“In late 2017, I died,” says Jim Nettleman.

He was watching the Michigan vs. Ohio State University football game with his family when his heart stopped. His son Matt, who was completing his residency program at the time, started CPR. The ambulance arrived and CPR continued for 20 – 25 minutes. No one felt he was going to survive except the team of providers at IU Health Arnett Hospital.

He was placed in a coma. A few days later he started pulling at his tubes. The nurse told him to stop—he did. She then asked him to point at different things in the room—no response. His son suggested she ask him to do the Macarena—he started dancing. The providers knew then they could proceed with his quintuple bypass.

“Did we win?” was the first question Nettleman, a die-hard Michigan fan, asked his son when he woke up in strange surroundings, eight days after the game. The answer was no—to which Nettleman replied, “Then why did you wake me up?”

After his heart attack, he felt the time was right to retire. Two months later he started volunteering at Arnett—the place that saved his life.

“This is how I can help,” says Nettleman on volunteering. “I get so much out of it. I feel energized.”

Nettleman’ s favorite thing to do is hassle people who enter the main doors on his Tuesdays—especially if they are wearing Purdue gear.

“Most people appreciate the interaction,” says Nettleman. “Some people have forgotten how to engage with each other. I love the team at the hospital and the work they do. Sometimes I will step up and remind patients and visitors that politeness goes a long way.”

If you stop in for a flu shot, Nettleman will humorously recommend you get the pumpkin latte flavor, which he says are in limited supply.

No matter the location, Nettleman will talk to people—because those strangers are just someone he hasn’t picked on yet. Something his wife finds mildly entertaining.

Serena McFarland has been with IU Health as a patient care assistant and unit secretary for nearly 30 years. Her team recently surprised her with a Tulip Award, a national recognition given to support staff who exemplify overall excellence in their work. We want to congratulate Serena and thank her for making a difference in the lives of her team and and her patients.

Ladonna Wattley recently celebrated her one-year work anniversary with the IU Health West oncology team, and in that time, she’s made a significant impact on patients. Through her work as an oncology social worker, she’s making sure all patients feel represented.

Wattley also leads a virtual cancer support group, catered to women of color, called Sister Circle. Learn more here.

Brittany Stuckmeyer is a nurse on Methodist Hospital’s multi specialty critical care unit. She and her team care for some of the hospital’s sickest patients. “There are times when you connect with a patient and their family and the outcome isn’t going to be good… and those are hard days, but then we can have patients come in who are [so sick that they are] unrecognizable to their families and we get to take their breathing tube out, get to give them ice chips, get to hear their voices… and we get to actually meet the person that they are.”

Written by Emma Avila, epackard1@iuhealth.org, writer for IU Health’s Indianapolis Suburban Region.

Fishers resident Adam Hormann has been involved in the community through his work at IU Health Saxony, where he started as an intern.

Adam Hormann moved to Fishers a few weeks ago, but he has invested his time and energy into the community much longer than that, through his work at IU Health Saxony.

Hormann began at the hospital as an intern in February 2022 while he was in graduate school. He worked directly under Chief Operating Officer Chad Dilley, focused primarily on the Fishers Community Impact Project. This $300 million investment into the Fishers community includes a significant expansion of the IU Health Saxony Hospital campus and services, and the addition of offsite, outpatient access to primary care and specialists.

During his internship, Hormann took minutes during project meetings and documented the processes, especially during the design phase.

“It’s a lot of small things, but they roll up into the big portfolio project,” he said.

He graduated this year with a master’s in health administration. In July, he accepted a full-time job at IU Health Saxony as a project manager.

“I fell in love with the team,” he said. “It was easy to say yes.”

Now, he focuses on making sure project milestones are achieved as well as staffing, specifically physician recruitment. The expansion is expected to double the hospital’s workforce.

“We are making sure we have the staff to fill the needs of our patients,” he explained.

And Hormann has a direct track on what those needs are as a new Fishers resident. As he meets more people in the community, he often hears that people are excited to have these services so close to home.

“When I hear people are glad these services are offered in Fishers, it makes me feel like I’m part of something special,” he said.

Hormann is even going the extra mile to get more involved in his new home, speaking with and mentoring students at Fishers High School about his career path.

“I tell them about my internship, job and the opportunities we have at IU Health Saxony,” he said. “I can’t speak highly enough about the leadership team here and the hospital as a whole.”

Though when he took his internship, Hormann never expected to stay long-term, he is thankful for the choices he’s made.

“It’s been great to see this project from the early phases to what it is now. I couldn’t be happier here.”

“I am the first in my family to graduate,” says Veronica Quinones.

