Noblesville Weather
Rain, 36 °F

CURRENT NEWS

Sickweather and Community Health Network team up for Super Bowl

February 1st, 2012 by admin

While watchful eyes have been paying close attention to the weather forecast for Super Bowl weekend, another kind of forecast is being monitored by Sickweather, the world’s first real-time service that forecasts sickness and allows fans to self-report common illnesses, such as colds and the flu, based on their geographical location. After fans report illnesses at Sickweather.com, they’ll be able to schedule an online appointment at one of Community Health Network’s MedCheck locations for treatment. Appointments can be made via a smartphone through MedCheck WebAhead, a scheduling application.

“February is the height of cold and flu season in the U.S. and there will be plenty of Super Bowl patrons who won’t let a cough stop them from going to the big game,” said Graham Dodge, CEO & co-founder of Sickweather. “We’ll not only be tracking the impact of the Super Bowl on the health of Indianapolis, but also directing visitors and locals alike to the nearest MedCheck clinics, so they can get the help that they need.”

Community and Sickweather are placing reciprocal links on their respective web sites. Once on the Sickweather.com website, fans and visitors can see a Central Indiana map, along with the six MedCheck urgent care clinics located around Indianapolis. They can then automatically link to a quick and easy real-time appointment scheduling mobile application to book an appointment and avoid the wait.

“The Super Care Clinic, established by local healthcare providers and located in Super Bowl Village, is still the most convenient option for Super Bowl fans,” said Dan Rench, vice president of eBusiness at Community Health Network. “However, if they are staying with family and friends in surrounding areas of the city, our MedCheck WebAhead smartphone scheduling application can be a huge time saver.”

 

About Community Health Network

Ranked among the nation’s most integrated healthcare systems, Community Health Network is Central Indiana’s leader in providing convenient access to exceptional healthcare services, where and when patients need them—in hospitals, health pavilions and doctor’s offices, as well as workplaces, schools and homes. As a non-profit health system with over 100 sites of care and affiliates throughout Central Indiana, Community’s full continuum of care integrates hundreds of physicians, specialty and acute care hospitals, surgery centers, home care services, MedChecks, behavioral health and employer health services. To learn more, visit eCommunity.com or call 800-777-7775.

About Sickweather

Sickweather is an online social health network and the world’s first real-time sickness mapping and forecasting server, currently available in a public beta release. For more information, please visit: http://www.sickweather.com.

Indiana State announces dean’s list

January 25th, 2012 by admin
Indiana State University has announced its dean’s list for the fall semester. Students must have a 3.5 grade point average or above on a 4.0 scale in order to be eligible for the dean’s list at Indiana State.
Area students making the fall 2011 ISU dean’s list include Kayla Hanley of Arcadia; Amy Nakanishi of Brimfield; Kayla Blackburn, Megan Bowers, Amanda Crabb, Jennifer Desotell, Sara Hochgesang, Randall Miller, Jeffrey Pierce and Jasmine Stiles, all of Carmel; David Harbit and Avery Hollenback, both of Cicero; Kristin Becker, Nicholas Blackwell, Katherine Graham, Jessica Hupp, Amanda Jones, Valerie Keller, Ann Lawton, Danielle Rasor, Matthew Thomas and Rylan Wistrom, all of Fishers; Samantha Duncan of Fortville; Tina Sprinkle of Kennewick; Joshua Bowen of Indianapolis; Christina Beyerl of McCordsville; David Badger, Anna Buck, Allison Davis, Nicholas Dawson, Lauren Gonzales, Natalie Hottinger, Alexa Larkin, Victoria Lepper, Paige Moore and Andrew Skaggs, all of Noblesville; Erick Pickett of Sheridan; and James Curtis, Chelsea Ligon and Christopher Morin, all of Westfield.

