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Most of his life, Holland, 25, had been healthy - an active member of the marching band, and an athlete who participated in baseball, basketball, and soccer leagues. During his Sophomore year of high school, he was diagnosed with leukemia. When he started getting nose bleeds, he went to a hospital close to his Mooresville, Ind. home. Bloodwork showed he either had leukemia or lymphoma and he was transported to IU Health Riley Hospital for Children. At the age of 16, Holland was in the care of Dr. Allison Yancey, his diagnosis of leukemia was confirmed and he began chemotherapy. Now he feels like his diagnosis may have led him to his career as an EMT with IU Health LifeLine.It was during an appointment with is oncologist that he learned about careers in emergency medicine. “I always wanted to be a fire fighter or a police office. As we started talking and she learned about my interests, she showed me information about EMT certification,” said Holland. He received certification in 2021. “My diagnosis and care helped prepare me for what I’m doing now,” aid Holland. “My care was the best - from helping my parents navigate the financial part, to helping me understand the treatment,” said Holland. “Now, with patients I see I understand how scary things can be. There’s a lot of anxiety and they’re meeting a lot of unfamiliar people. I try to reassure them it’s temporary,” said Holland. Explore inspiring & meaningful careers at IU Health by visiting iuhealth.org/careers
Liz Cortes Perez has been working as a Spanish interpreter at the IU Health academic health center since May. Before joining IU Health, she first discovered a passion for interpretation while working at the front desk of an urgent care clinic. “That’s when I realized I wanted to work in interpretation services,” she says. “[Co-workers] would ask me to help interpret when they couldn’t understand a patient. That’s when my passion first came,” she says. Now, she loves her job interpreting for patients at Methodist Hospital, University Hospital and Riley Children’s Health. She enjoys connecting with patients and helping them gain a strong understanding of the care they are receiving. “Patients are always very grateful that we are there to help them. And same with providers—they really care about interpreters,” she says. Explore inspiring & meaningful careers at IU Health by visiting iuhealth.org/careers
Two IU Health doctors and a nurse recently joined Task Force 1, aiding in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The storms caused extensive damage in Florida and North Carolina communities. Task Force 1 is a highly trained group that responds to natural and manmade disasters. IU Health team members included Dr. Christian Strachan, Nurse Kyle Fleck, and Dr. Andrew Watters. All three have extensive experience in emergency medicine. Strachan described their role working with FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (USAR): “For physicians and paramedics who are part of the USAR teams we have specific tasks, such as medical care for rescue personnel and victims. This includes treating injuries, performing triage, managing acute medical conditions, and stabilizing critical patients before they are evacuated.” As rescuers from across the country made their way to Florida and North Carolina, the three IU Health team members helped monitor workers for signs of fatigue, heat stress, dehydration, and other potential medical conditions. Drs. Watters and Strachan served as “Medical Team Managers;” Fleck served as a “Medical Specialist.” Explore inspiring & meaningful careers at IU Health by visiting iuhealth.org/careers
Barb Gillaspy might not have memories of her earliest days at Riley Hospital for Children, but the hospital and all of IU Health are a big part of her life. She was just a baby when doctors diagnosed her with a heart murmur and recommended she be seen at Riley, three hours away from the family’s Jasper, Indiana, home. Her heart condition eventually became more serious, and as a kindergartner in 1973, she would go on to have open-heart surgery by renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Harold King at Riley to repair the four heart defects associated with tetralogy of Fallot. Eventually, she transitioned to adult cardiology care within the Downtown Indianapolis hospital system and earned a nursing degree from Indiana State University. She worked as a travel nurse around the country for a few years, before coming to Indianapolis and starting work at what was then Indiana University Hospital in 1991. Since 2011, Gillaspy has worked at IU Health Methodist Hospital in the outpatient kidney disease clinic. Early in her time there, the clinic also sometimes saw cardiovascular patients, including those with congenital heart defects like what she had experienced.
