John Shepard is the Center for Mindful Practice manager at IU Health. He offers resources to team members and patients in the areas of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, focus and overall well-being. About 7 weeks ago John underwent open-heart surgery. His post-op recovery has allowed him to practice those principals on himself. “My recovery has been kind of zig zaggy, from physical to mental to emotional challenges,” said John. “One practice in mindfulness is called gratitude and it’s different than gratefulness. Gratitude is more of a heart-opening experience when you actually consider all the support that you have. It kind of creates a shift in your perspective… it’s a feeling of connection to other people; it’s also a feeling of connection to yourself; and I think it’s the most important thing that has brought me through this.”

It was on her heart from the day she was released from the hospital. Megan Johnson wanted to meet the “heroes” who came to her aid.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

There was a time when Megan Johnson’s life was measured in minutes.

IU Health LifeLine received a call at 10:20 a.m. on Aug. 28, 2021. Within minutes, Johnson’s husband, Eric arrived at Columbus Regional Airport with Megan. She was met by three LifeLine crew members including a helicopter pilot. Critical Care Nurse Mike Collins, and Paramedic Matt Davidson began working on Megan and preparing her for transport to IU Health Methodist Hospital.

The air transport lifted off at 11:07 a.m. and 20 minutes later arrived in Indianapolis.

“We try to get in the air as soon as possible,” said Collins. They believed Megan had a stroke and their focus was transporting her to Methodist’s Critical Care team as soon as possible.

Megan was recovering from COVID and was in her kitchen on that August morning when she had what she calls “a little episode.” Once she was onboard the aircraft, she remembers very little. But she does remember someone working on her that she thought was her son and someone else that she thought was her husband.

“It’s funny how the mind works,” said Megan. “I actually felt like I was on vacation. The sun was so bright on my face and the presence of the people, I just felt safe and at peace. When I got to the hospital everyone was moving so fast. Everything changed. It was like they were freaking out and I kept thinking to myself, ‘just calm down,’” she said.

At Methodist Hospital, she was in care of a team of doctors, including a neurologist. After her release she went through rehabilitation including physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

Over time, she has regained her strength and endurance and has resumed her interests – hanging with her rescue dogs, gardening, and spending time with her family. She has a daughter, Emma Johnson, 18, a son, Skylar Rush, 27, and a granddaughter.

On a recent weekday, Megan’s husband, daughter, and mother-in-law, Mona Dunn, joined her as she fulfilled a wish. She wanted to meet the LifeLine crew members who helped save her life.

She cried, as she asked them questions and expressed her gratitude. As a token of her appreciation, Megan gave Davidson and Collins mosaic crosses with the verse: “Your servant’s hearts is His work of art. Giving the best of you, in the worst of times is a testament of your spirit. Your hard work, dedication, compassion and care will never be forgotten. My heart is full of thanks and unending appreciation for you and your acts of service you choose to do each day.”

Her crew members took Megan to see the inside of one of the LifeLine helicopters. She tried to imagine what it must have been like on that day when she was swept away into the clouds.

“I know in my heart how fortunate and lucky I am,” said Megan. “I think people are in the right place at the right time. I’m glad your time was with me – every second during the ride.”

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

Rhonda Conrad recently completed treatment at the IU Health West Cancer Center. She emphasizes the importance of empowerment while facing breast cancer.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, making it the most common cancer in American women.

For Rhonda Conrad, this is the second year that this month holds special meaning.

In September of last year, Conrad went for a routine mammogram, and by the time she left, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“That day was a very overwhelming day,” Conrad recalls. “It had gotten pretty far. I was stage three.”

After her diagnosis, she decided to meet with the care team at the IU Health Simon Cancer Center to establish a treatment plan. She connected with Dr. Kathy Miller, who specializes in hematology-oncology. Miller recommended chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.

Conrad began chemotherapy a couple of weeks later. She also began getting a PHESGO injection every three weeks, which stops cancer cells from dividing and growing.

“One thing I thought about IU Health is I wanted things to move pretty quickly, and they accommodated that,” she says.

She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, which ended in January of this year. A few weeks later, she underwent a double mastectomy. The surgeon also removed lymph nodes on her right side.

After waiting a few weeks, she began 30 rounds of radiation at the end of April at IU Health West, which is closer to home.

“I live in Hendricks County, and I work in Hendricks County. Because it was so close, it didn’t take over my life, just part of my day, not the whole day,” she says. “I love the infusion center there. Everyone is just so nice. They really care, and you can tell.”

When Conrad began radiation, she connected with Sarah Dyer, a clinical nurse navigator for the IU Health West Cancer Center.

“I was Rhonda’s nurse navigator from the beginning of her radiation therapy treatments and continue to be her support in survivorship,” Dyer says. “Nurse navigators can play an important role in a patient’s cancer journey. They are the point of contact for patients for whatever they may need throughout their treatment and even after treatment is complete. Nurse navigators support, educate, coordinate care and provide resources throughout the journey. I personally believe that it is important for a patient to have at least that one person they can contact with any questions, concerns or to just be a listening ear whenever needed.”

“There are so many appointments you have. She helped orchestrate all of it,” Conrad adds. “She seemed to know when I wasn’t able to do it for myself.”

Since Conrad’s surgery and treatment, her care team has not found any traces of cancer.

“It was gone. There wasn’t anything,” she says. “They couldn’t even see it microscopically.”

Now, her perspective on life has changed. Conrad used to work as an oncology social worker. She now understands what the experience is like from the patient side.

