St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers
Franciscan St. Francis Health (formerly St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers) is a medical facility serving Carmel, Indianapolis, Mooresville, Plainfield and south-central Indiana.
The hospital has historical affiliations to the Roman Catholic Church and the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration.
Accreditations and Honors
Franciscan St. Francis Health is accredited by the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) and other organizations including: American Diabetes Association, College of American Pathologists, Commission on Cancer American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery National Association of Catholic Chaplains Society of Chest Pain Centers American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
History
In 1909, The Sisters of St. Francis were invited by Reverend Francis Gavick to organize a new hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana. After 5 acres (2.0 ha) of land was purchased for one thousand dollars at the corner of Troy Avenue and Sherman Drive, two Sisters arrived to supervise the construction of the new hospital.
In 1913, the cornerstone of St. Francis Hospital was laid. The new hospital was built facing what is now 17th Avenue in Beech Grove, at a cost of $75,000. St. Francis Hospital was dedicated to care for the sick on July 5, 1914. In the hospital’s first year, it treated 63 patients. The original hospital building had 75 beds and housed medical and surgical services, operating room, X-ray and laboratory facilities, pharmacy and emergency room.
During the Great Depression a second wing was added to the south of the original hospital structure. This South Wing was dedicated on January 18, 1931. Housing the new Obstetrical Department, the wing doubled the capacity of the hospital. The admissions per year more than doubled from 1,805 in 1931 to 4,096 in 1940. The hospital staff in this pre-war year included over 70 staff doctors and 73 employees.
In 1957, the five-story North building was constructed, increasing bed capacity to 300, and the staff increased to 700 employees. The building housed Indiana’s first cobalt treatment for tumors. The North Wing also included a Medical Library, Chapel, Maternity Department and Surgery Department.
In August 1970, the Sisters of St. Francis began the construction of a new eight-story building to be the core of the new St. Francis Hospital Center. Encompassing more than 320,000 square feet (30,000 m2), the capacity of the hospital was increased to 500 beds. The total cost was in excess of 14 million dollars. The new complex consisted of twin patient towers and a base unit to provide the necessary supporting services. The Bonzel Towers, named for the founder of the Order of the Sisters of St. Francis, provided 200 patient beds. The building to the rear of the patient towers housed the various special ancillary services, including a new 15-bed Cardiac Care Unit and a 12-bed Intensive Care Unit. An Emergency Department was added. The North Building, constructed in 1957, was incorporated into the Center through the use of enclosed cross-overs.
Completing the plans for the new hospital campus was the Medical Arts Building, located to the southeast of the hospital. The three-million dollar project featured a 400-car self-park garage and five floors of office spaces for physicians. An enclosed ground level passage connected the building to the hospital’s Tower Building.
The creation of a Special Care Nursery in 1975 led to the development of what is now a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit[1] for the close observation and care of newborns.
In 1975, the Radiology Department introduced Ultrasound Laminography to the facility.
In 1991, St. Francis purchased 106 acres (43 ha) of land at the southeast corner of Emerson Avenue and Stop 11 Road for the expansion of the hospital to include the new South Campus, which would feature a Specialty Medical Office Building, a Primary Care/Family Practice Physician Office Complex and the St. Francis Ambulatory Services and Diagnostics Center. The Ambulatory Services and Diagnostics Center would also house an ambulatory surgical center, an outpatient cancer treatment center, an education center, a women’s health services center, radiology (X-ray) and laboratory services, as well as several support services. The hospital broke ground in 1992 and the facility opened in 1995. The St. Francis Heart Center opened in 2005. The first phase of a patient bed tower opened in 2011.
In January 2000, the Sisters of St. Francis acquired Kendrick Memorial Hospital, now known as St. Francis – Mooresville. Several expansions followed, including an emergency room.[2]
St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers was renamed Franciscan St. Francis Health in early 2011.[3]
In February 2011, Franciscan St. Francis Health announced plans to build a $23 million short-stay medical center in Carmel, Ind].[4] Franciscan St. Francis-Carmel opened in April 2012.[5][6][7]
Franciscan St. Francis Health announced it was acquiring the Visiting Nurse Service Inc. in May 2011.[8] Visiting Nurse Service celebrated its 100th anniversary in August 2013.
Current status
Franciscan St. Francis Health-Mooresville opened its Emergency Department in October 2008.
Franciscan St. Francis Health announced plans in 2008 to consolidate services from its Beech Grove[9] to its Indianapolis campus upon completion of an inpatient bed tower in 2011.[10] The first phase of the tower construction opened in April 2011.[11] The Beech Grove hospital closed all inpatient and emergency services in March 2012. Outpatient services are still available.
In January 2012, Franciscan St. Francis Health's cancer services announced it was joining a collaboration with the International Genomics Consortium, whose work ultimately will lead to advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.[12][13][14][15][16]
Franciscan St. Francis Health is part of a network of 13 hospital campuses in Indiana and Illinois owned and operated by the Franciscan Alliance (Formerly Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc.)
Locations
Hospital locations are:
- Carmel: 12188B North Meridian Street, Carmel, Indiana
- Indianapolis: 8111 S. Emerson Ave., Indianapolis, Indiana
- Mooresville: 1201 Hadley Rd., Mooresville, Indiana