She is one of six team members who recently walked across the stage of Purdue University, graduating as certified medical assistants (MA II). The group took part in an accelerated program through Purdue Global which included four 10-week terms with three to four courses per term—followed by two externships and a credentialing exam.

The six graduates (pictured l-r) are now starting their new careers as medical assistants in the WCR:

• Jackie McHale, MA II, Pediatrics, West Lafayette medical office
• Chelsey Lamson, MA II, Connected Care, Greenbush Street medical office
• Veronica Quinones, MA II, Otolaryngology, Greenbush Street medical office
• Abby Bullock, MA II, Internal Medicine, Greenbush Street medical office
• Jasmine Turner, MA II, OB-GYN, Arnett Hospital medical office building
• Nan Mayes, MA II, Neurology, Ferry Street medical office

“This experience has helped me grow as a person and as an employee,” says Lamson. “I have realized that I am smarter than I give myself credit for.”

“I cannot tell you how amazing it feels that I’m able to prove to myself and my son that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to by putting in the time and hard work,” says Mayes. “I am so happy I accepted this challenge.”

McHale is not only proud of accepting the challenge and succeeding. She says she also found inspiration from the group of six.

“Watching myself and the other women in our group grow was inspiring,” says McHale. We all started nervous and scared. We sat in a room, did our assignments and went home. Within a few short weeks we went from sitting alone, to studying together, laughing, crying, sharing stories and supporting each other. The personal connection between us all is overwhelming with love and support.”

Support from the IU Health Foundation helped these team members grow in their careers at no financial cost. Each graduate worked three-quarters time, with 10 hours of blocked study time each week. They received regular pay and benefits during the program. Additionally, the program covered the costs of courses, supplies and certifications.

The group was also supported by a dedicated mentor, practice manager Monica Sanchez.

“Seeing these ladies grow in their educational goals gives me chills,” says Sanchez.

“If you want to further your career, I recommend this accelerated program,” says Bullock. “I have learned that if you really want to accomplish something, you need to stay focused and determined to reach your goal. It is also important to make sure to have a great support system that can be there for you on those tough days.”

Alex Nussman joined IU Health seven years ago as a registration specialist. Since then she has advanced her education and capitalized on opportunities to get to her current role where she manages high-level projects for the healthcare system. “One of my favorite things about working in this organization is that there are so many opportunities, whether you’re clinical or non-clinical.”

Getting a routine mammogram was normal for Kara Dowd. She’d been getting them routinely for almost 20 years.

In 2020, she went in for her mammogram, they noticed that her breast didn’t seem normal, but nothing was found. Her abnormal mammogram made her uneasy, and one year later, they found a spot. It didn’t take her long to realize she had breast cancer. “I felt like I was expecting it to happen, it was just a matter of time,” says Dowd.

She quickly went to have an MRI test where they found two spots, the second one was so small it didn’t even appear on the mammogram. Since she was able to detect the lumps at such an early stage, she knew the cancer wouldn’t be as dangerous, and she was immediately ready to have it removed.

When Dowd called the IU Health Ball Cancer Center she asked the team member on the other line for the doctor they would want their family to visit for care. They told her to book an appointment with Mark Saleem, MD, FACS.

Dowd found that waiting for the surgery was one of the hardest parts. “I just wanted to get it out,” she says. Her family was supportive of her decision since the very beginning. Her husband of 30 years felt the same way, he wanted to remove it all so there was no further risk.

Dowd quickly reached out to plastic surgeon, Edward Kubek, MD to discuss implant options after her cancer was removed. “I wanted to get implants to help me feel more normal,” she says.

Both doctors, Saleem and Kubek worked together to discuss Dowd’s treatment options. “I loved that both of them were there together,” says Dowd. “It gave me more reassurance that both procedures, the mastectomy and the reconstruction, would be done in tandem.” The two would meet a couple of times a month to discuss Dowd’s situation and the best decisions for her. “I liked that they were able to share opinions and discuss together, instead of only one doctor coming up with my plan,” she says.

On January 27, Dowd went in for full mastectomy surgery. The procedure would remove both breasts entirely.

“I felt like Dr. Saleem was so gentle,” says Dowd. “The nursing staff and everyone was awesome for me. From a bad situation, I had the best-case scenario,” she says.

In preparation for her breast reconstruction surgery, Kubek recommended she get a saline implant. He didn’t want her to have another substance in the body that wasn’t needed. Dowd found the saline implants to be softer and more natural appearing on her body.

Kubek showed Dowd before and after pictures of other people with a similar build to her. She has a very athletic build, which can make her implants look different than someone with a rounder body shape.