Senate committee supports redevelopment commission legislation

January 22nd, 2012 by admin

Members of the Senate Committee on Local Government voted 8-1 last week in favor of legislation authored by Sen. Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) that would provide additional oversight and improve the transparency of redevelopment commissions in Indiana.

“Redevelopment commissions are important tools for economic development, but they shouldn’t be able to operate under veils of secrecy,” Kenley said. “There have been too many instances across the state of these commissions spending large sums of taxpayer money without proper public notice or proper review and approval by elected officials.”

Senate Bill 25 would require redevelopment commissions to gain approval by legislative or fiscal bodies of local units of government before using public funds, except for the acquisition of real property and where the payments are for three years or less,or the purchase price is less than $5 million.

Redevelopment commissions are quasi-agencies established by local units of government to assist in addressing conditions of blight in a community. The creation of a redevelopment commission comes with a special taxing unit and allows a property tax levy to be used for redevelopment purposes.

SB 25 now heads to the Senate for further action.

New features coming to Broad Ripple Art Fair

January 21st, 2012 by admin

More than 20,000 visitors attend the Broad Ripple Art Fair annually.

The Indianapolis Art Center is overhauling its largest exhibition and fundraiser, the Broad Ripple Art Fair, to provide a more in-depth art experience for fairgoers, including more opportunities for them to make art.

New for 2012

Art activities - Based on the popularity of Spin-a-Pot, where fairgoers make a wheel-thrown ceramic vase for $5, the Art Center is offering art-making activities in other studio classrooms. Participation will be first come, first serve, and times, prices and activities will vary.

On-site kids’ camp - Parents can soon register their children for a new camp for kids ages 6 to 7 and 8 to 12. Registration is available online with ticket purchase. Enrollment is limited to 12 children per class and available for Saturday only. There will be many free art-making activities for kids outdoors.

Emerging artist area - The Art Center will provide an emerging artists area to give local up-and-coming artists a taste of what it’s like to participate in an art fair. This area of the fair will provide a wider variety of art and price points, and is in contrast to artists who qualify for individual booths.

Discounted tickets - The Art Center is encouraging advance ticket purchase by offering a limited quantity online each week beginning March 25. Tickets are $5 each during the week of March 25, and $1 more each week until the Art Fair.

The Art Fair will take place May 19 and 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., respectively. More than 800 artists apply each year for one of the 225 booth spaces available at the fair each year, and more than 20,000 visitors attend the annual event. For more information, visit www.indplsartcenter.org/BRAF.

Ricker’s to kick off fundraising efforts for Third Phase

January 19th, 2012 by admin

Ricker Oil will kick off its fundraising efforts for Third Phase, Hamilton County’s largest shelter, food and clothing pantry, in support of the local nonprofit. Third Phase is a Christian-based ministry that serves as a Red Cross emergency shelter, a distribution center for a local food bank, a resource for those in need of clothing and household items, and a second chance for at-risk girls and women.

At the event, which will take place tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Exit 10 Ricker’s in Fishers (13642 Olivia Way), Ricker’s mascot, “Pops The Clown,” will be in attendance to announce the launch of the campaign and pose for photos.

Over the next four to five weeks, the Exit 10 Ricker’s and the following Hamilton County area Ricker’s locations will participate in the fundraiser, selling Pops the Clown cards for $1: 96th St. Ricker’s (3201 E. 96th St.), Carmel Ricker’s (1850 E. 151st St.), Fishers Ricker’s (9797 E. 116th St.), and the Noblesville Ricker’s (16788 Clover Rd.). Proceeds from the cards will benefit Third Phase and its programs. Monetary donations may also be made at the five locations.

The fundraiser is part of Ricker’s “Caring For Our Communities’ Charities” campaign, in which Ricker’s works to positively impact Indiana’s communities by providing support for local charitable organizations, such as Third Phase.

“We want to touch the communities where we do business in a more personal way,” said Jay Ricker, Founder and CEO of Ricker Oil. “Supporting organizations like Third Phase that make a tangible difference in their towns is a way for us to accomplish this.”

