St. Catherine Hospital Celebrates 90 Years in East Chicago With Public Health Fair

St. Catherine Hospital Celebrates 90 Years in East Chicago With Public Health Fair

It was a birthday celebration truly fitting with the mission that birthed St. Catherine Hospital over ninety years ago. In keeping with their ninety-year commitment to superior patient care, St. Catherine Hospital held a wellness fair Tuesday, as a thank-you to the community it is proud to serve.

The event, which was free to attend and open to the public, highlighted the full scope of comprehensive care at St. Catherine Hospital. The event celebrated the rich history of the East Chicago institution, and gave attendees a glimpse into advanced technology it is using to treat patients and the future of healthcare.

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Guests of the celebration were treated to a variety of health and wellness screenings, as well as a public demonstration of the daVinci Si® Surgical System – a robotic device the hospital acquired months ago to enable surgeons to perform the most complex and delicate procedures with unmatched precision in a minimally-invasive way with quicker recovery times and fewer complications. Visitors were invited to sit at a console to operate the robotic arms surgeons use to perform the surgeries in a section of the newly remodelled South Lobby. Free cardiovascular assessments were performed to help folks determine their risk for heart attack, diabetes or stroke. Other screenings were available for bone density, blood pressure, grip strength, and posture. Folks could also learn more regarding the full scope of services that the hospital has to offer, including the top-notch Birthing Center, Behavioral Health Services, and other such wide-reaching departments within their comprehensive network of care.

Booths that educated the public about the rich history of St. Catherine Hospital could also be found, along with services that seek to improve patient’s lives by expanding their access to care. One such service of St. Catherine Hospital delivers much needed medication to patients, often at a discount, even after they are discharged. Assistance is offered to help patients struggling to make ends meet get low-cost prescriptions, automated refills by phone and free medication delivery.

“Transportation is a problem for some patients,” said Zorana Dypkowski, who manages the Outpatient Retail Pharmacy. “[With this program], they don’t ever have to set foot in a hospital to receive their medications. We want to make sure our patients have all the right medications in-hand.”

After checking out the booths, attendees were invited to participate in “chair yoga” on the front lawn of the hospital. Chair yoga is one of the many wellness activities provided by the Cancer Resource Centre, a program of the Community Cancer Research Foundation and a member of Community Healthcare System hospitals, which help those affected by cancer obtain the support and resources they need to cope with a cancer diagnosis free-of-charge.

St. Catherine Hospital has always been visionary with their approach to care, and this distinction has earned them renown ever since their grand opening in 1928. Just eight years after the hospital was built, the hospital founded Indiana’s first School of X-Ray. By the 1960’s it was known as the “heart center” for the Region, being the first in the area to perform open heart surgery.

The list of accolades goes on and on. Over the past 90 years, St. Catherine continues to innovate, seek the best possible care, and the future looks bright for all who call St Catherine their neighbor.

St. Catherine Hospital has thrived over 90 years because of the staff’s ability to continue to use life-saving, innovative technologies and deliver significant medical firsts to patients in Northwest Indiana, according to Leo Correa, chief executive officer. “For St. Catherine Hospital, the daVinci demonstration is a great example of our commitment to stay out in front when it comes to offering our patients new medical technologies and treatments now and in the decades to come.”

For more information on St. Catherine Hospital, click here!