Our readers suggest some of the region's standouts in medical care.

Thousands of people work in health care across Northwest Indiana, serving patients at hundreds of different sites of care. They're all helping patients get healthy and hopefully stay that way. We wanted to find out who is exceptionally good at doing so, and who serves the community with unusual empathy and dedication, so we asked our readers.

The result of our survey is our first annual compilation of Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly Health Care Honors. We're spotlighting providers whose work is advancing the field of medicine, who are outstanding in the care they provide, who go about their work with exceptional compassion, and who devote their time to improving quality of life across the region. Read on for their stories.

Advancements in Health Care
Tom Galouzis, M.D.
More effective and successful cancer treatment is at the heart of the work of Dr. Tom Galouzis, general surgeon with the Franciscan Alliance. He was principal investor for a preclinical study on monitoring circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, in patients with metastatic cancer. The idea is that if you know a patient's CTC count before therapy begins, you can measure the change in CTC levels to determine whether the therapy is effective or not.

The concept makes use of the CTC Assay from IVDiagnostics, a Valparaiso-based designer of diagnostic tools, on whose advisory board Dr. Galouzis sits. The preclinical trial involved a dozen patients and covered both breast and colorectal cancer. The study suggests that each patient has a unique CTC count before therapy starts, and it's now leading to a pilot and pivotal trial sponsored by IVDiagnostics. According to the company's president and CEO, Frank Szczepanski–who submitted the nomination, “Dr. Galouzis should be noted as one of the clinicians in Northwest Indiana who really is making a difference in trying out new molecular diagnostics for the purposes of creating better patient prognosis and ultimately better cancer patient management.”

Mary Nicholson, M.D.
Cancer. It's one short word that strikes fear in the hearts of patients more than just about any other. And the time spent waiting to undergo diagnostic tests, and then waiting for the results of those tests, can be excruciating. Dr. Mary Nicholson knew there had to be a more compassionate way to care for patients. She's a fellowship-trained dedicated breast radiologist and medical director of breast imaging for Community Healthcare System, and she was instrumental in forming the Women's Diagnostic Centers throughout the system.

What's so special about these centers? Technology, for starters, including advanced digital mammography with same-day results, breast ultrasound and non-surgical breast biopsies, along with breast magnetic resonance imaging biopsy for detecting breast cancer in high-risk patients. Following exams, Dr. Nicholson provides immediate results, allowing her to quickly address patient concerns and offer treatment guidance. Speeding the process is helpful when the diagnosis is cancer, so treatment can get going as soon as possible, but it's also a positive when cancer is ruled out quickly, bringing relief a lot sooner. But the changes didn't just happen. It required development of new processes that were innovative enough to win the Chanute Prize for Team Innovation from the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana. The health system's breast cancer program has been accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. Says the nomination for Dr. Nicholson, “She continually searches for new advancements in breast care and is diligent in implementing those advancements to make a positive difference in the lives of her patients.”

Outstanding Health Care Worker
Leelarani Chigurupati
Effective cancer treatment attacks the tumor, wherever it is. But truly complete cancer care is not just about the tumor, but the whole patient, because the cancer care experience has an impact that goes far beyond the tumor site. Leelarani Chigurupati, a registered dietitian, focuses on the nutritional aspects of oncology in her work for Methodist Hospitals in Gary and Merrillville.

Chigurupati is one of just 13 dietitians in the state to have achieved board certification as a specialist in oncology nutrition. The Commission on Dietetic Registration awarded her that designation, which is based on meeting rigorous practice requirements and passing a certification exam. Oncology nutrition specialists work with those either diagnosed with a malignancy or a premalignant condition, or at risk for such a condition. The right nutrition is important for everyone, of course, but for the cancer patient it's particularly helpful. “There's a wealth of evidence that supports the importance of nutrition in cancer care, from prevention to treatment,” Chigurupati says.

