IU Health North Hospital

11/19/2025

A lifelong commitment to care: Shawn Baker’s 20 years at IU Health North—

As IU Health North Hospital prepares to mark its 20th anniversary in December, it’s a moment to honor the individuals who’ve contributed to the hospital’s journey.

Shawn Baker, a registered nurse, has witnessed remarkable transformation throughout her career in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit (NICU). She began her journey at IU Health Methodist Hospital as a respiratory therapist in the NICU before pursuing nursing. When IU Health North Hospital opened, Baker joined the NICU team, drawn by the opportunity to help launch a new hospital and work closer to home.

“I just wanted to be closer to home. I also thought it was exciting to start a brand-new hospital and help with that,” she says.

Now, with more than 30 years of service within the IU Health system—including 20 years at IU Health North—Baker reflects on the relationships that have made her experience so meaningful.

“I've met a lot of great coworkers that have evolved into great friends. It's been fun being in the same place and helping to create the unit into what we envisioned,” Baker says.

Her passion for neonatal care remains strong. Baker finds fulfillment in every aspect of the NICU, from caring for the most fragile newborns to supporting families through their journey.

“I enjoy every realm of the NICU. I like the acuity with the younger gestational babies, and I also enjoy working with the older babies. But I love putting the whole picture together—empowering the parents to take their children home and being part of their story. It's just been very fulfilling to watch it all come together,” she explains.

Although nursing became her primary focus, Baker continues to maintain her respiratory therapy license.

“I've always loved nursing, and that's why I went from a respiratory therapist into nursing, because I wanted the whole patient experience,” she says.

Baker has a piece of advice for her younger self and new nurses out there.

“You're going to have challenges no matter what, but stick with it. Your coworkers and friends will get you through.”

11/12/2025

A legacy of hospitality -

The team at IU Health North is gearing up to celebrate the hospital’s 20th anniversary next month. As this milestone approaches, it’s a fitting time to reflect on the people who helped shape it.

Two decades ago, Mary Mosby saw IU Health North Hospital under construction and applied to work at the hospital. She was offered a job in Guest Relations and hasn’t looked back since. As an associate, Mosby guides patients, checks patient forms and greets anyone who comes into the second-floor surgery lobby.

Over the past 20 years, Mosby has witnessed the hospital’s growth firsthand, embracing the change.

“I've grown a lot, learned new things and met more new doctors and nurses,” she says.

Before joining IU Health, Mosby was a preschool teacher and spent time at home raising her children. Today, she considers her colleagues and the patients she serves as part of her extended family.

“I enjoy working with my team, patients and visitors. I love making every patient feel like a VIP,” she says with a smile.

As she celebrates her 20-year milestone on November 16, Mosby plans to celebrate with her family to honor her years of service. However, she’s not planning on slowing down just yet—she doesn’t want to retire until she must.

“I just want to continue in this role, as long as I mentally and physically am able to,” she says.

Pictured: Mary Mosby when IU Health North opened (left) and Mary Mosby now (right)

11/05/2025

Expert care at IU Health guides patient through ovarian cancer journey -

When Liz Efroymson began having stomach issues in August 2023, she had no idea it was a symptom of ovarian cancer.

“I started taking yoga and pilates classes three or four times a week. I was doing really well, but I started getting a lot of stomach issues,” she explains.

She went to her nurse practitioner and was told it was likely irritable bowel syndrome. However, when the problems persisted, Efroymson decided to go see a gastroenterologist. The doctor found a small hard spot in her lower right abdomen, and she was sent for a CT scan.

Her gynecologist confirmed the diagnosis: ovarian cancer. She was immediately referred to Dr. Lisa Landrum, a gynecologic oncologist at the IU Health Joe & Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center in Carmel.

“People take it different ways. I totally freaked out, you know, I had a lot of anxiety,” Efroymson says. “I wasn’t expecting it. What I’ve learned is that it’s a hard disease to identify by just symptoms.”

“Ovarian cancer is frequently diagnosed late because the presenting symptoms often mimic diagnoses related to bowel or bladder dysfunction,” Dr. Landrum adds. “When women present to the physician with symptoms of fullness, bloating or constipation or diarrhea, these are not symptoms that automatically trigger a CT scan, which is typically how a diagnosis is made.”

Efroymson recalls having a laparoscopy done to identify the type of tumor she had. Dr. Landrum also recommended genetic testing.

“We recommend both germline and somatic genetic testing for patients with advanced ovarian cancers,” Dr. Landrum explains. “This helps us to identify best therapeutic agents for patients based on individualized mutations that may be present in their blood or in the tumor.”

After that, Efroymson underwent three rounds of chemotherapy, receiving the infusion every 21 days. On November 30, she had surgery to remove the tumor, followed by three more rounds of chemotherapy.

During her treatment, she recalls having a lot of anxiety.

“It was hard for me to see people, talk to people,” she explains. “Besides my husband, the only way I could communicate with people was through text.”

Efroymson finished her second three rounds of chemotherapy in March 2024, and she went into remission.

