2020 Health Care Heroes: Devoting a career to those with special needs
For 40 years, Dr. Daniel Shull has been the medical director at New Hope and has learned a thing or two about caring for the organization’s special patient population.
Health Care Heroes
Articles
2020 Health Care Heroes: Surgeon repairs the littlest of hearts
Dr. Mark Turrentine’s interest in medicine started in western Kansas, migrated to Indianapolis and now takes him around the world performing heart surgery on children.
2020 Health Care Heroes: Nurse finds new passion after lymphoma diagnosis
A lab where cancer patients receive chemotherapy is where Kerry Skurka identified a problem and forged her new path in health care.
2020 Health Care Heroes: Showing deformities can be overcome
As co-coordinator of Riley Children’s Health’s Cleft & Craniofacial Anomalies Program, Caitlin Church coordinates patient care for children born with cleft lips and palates and other abnormalities.
2020 Health Care Heroes: A caregiver for families in poverty, disarray
Wanda Thruston decided at the age of 5 that she wanted to be a nurse. She wasn’t much older when she had a vision of working in a clinic that took care of people in distress.
2020 Health Care Heroes: Magic Castle Cart delivers smiles to hospitalized kids
Bob Baxter has been making weekly rounds at Riley Hospital for Children to coax smiles out of kids since he retired as president of the Riley Children’s Foundation in 1996.
2020 Health Care Heroes: Greeter brings charm, compassion to job
Brian Morson’s almost 20-year career as a greeter at the main entrance to St. Vincent Anderson Hospital was inspired by his short stay there in 2002 and by the country he left behind.
2020 Health Care Heroes: Retired exec pours passion into kids’ bereavement camp
Garry Rollins was on the brink of retirement when he decided to help out at Camp Erin, a free bereavement camp for children that is sponsored by Community Health Network.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Centenarian finds role that’s ‘just right’
Eulala Roettger became a volunteer after she retired from classroom teaching in 1984, but it took her a while to find the perfect place to donate her time.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Riley wagon wrangler brings personality to job
If there’s a model volunteer at Indiana University Health’s Riley Hospital for Children, it might be Kurt Bassett. Though Bassett lives with autism, it doesn’t define him.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Top volunteer works tirelessly to help neighbors live longer lives
Linda Ellis is a leading ambassador for the American Heart Association’s work to address health disparities, heart disease and stroke in the African-American community.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Nurse leaves bedside to shape lives
Eight years ago, Delores Brown made a career leap that isn’t as jarring as it sounds. She left her longtime job as an Indianapolis Public Schools police officer to become a nurse.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Former journalist puts passion to work for patients
Shelley Johns didn’t find her calling the first time around. She began working in broadcast journalism, but decided to switch to a career in health care.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Longtime hospice advocate helps homeless die with dignity
For turning around the fortunes of the Abbie Hunt Bryce home’s fortunes through sheer will and compassion, Penny Davis is the top honoree in the Health Care Heroes non-physician category.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Oncologist champions access to care
Dr. Sumeet Bhatia helped launch a dedicated oncology informatics team at Community Health, which he says is crucial to the efficient delivery of care.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Respect for seniors set doctor’s path
Dr. Chris Callahan’s care for elderly patients informs his research into Alzheimer’s disease and late-life depression.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Decorated pediatric surgeon works with kids he saved decades ago
Dr. John Brown has spent four decades repairing children’s hearts and, in some cases, inspiring them to follow in his footsteps.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Kids get chance for more-mobile future
Dr. Denise Carpenter and nurse Jennifer Buckingham are advocates for Pediatric WalkAide, a programmable battery-powered device worn in a cuff that sends electronic impulses over nerves and muscles to stimulate movement and help some children with disabilities walk.
2019 Health Care Heroes: Dementia-care model keeps drugs on shelf
American Senior Communities is at the forefront of the movement to replace drugs with a holistic approach that relies primarily on tools such as music, aromas and robotic pets to put residents at ease.
2019 Health Care Heroes: IU Health, Riley give sickest cancer patients access to game-changing therapy
CAR-T therapy, a life-saving treatment for certain types of cancer, became available at IU Health in July 2018, four months after FDA approval.