“She has very specialized knowledge in her area of expertise about the nutritional needs of oncology patients, which are very different from other types of patients as they are dealing with the side effects of radiation and chemo,” Chigurupati's nominator points out. Optimal nutrition can support the cancer patient's immune function, reduce the risk of infection, help to rebuild body tissue, build strength, boost energy and help the patient better tolerate cancer treatment. In fact, the National Cancer Institute says malnutrition plays a role in as many as a third of cancer deaths.

Chigurupati provides cancer nutrition education every week to radiation and chemotherapy patients at both Methodist Hospital campuses. She also provides a lot of outreach at health fairs and other venues where she stresses cancer prevention through better nutrition. Her knowledge is essential, but her bedside manner is a plus, too, according to the nominator. “The patients love her because she is very gentle, compassionate, reassuring and supportive. She encourages her patients and works very closely with their family members.”

Richard C. Turk, D.O.
Some time ago, a couple took their daughter to the pediatrician, concerned about a black lump on her neck that was growing quickly. The pediatrician referred the girl to a surgeon, who recommended surgery. But the parents then consulted Dr. Richard Turk, who immediately asked “has she been around cats lately?” He recognized right away that the strange condition was an infection sometimes known as “cat scratch fever,” and all it really needed was the right antibiotic.

“He has an uncanny ability to diagnose and treat that puts him above the rest,” says Dr. Turk's nominator, an attorney who also knows something about medicine thanks to years of medical malpractice work. “Rich is an incredible diagnostician.” How does one develop such a skill? His nominator believes part of it is a natural intellect, but part is also a dedication to keeping up with the medical journals, which he reads avidly.

Dr. Turk has been practicing medicine in Porter County since the late 1970s, when he finished up at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. He earned his board certification in family practice in 1991, and now practices with Porter Hospital from an office in Chesterton. Dr. Turk, originally from LaPorte, is from a medical family–his four brothers are also doctors.

Val Urello
Excellent health care could not happen without the work of talented practitioners, of course, but there are plenty of others who may or may not deal directly with patients every day but whose contributions are essential. Val Urello, who serves as chief operating officer for the Schererville Immediate Care Center that is owned by Aberdeen Ventures Ltd., has made a mark through management style, mentoring, training and testing.

Prior to 2002, she oversaw a cardiology group that started small and blended into a larger group in Porter County, according to her nominator. “When both cardiac training and EMS education for pre-hospital personnel was in its infancy, she took on the added responsibilities of part-time teacher after her regular clinical management role, subsequently training most pre-hospital personnel in Porter County and overseeing the state testing of cardiac programs and EMS training programs dating back to the 1980s. She left the cardiology group in 2002 and became involved with Immediate Care Center, an urgent-care clinic.

Says her nominator: “Val is known throughout Northwest Indiana and to many at the state level for the quality of her training and testing programs and the quality of her management style, mentoring new staff and allowing more senior staff to grow–over 30 years of dedication and continued enthusiasm in health care services.”

Compassionate Care
Amanda Elkins, LPN
Exceptional nursing is both a science and an art. The science part requires rigorous study and training plus continuing education that never really stops. The art is the human touch, the ability to deliver that top-notch, science-driven care with a level of empathy and compassion that sees each patient as an individual in a difficult place–not just a diagnosis.

Amanda Elkins, an LPN at Rittenhouse Senior Living of Portage, delivers well on both of those counts. As her nomination notes, “she is versed in everything from wound care to Alzheimer's dementia care, but that is not what makes her an outstanding health care worker.” What makes the difference? “It is her compassion, understanding and love of people that takes Amanda to the next notch.”

Elkins is memory care coordinator at Rittenhouse Senior Living, and has been a nurse working with seniors for more than a decade. She spends her days on the Memory Care Unit, focused intently on enriching the quality of life of those in her care through creative programming. Her compassion spreads beyond the walls of Rittenhouse, where Elkins is active in community programs, volunteering to help with community benefits, and even organizing a benefit for a coworker battling breast cancer. Says her nominator, “Amanda has the unique ability to turn the ordinary into extraordinary.”