“I want to sing praises from Dr. Landrum regarding my surgery. The first thing they said when I came out was they got it all. But of course, they never fully get ovarian cancer,” she says. “For a year I was in remission, and I felt pretty good. But then, it came back.”

“Most patients with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with advanced stage disease. The risk of recurrence in this setting is approximately 75 to 80 percent,” Dr. Landrum explains. “We are frequently successful with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy at providing a period of time in which no disease is present, but in most cases it comes back in the first two years.”

When the cancer came back in March of this year, Efroymson started another five rounds of chemotherapy with a targeted immunotherapy, which she recently concluded.

Throughout her treatment, she shares she’s been grateful for Dr. Landrum’s care.

“She's the best. She’s very sympathetic. She writes things down for you, so you know exactly what’s going on. She really knows her stuff.”

Efroymson wants to encourage other women to be their own advocates when it comes to their health, especially since it is such a difficult disease to diagnose.

“I would like every woman who goes through these problems to keep in mind that ovarian cancer is a possibility.”

Many of IU Health’s physicians engage in clinical research to improve diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic cancers. One area of diagnostic research is searching for techniques to diagnose ovarian cancer at an earlier stage. Dr. Landrum stresses the importance of this clinical research.

For Efroymson, she hopes sharing her story will help provide education about ovarian cancer as well as inspire hope for others who may be on a similar path.

“I want people to know they’re not alone. There are people and resources that can help.”

Common symptoms of ovarian cancer include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, a feeling of fullness after eating only a little and urinary symptoms like needing to urinate more frequently. Other signs can include back pain, fatigue, indigestion, constipation and changes in bowel or bladder habits

To learn more about ovarian cancer and treatment options through IU Health, visit iuhealth.org/find-medical-services/cervical-ovarian-cancer.

Pictured: Liz Efroymson (left) and Dr. Lisa Landrum (right)

10/31/2025

IU Health North NICU team dresses babies up for Halloween —

Team members in the Riley Children’s Health at IU Health North Neonatal Intensive Care unit (NICU) helped the hospital’s tiniest patients get in a spooky spirit and celebrate Halloween.

The team dressed the babies up in costumes for their families to enjoy.

"Doing this gives families a sense of normalcy. When you're having a baby at the hospital, nobody expects a longer stay in the NICU. They're here with us and our nursing staff has made bonds with these families," says Ashley Brunic, manager of clinical operations for the NICU. "Our nurses look forward to this. They love their jobs—every day—but it's especially fun on holidays to spend it with these families who are away from their families."

This year’s costumes included Batman and Superman, a fairy princess, a pop star, a doctor and more.

10/29/2025

Physical therapist leads with understanding -

Jamie Smith (first photo, second from the right), a physical therapist at IU Health North Hospital, has always wanted to be in the healthcare field. Her mother worked as a nurse, and her grandparents took Smith along to physical therapy appointments as a child.

“My grandparents watched us and took us along to appointments. Physical therapy was the fun place to be. They had all the cool toys, so that kind of drew me to it initially,” she says.

Smith later had a neck injury in high school that once again drew her into the physical therapy world. When starting school for physical therapy, she was drawn to a pelvic health specialty due to her mother.

“I got drawn to the pelvic health realm because my mom worked in a gynecologist's office. Most of her career, she taught childbirth education, and had a lot of overlap with physical therapy, pain management strategies and referrals to therapists. So, she really encouraged me to learn more about pelvic health, and I've done that most of my career,” Smith explains.

Smith first joined the IU Health North team three and a half years ago. As a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health, she helps patients treat and manage a variety of conditions including incontinence, gastrointestinal dysfunction and even postpartum recovery.

This past summer, Smith was promoted to be a team lead in the Outpatient Rehabilitation department. She helps the team to coordinate with physicians, provides logistical support and solves any problems that might arise. As a team lead, Smith feels a close connection with the others in the department.

"We really are a family. We support each other through the ups and downs of everyday life and support each other as clinicians. We problem solve for any patients we have that might have a more unique presentation of symptoms. That's really my favorite part, being with my coworkers,” she says.

Treating patients, however, is a case close to Smith’s heart.

“The most rewarding part is getting to see people improve with their quality of life. We get patients coming in where we make such a dramatic change in their quality of life and their ability to function and do the things they want to do,” she explains.

Smith wants patients and others to know that getting help should never be embarrassing.

“I just want people to know that there's options, that they don't have to be embarrassed to seek care for their pelvic floor. It's a central part of our body, and we need to take care of it as well as any other part of our body, whether it's our shoulder, knee or neck,” she says.

October is National Physical Therapy Month. At IU Health North, the physical therapy team is proud to offer expert, compassionate care across a wide range of specialties. Along with pelvic health services, the team also offers oncology rehabilitation, vestibular therapy, orthopedic rehabilitation, aging and related services, pediatric therapy and acute care services.

To learn more, visit: https://iuhealth.org/find-locations/iu-health-north-rehab-services-iu-health-north-hospital

Pictured: Inpatient team (first photo) and outpatient team (second photo)

10/22/2025

Each year, teams and team members who exemplify the IU Health values are nominated by their peers or leaders for the IU Health Values Leadership Awards (VLA).