When it was time for surgery, everything went well. Kubek installed the saline implants just like he had explained during consultation meetings with Dowd. “When I looked at other people’s pictures online, I got really nervous,” she says. “I was scared about how I would look, but I am really pleased with my results! I didn’t expect mine to come out as nice as they did.”

After the surgery, Kubek spent his break with Dowd and her husband in their recovery room. “He made it into a personal experience,” Dowd says. “He didn’t have to spend his free time with us, he just wanted to.” They were able to build a personal connection with Kubek talking about family, life and hobbies.

It’s been over a year since Dowd had her surgeries, and she now often forgets she even has the implants in. “The team at IU Health was amazing,” she says. “I couldn’t have been in better hands from the beginning all the way up to the present day.”

Since they found out about the tumors, the family has changed how they view life, and is spending more time together. “I’m living more in the present, because we don’t know how much time we have left,” she says.

If spinal pain in your neck has become severe enough to affect your daily life, you may be searching for medical options for relief. If you’ve tried conservative options like physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications, and they failed to improve your neck pain, it may be time to consider surgery. Cervical spine surgery describes procedures that repair damage to the spine near the neck and shoulders.

Conditions That May Require Surgery

Upper back and neck pain can be caused by several issues, including:

• Herniated discs, which are problems with the soft, jelly-like discs between each vertebra. If these discs tear or squeeze outward, they can put pressure on nerves in the neck, causing pain, numbness and tingling in the extremities, pain in shoulders, arms and hands and even headaches.
• Spinal stenosis occurs when bone growth, bone spurs or calcium deposits cause the space around the spinal cord or nerve roots to narrow, putting pressure on the spinal cord and causing clumsiness or numbness in hands or legs.
• Degenerative disc disease, or the wearing away of the cushioned discs between vertebra, can cause pain and affect range of motion.

There are different types of cervical spine surgery available to repair the damage caused by advanced spine problems.

“Cervical spine surgery isn’t really a one-size-fits-all procedure. We tailor each operation to address the problems for each individual patient,” said Dr. Bryan Wohlfeld, an IU Health neurosurgeon specializing in treating complex and degenerative spine conditions. “Most procedures involve removing obstructions from the sensitive nerves and spinal cord and stabilizing the spine.”

Types of Cervical Spine Surgery

There are different types of cervical spine surgery to alleviate pain and stabilize the spine.

• Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery removes the damaged disc and any bone spurs causing pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. Through a horizontal incision in the side or front of the neck, spine surgeons remove the disc and replace it with a bone graft held in place with a titanium plate and screws. As you heal, this graft will eventually fuse with your bone, strengthening this area around the nerves and halting any arthritis. This section of your spine will no longer move, but it shouldn’t affect your overall range of motion.
• Total disc replacement, or arthroplasty (TDA) is a newer procedure that replaces a damaged disc with a prosthetic disc. TDA is an option for select patients with less advanced degeneration. It can preserve mobility and reduce stress on the vertebrae.

When you undergo cervical surgery, it can last between one to six hours, depending on how much repair is needed. You may stay in the hospital or a rehab center following the procedure, or you may return home on the same day of surgery if you have a less degenerative condition.

Your spine may require more than one type of procedure during surgery. For instance, spinal stenosis may need additional steps to alleviate your neck pain.

“With degenerative conditions, we have to consider doing surgery across multiple levels of the spine,” Dr. Wohlfeld said. “Sometimes that means we’ll approach a cervical decompression fusion from the back of the neck, or we’ll remove two discs at once.”

There are risks associated with cervical surgery. These include risk of infection, bleeding, difficulty swallowing or speaking, damage to throat or limited recovery due to preexisting damage to the nerves.

“Sometimes, the symptoms will not fully resolve if there’s preexisting damage to the nerves,” Dr. Wohlfeld said. “This is one reason patients should not delay surgery for too long. If your pain continues to worsen, it can affect your outcome.”

Recovery After ACDF Surgery

Recovery after cervical spine surgery can last between three to six months. During this time, avoid activities that stress the neck, like lifting heavy objects or bending, twisting or tilting your neck. After cervical fusion surgery, your surgeon may recommend that you wear a neck brace, or cervical collar, for several months to avoid stress on the hardware that’s been implanted in your spine.

During recovery, your post-surgical pain will be at its worst during the first three to five days. You may be given medication during that time to reduce pain. You also may notice stiffness after surgery, but this usually improves over time as your muscles recover. The numbness and weakness you’ve experienced on your spine will also improve, though it may take weeks or months.

Ultimately, cervical spine surgery can help alleviate your symptoms and get you back to enjoying life.

“Generally, the success rates for anterior cervical spine fusion surgeries and disc replacements can be high, and most cases the surgery can relieve pain and also improve function in the neck,” Dr. Wohlfeld said.