For the event, the five Ricker’s locations will be decked out in Third Phase signage, which will stay up through the duration of the campaign.

“Part of our goal is simply to raise awareness for the organization,” said Ricker. “We’re giving to the folks that make a difference right here on their own streets and hope that others will join us in this support.”

At the close of the fundraiser, Ricker’s will present Third Phase with a check for the amount raised, as well as an additional amount that Ricker’s has pledged to contribute.

Ricker’s plans to continue its efforts, and hopes to provide similar support for designated charitable organizations in each of the communities where its 50convenience stores are located by the end of the year.

Hamilton County leaders to be thanked for Super Service

January 19th, 2012 by admin

As a thank you for participating in this Super Service project, two 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee co-chairs, Mike Harmless and Keira Amstutz, will personally visit town and city halls today, in Fishers, Noblesville, Carmel and Westfield to deliver super scarves and pins to key leaders in those communities. Morethan 5,300 Super Kids, Super Welcome cards were collected in Hamilton County and will be distributed throughout hotels in the Indianapolis area during Super Bowl XLVI as part of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee’s Super Service program. That’s more cards than any county in Indiana contributed. Girl Scouts from Hamilton County helped provide 1,300 Super Kids, Super Welcome cards.

Indiana Humanities and the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee partnered to create the Super Kids, Super Welcome cards with a goal of collecting 18,000 cards.

“Thanks to the support of mayors, schools, volunteers and organizations across Indiana, we not only received cards from all 92 counties, but we collected nearly double our goal,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities and a co-chair of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee’s cultural and arts program committee. “This program is yet another way to display Hoosier hospitality and engage kids in writing and illustrating what they think makes Indiana great.”

Harmless, a director at Crowe Horwath and former mayor of Greencastle, Ind., also serves as co-chair of the Statewide Outreach committee for the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee and was instrumental inspreading the importance of this program statewide.

The times and locations for the personal deliveries will be:

11:30 a.m. – Fishers Town Hall

  • A representative from the town will be present to be recognized.

12:30 p.m. – Noblesville City Hall

  • Harmless and Amstutz will present the thank you gifts to Mayor John Ditslear.

1:30 p.m. – Carmel City Hall

  • Nancy Heck, director of community relations for the City of Carmel, will be present to be recognized.

2:30 p.m. – Westfield City Hall

  • Carrie Cason, communications director for the City of Westfield, will be present to be recognized.

Senate committee votes 8-1 in favor of Kenley legislation

January 18th, 2012 by admin

Members of the Senate Committee on Local Government voted 8-1 today in favor of legislation authored by Sen. Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) that will provide additional oversight and improve the transparency of redevelopment commissions in Indiana.

“Redevelopment commissions are important tools for economic development, but they shouldn’t be able to operate under veils of secrecy,” Kenley said. “There have been too many instances across the state of these commissions spending large sums of taxpayer money without proper public notice or proper review and approval by elected officials. My goal with this law is to make redevelopment commissions as accountable to the public as other governmental entities.”

Senate Bill 25 would require redevelopment commissions to gain approval by legislative or fiscal bodies of local units of government before using public funds, except for the acquisition of real property and where the payments are for three years or less or the purchase price is less than five million dollars.

Kenley’s legislation also expands oversight of redevelopment commissions by:

  • Review of annual budgets by the legislative body of the government unit
  • Subject to audit by the State Board of Accounts
  • Follow the public meeting and public records law
  • Require the commission to report to the legislative body of the government unit at a public meeting all information supporting the action of commission proposals to take regarding the sale, transfer or other disposition of property

Redevelopment commissions are quasi-agencies established by local units of government to assist in addressing conditions of blight in a community. The creation of a redevelopment commission comes with a special taxing unit and allows a property tax levy to be used for redevelopment purposes.