The mark of a great leader is one that supports their team to grow to their highest potential. Rachel Lower, manager of Rehabilitation Services, does just that.

Here’s a little from Lower's nomination: "Rachel is a proactive leader who consistently ties the work she does back to the values of IU Health. She advocates for not only the best care for our patients but also our team members. Rachel has a deep connection to our values of purpose and compassion that shines through daily. She comes to work with the best of positive intentions and does an amazing job setting an example to our broader leadership team on how to support the mission of the organization.

Rachel is a positive influential leader not only within her department but also throughout our facility. She shows up daily ready focused on making the experience for her team and their patients the best it can be. She has the ability to embrace change and move through leading others with hope and inspiration. Rachel has a thoughtful and reflective approach to taking in new information and translating for others to understand in a way that matters to them. She is also not afraid to express how she feels respectfully or ask for help when she doesn't understand which demonstrates her authentic leadership style."

Please help us congratulate Rachel in the comments!

10/22/2025

K9 Callie is the newest, furriest member of IU Health's therapy pet program.

10/21/2025

Each year, teams and team members who exemplify the IU Health values are nominated by their peers or leaders for the IU Health Values Leadership Awards (VLA).

Julia Porter (pictured third from right), a speech pathologist and team lead for Rehabilitation Services, is an advocate for both her patients and team.

Part of Porter's nomination reads: "Julia's communication and collaboration with others help align the needed programs and resources that help strengthen the multi discipline care at the IU Health Joe & Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center. Her unwavering advocacy for her patients is remarkable. She is kind, collaborative and dedicated to her profession.

She continues to grow our Oncology program by making connections with outside departments and organizations and by building up our team. She does a good job of bringing teams/people together. She is incredibly knowledgeable and has a passion for oncology which shows. We're lucky to have her on our team.

Julia is passionate about her team and her patients. She is an integral part of the Head and Neck support group. She is highly motivated and passionate about education and making people's lives better. Julia is always willing to share her own health story to promote screenings and connect fully with her patients. Teammates and patients alike trust Julia and are inspired by her positive attitude and compassion."

Please help up congratulate Julia in the comments!

10/20/2025

Each year, teams and team members who exemplify the IU Health values are nominated by their peers or leaders for the IU Health Values Leadership Awards (VLA).

Claude Winklepleck (pictured center), a registered nurse on IU Health North's Vascular Access team, consistently goes above and beyond in his role—whether it be patient care, team support or clinical expertise.

Part of Winklepleck's nomination reads: "Claude is not limited to just Vascular Access—he steps in wherever he’s needed. Whether it’s on the Medical-Surgical unit, Progressive Care unit, covering shifts at both IU Health North and West hospitals, Claude consistently volunteers to help when units are short staffed. His willingness to serve across multiple departments speaks volumes about his dedication to our team and our patients.

Beyond his clinical contributions, Claude plays a vital role in education. He trains nurses throughout the hospital in the use of ultrasound-guided IV placement—a skill that not only enhances nursing proficiency, but also improves patient satisfaction by reducing discomfort and delays. Claude leads classes, ensures the technique is performed correctly, and dedicates countless hours to follow-up training to ensure long-term success. His ability to teach this complex skill with clarity and patience embodies both compassion and excellence."

Please help us congratulate Claude in the comments!

10/17/2025

10/15/2025

The Atrio Café is one of the most active spaces at IU Health North Hospital, serving as a daily destination for patients, team members and visitors seeking a meal or a moment of connection.

Among the familiar faces in the Atrio is Austin Evans, a cashier known for his welcoming presence and upbeat attitude.

Evans has been with IU Health for a year and a half, bringing a strong background in retail with him. What sets this role apart for him is the people.

“I prefer being a cashier here because I'm helping patients. They’re a bit cheerier after I help them out,” he says.

Evans also speaks highly of the camaraderie he shares with his team.

“Here, we have each other's backs and always joke around. It's great coming to a role where you're just happy all the time,” he explains.

Looking ahead, Evans sees a future for himself at IU Health North.

“I do enjoy coming here every day. I like the growth opportunities that are offered here,” he says. “I can always advance through IU Health itself, if I’d like.”

10/09/2025

Melanie Reed’s passion for helping people led her into pharmaceutical medicine. Starting out as a pharmacy intern for IU Health Arnett Hospital in 2014, Reed has worked her way up to becoming a pharmacy manager at IU Health North Hospital.

In the Retail Pharmacy, pharmacists fill prescriptions for not only patients, but for team members and the public as well. Reed helps to educate patients on correct dosage, potential side effects and proper use of medicines.

Reed appreciates not just her fellow team members, but everyone at the hospital.

“I love that the whole hospital and every team member you talk to just feels like we're a big family. Everyone wants to help everyone else, and everyone always has a smile on their face,” she says.

Reed also loves meeting different patients, visitors and team members at the Retail Pharmacy.

“Every day is different. We always see different people and different things come up. I like that there's variety,” she explains.