indianapolis may be reaching a saturation point for hospitals employing physicians, according to the latest report from the Center for Studying Health System Change.
Bob Brody, CEO of Franciscan St. Francis Health, which operates three hospitals in central Indiana as part of the 13-hospital Franciscan Alliance system, discussed the rationale for its decision to take control of Visiting Nurse Service Inc.