SB 25 now heads to the Senate for further action. Hoosiers can get a full, updated copy of the legislation online by visiting www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2012/PDF/IN/IN0025.1.pdf.

St.Vincent Health honored as one of the 15 best health systems in nation

January 17th, 2012 by admin

St.Vincent Health was identified in the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals: 15 Top Health Systems study as one of 15 best health systems in the nation. The faith-based health system is the only one in Indiana and the Midwest to be honored in the large health system group.

The annual, quantitative study uses objective, independent research and public data sources, and aggregates individual hospital performance into system-level data.

Winners of the 15 Top Health Systems award outperformed other providers by:

  • Saving more lives and causing fewer patient complications
  • Following industry-recommended standards of care more closely
  • Making fewer patient safety errors
  • Releasing patients half a day sooner
  • Scoring better on overall patient satisfaction

St.Vincent Health, a 20-hospital system, is one of Indiana’s largest employers with more than 16,000 associates serving 47 counties in Central and Southern Indiana. The 130-year-old health system delivers high quality, compassionate care in service areas such as cardiovascular, women’s, children’s, neurosciences, cancer care, orthopedics, bariatrics, primary care, emergency medicine, imaging, general surgery and long-term acute care. In 2011, the faith-based health organization provided more than $191 million of charity care and community benefit.

The study included nearly every system with valid 2009 and 2010 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) and 2011 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare data. Key performance measures include: risk-adjusted mortality index; risk-adjusted complication index; risk-adjusted patient safety index; core measures mean percent; 30-day risk-adjusted mortality rate; 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rate; severity-adjusted average length of stay; and HCAHPS scores (patient rating of overall hospital performance).

Health systems honored in the Thomson Reuters 15 Top Health Systems study do not apply, and winners do not pay to market their respective awards.

Center for the Performing Arts releases financial audit, internal review

January 17th, 2012 by admin
The Center for the Performing Arts released its financial audit and internal review at 8 a.m. today. Read it here:

From the Backshop: News from the other side of the door

January 17th, 2012 by admin

Brian Kelly and Steve Greenberg

Today, we take you deep inside the inner sanctum of Current Publishing, a place where few have gone before – mostly because of the square footage deficit, but what should that matter? We have news items for your reading pleasure, so let’s get right to it:

  • Where have you read this before? Our little company is growing once again. With editions performing at record levels in Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville and Westfield, we once more are answering some of our advertisers’ calls for expansion. This time, at their behest, we’re moving into neighboring Zionsville. Current in Zionsville is scheduled to launch March 20. We’re staffing up quickly and are eager to begin serving yet another community. (This newspaper stuff is a regular all-American blast!)
  • In another growth-related move, we have (finally) hired an online/social media coordinator, Christian Sorrell, who – believe this! – actually knows more about those platforms than we do. OK, truthfully, everyone in the world knows more about it than we do, but that’s just a detail. In short order, we anticipate Christian’s work on our existing Web sites, new Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for each community we serve to pay off big time for those readers that wish to interact with us or our editors. So, please stop accusing us of wallowing in the 20th century. Christian convinced us it’s time to get current. Get it? If you wish to interact with him, you’ll find him at christian@youarecurrent.com.
  • More good news: If you or your business wants to reach every household in Noblesville, Bev Sams will get on the case for you. An accomplished veteran of the media sales wars in Tucson and Memphis, Bev and her family recently relocated to Hamilton County. When her resume floated across our desks (old-school expression), it was a no-brainer to bring her aboard. You may reach her at bev@youarecurrent.com.

- Brian Kelly and Steve Greenberg (info@youarecurrent.com)

Ad Space 1 – Tom Wood Ford
St.Vincent Heart Center

  • Your Thoughts

    What part of the Super Bowl are you most looking forward to this year?

    Loading ... Loading ...

  • Right Ad – Fat Atom

  • Right Ad – Palladium

  • Right Ad – Fanfare Tickets