It can be a challenge understanding the needs of some patients in the Memory Care Unit, Elkins says, because “some are not able to tell you what the problem is.” The important thing is to approach each patient as an individual, and apply as much empathy as possible. “You have to personalize it–if I were feeling this way, or if this was my mother, how would I like to see this resolved?”

Mary Govert
Improving the health of a community certainly involves healing the sick and providing for those who need ongoing care. But it also means striving for economic and social justice and keeping watch over those facing threats that go beyond illness–threats such as domestic violence. That's why the mission of Franciscan Communities extends to the operation of St. Jude House in Crown Point.

“One of the major reasons women go to the ER is due to injuries from domestic violence–it is a health care problem,” says Mary Govert, the executive director of St. Jude. “It's much more prevalent than people think. It's underreported.”

It's the job of Govert and a staff of about 30 to take in these victims of domestic violence, primarily women and children, some 400 or more every year. St. Jude House has eight bedrooms and can house guests up to six weeks, during which time they receive a variety of services, from legal assistance to medical help to preparation to keep themselves safe. “Sometimes people who get caught up in situations for a long time forget what a healthy relationship looks like,” she says. Similarly, the team at the center may help some people to understand what domestic violence looks like, to help them realize they are in an unsafe situation.

“She and her team at St. Jude are some of the most compassionate people I have ever known and work in a field that is so very difficult,” her nominator says. “She herself is an advocate out in the community and interacts with many law enforcement agencies throughout Lake County. Mary is well respected in the community.”

Community Benefit
Franciscan St. Anthony Health–Crown Point, St. Clare Health Clinic
When people think of health care organizations, many think of big, sometimes fancy hospital buildings and medical bills with an amazing number of digits. What a lot of people miss is the fact that most of the biggest hospitals around are not-for-profit organizations, and they really are not turning big profits despite those large-seeming bills–in fact, much of what they do actually loses money. They do those things anyway because they're fulfilling a non-profit mission of caring for those in their communities; the legal term for those ways non-profits serve that aren't expected to pay for themselves is “community benefit.”

In the case of Franciscan St. Anthony Health–Crown Point, the mission of caring for others is spiritually inspired, and the hospital features the typical array of services, such as cardiac, cancer, maternity, rehabilitation, emergency, surgery and neonatal intensive care. But it also seeks out and serves those who don't qualify for government assistance through its St. Clare Health Clinic. The clinic offers non-emergency primary medical care that emphasizes prevention, early detection, health screenings, patient education and physical examinations, and also handles chronic disease management and assistance with medications. Rather than just service those who are sick, the clinic goes the extra mile to keep vulnerable populations healthy, providing the kinds of preventive care that many people skip when they're having financial difficulties.

The care at St. Clare is provided by Franciscan St. Anthony Health–Crown Point, which coordinates a volunteer physician staff and a supporting crew of nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers and others. The hospital also donates a variety of services such as lab, diagnostic and radiology. The whole point has nothing to do with making money, but with living Franciscan values in the service of others.

Volunteer Service
The Heart Institute at Franciscan St. Anthony Health
A cynic might wonder why health care providers would volunteer their time trying to help people stay out of their health care facilities. The fact is, people go into health care because of a passion for serving others and making a difference, and that passion carries over to their volunteer time, too. That's what drives the volunteer work conducted by the professional staff at the Heart Institute at Franciscan St. Anthony Health.

Staff members donate time out in the community providing a wealth of preventive care. They're out doing blood pressure, pulmonary function and asthma screenings, EKGs, educational outreach and other kinds of guidance. Since 2010, they've served some 6,000 people across Northwest Indiana, at multiple sites ranging from the Crown Point YMCA to the Lake County Fair to the Arcelor Mittal Employee Picnic to Centier Bank. Out in force are nurses, echo and cardio techs, radiologic technologists and respiratory therapists. Meanwhile, physicians such as Tim Mullally and Sunthorn Muingmangsuk volunteer time to the athletes of Crown Point High School, where the Heart Institute provides EKGs and other preventive services for young athletes.