It was a birthday party for the ages as Riley Children's Health celebrated a century of delivering world-class care to pediatric patients. Hundreds attended the festivities, including Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, who declared October 7th, 2024 as Riley Children's Health Day in the city of Indianapolis. "For a hundred years now the city of Indianapolis has been proud to be the home of Riley Children's Health," said Mayor Hogsett. "Having such a renowned center for pediatric care right in our own backyard is an invaluable asset to this city." Explore inspiring & meaningful careers at IU Health by visiting iuhealth.org/careers
The onboarding process for new IU Health physician and advanced practice providers in Greater Lafayette, Frankfort and Monticello, Ind., is meticulously designed to ensure a smooth transition and integration into their roles. The six-month process is overseen by a dedicated team of professionals who work collaboratively to provide support, guidance and resources to new providers. IU Health's provider onboarding process is a testament to the organization’s commitment to teamwork, support and comprehensive orientation. With dedicated professionals like Cacy Zeller, Kris Yoder, Sandy Kour, Mollie Stanley and Lisa Sales, new providers are assured of a smooth and supportive transition into their roles, fostering a positive work environment and enhancing their contributions to patient care. Explore inspiring & meaningful careers at IU Health by visiting iuhealth.org/careers
When Dalton Cummins came in for an interview for a nursing position on the oncology unit at Riley Hospital for Children, the nursing team greeted him with hugs and jokes about his hair. A bit unusual perhaps, but not in Cummins’ case. That’s because he was returning to the same hospital and the same unit where he was a patient just a few years earlier. Cummins, a two-time cancer survivor, joined the nursing team on 5W in July and recently finished orientation. His preceptor was none other than Carol Hayden, his primary nurse during long stretches of his treatment. Cancer-free for three years now, Cummins is thrilled to be fulfilling his dream of working at Riley. Even walking the same halls or entering the same rooms he did as a patient doesn’t bother him, he said. “I’ve never had flashbacks. I feel comfortable, and I know I have some way of connecting with every person on this unit.” He is surrounded by nurses who saw him at his weakest but now get to cheer him on as a colleague. “There are a lot of the same nurses here,” he said. “And I know if I need anything, anyone will help me.” Explore inspiring & meaningful careers at IU Health by visiting iuhealth.org/careers
LaVerne Peak believes everyone is put on Earth to do a job. She’s fulfilled her calling as an Enteral Nutrition Customer Service Specialist at IU Health for 20+ years and doesn’t plan on stopping soon – not even as she’s reached retirement. “I am [just] not ready to completely give up the job,” Peak says. Her role is critical for the 25-30 patients she serves to receive their monthly Enteral Nutrition supplies like formula and feeding tubes. She continues to serve her patients with compassion and care three days a week from home, developing and maintaining close patient relationships exclusively via phone calls. Peak spent 24 years in insurance before enrolling in Pharmacy technician training program from IU Health. She spent two years in IU Health’s Home Care Infusion Pharmacy department before transferring to her role in enteral nutrition, where she’s been ever since. Peak’s dedication to her role has made a lasting impact on the health and happiness of her patients. During her retirement transition, Peak was presented with a 24-page book teeming with well wishes, gratitude and congratulations from ~50 different patients and families she’s served. Explore inspiring & meaningful careers at IU Health by visiting iuhealth.org/careers
Five years ago, Emily Vaughan, certified surgical technologist, was not in the healthcare field. She was a corporate employee, who wanted something different for her life. “At 36-years-old, I didn’t want to work in an office anymore,” she says. Vaughan found the perfect program at IU Health—a Surgical Technology program. Surgical technologists assist surgeons and registered nurses by providing sterile equipment, passing instruments and cleaning the operating room. IU Health’s program requires twelve months of education and training, along with clinical trials and an exam.“This was perfect, because I hadn’t been in any amount of schooling since my twenties,” she adds. After completing her clinicals and exam at IU Health West Hospital, Vaughan started working there immediately as a surgical technologist. Five years later, she helps train people going through the Surgical Technology program. Explore inspiring & meaningful careers at IU Health by visiting iuhealth.org/careers.
It's been said people often choose a career path that is similar to the people to whom you are close. When you literally have spent your entire life with someone, it's no surprise a set of twins are taking Riley Hospital for Children by storm. Emma and Hannah James are taking on the challenge of becoming Cardiovascular ICU nurses. It's fascinating to see the pair on the on the unit. It's more than their looks that are in union. "It's like a look we can look at each other and we can know. There's no words that we have to say. It's more like okay I see you, I understand. It's okay," Emma James said. Explore inspiring & meaningful careers at IU Health by visiting iuhealth.org/careers.