“You have to spend some time dealing with your own mortality,” she explains. “One thing I always told patients is that you will be looking at a tree very differently for the rest of your life because of what’s happened to you. It’s more real, more pure, more there because you faced it being potentially gone.”

Conrad hopes sharing her story will encourage others with breast cancer to stay strong.

“You have to empower yourself because this is not going to be easy,” she says.

“Rhonda has always kept so positive which has only helped her through some of the toughest times,” Dyer adds. “She is an inspiration and I wish only the best for Rhonda in her continued healing and with everything in life.”

Lizsette Encina is a hemodialysis nurse at University Hospital. She came to IU Health last year from the Philippines as part of the hospital system’s International Nursing Program— a workforce development program that recruits nurses to IU Health from other countries.

The program started in 2019 to help fill staffing gaps created by Indiana’s statewide nursing shortage, as well as increase diversity among caregivers at the downtown Indianapolis hospitals.

Lizsette is one of more than 60 nurses from countries including the Philippines and Kenya. “I love it here. I was just shocked when we arrived because it was already winter… so when you experience that first hand when you came from a very warm country, I was shocked.”

Ariana Hoskins has been in bed management at Methodist Hospital for 25 years. It’s her job to communicate with care teams find open beds for patients as efficiently as possible. “It’s like a big chess board. It does get challenging… but I like that challenge of getting those patients taken care of on a daily basis.”

This National Hispanic Heritage Month, Juan Guzman, chief operating officer of IU Health West, is looking back at his time at IU Health, how he got there and what he’s learned along the way.

By Charlotte Stefanski, cstefanski@iuhealth.org, writer for IU Health’s Indianapolis Suburban Region

As a teenager, Juan Guzman had no idea what he wanted to be when he grew up. But his mom had given him four choices—doctor, dentist, lawyer or nurse.

Growing up in Fort Wayne, Ind., Guzman had a very different life from his parents, who had both immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the 80s.

His father had traveled from Mexico to California, across the country to Chicago and then found a job in Fort Wayne. His mother was born and raised in Harlingen, a border town in Texas. The two found work in Fort Wayne at General Motors and Dana Incorporated.

“One of the things my parents always told me was, ‘We always want you to do better than we are doing in life,’” he says.

Guzman took his mother’s advice, attending Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis for his undergraduate degree in biology. But he wasn’t sure if the clinical side was a good fit.

“I thought maybe looking at the other side of healthcare—which I didn’t even know existed at the time—that healthcare administration might be more conducive to my skill set,” Guzman says.

His college mentor helped guide him toward healthcare administration, and after completing his undergraduate degree, he went on to an accelerated master’s program. Upon graduation, he had applied to more than 20 administrative fellowship programs.

It was the first year IU Health had this type of program and Guzman was selected as a fellow. He would work with the system leadership team, learning the ins and outs of the organization. Now, eight years later, he’s chief operating officer of IU Health West.

“Leadership gives you the opportunity to have that macro impact on healthcare and the delivery of what we’re providing for patients and our communities,” Guzman says.

Now, during National Hispanic Heritage Month, Guzman is looking back at his time at IU Health, how he got there and what he’s learned along the way.

Moving into leadership

After Guzman completed his fellowship program in 2016, he became director of Planning and Strategy at IU Health West, where he spent much of his time working on the strategic plan for the hospital’s “Raise the Roof” project, an $84 million vertical expansion that was complete in 2021.

From there, he took on leadership of other departments and service lines, including orthopedics and protective services.

In January 2020, Guzman became director of the IU Health Joe & Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center in Carmel, which had just opened its doors on the IU Health North campus. He stayed in that role through the COVID-19 pandemic, and then made his way back to West as chief operating officer (COO) in December 2021.

As COO, Guzman oversees IU Health West’s day-to-day operations, overseeing departments like Food and Nutrition Services, Pharmacy, Imaging, the Cancer Center, Orthopedics and Cardiovascular programs and more.

“I’m responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility, but I’m also responsible for ensuring that we’re making the right strategic decisions for the facility, to meet the needs of our community on the west side of town,” he explains.

That means collaborating with physicians and other hospitals within the IU Health Indianapolis Suburban Region, which includes IU Health North, Saxony, Tipton and West hospitals.

Every day is different for Guzman. One meeting can be about budget, while the next is about patient experiences, followed by interviews for new surgeons. But at the end of the day, he’s working to meet his community’s needs.

Those big impacts are what drew him to leadership in the first place. It’s intriguing to see how he can help teams change the way they deliver care and see how it impacts outcomes and helps achieve goals.

Guzman notes he’s always had mentors—whether it be his parents, school counselors or current professional mentors—give to him.

Healthcare is an industry that always allows him to give back. Just as his mentors saw much more in him than he could ever see in himself, he does the same for those he’s now mentoring in the hospital.

“One of the most rewarding things to see is some of our leaders get promoted, cut a ribbon to a new department or take on a project that’s going to really stretch them,” Guzman says. “That is something I really take pride in. How do you develop other people? Because so many other people invested in me too.”

Celebrating Hispanic heritage

Observed Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the diverse cultures and achievements of Americans with roots in Latin America and Spain, as well as celebrating the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries.

With Guzman’s father being from a small town in Guanajuato, Mexico, that heritage is a strong part of his identity.

“I don’t really boast about my culture all the time. But it’s always with me and ingrained in me,” Guzman explains. “I think there are a few core values that the Latino community believes in—faith, family and food.”

Family has always been important to Guzman, and he has vivid memories of a multi-generational home growing up.

“I’ll never forget where I’ve come from or the struggles that my parents and my family have gone through to afford me the opportunities that I’ve had today,” he adds.

Every year, Guzman also takes National Hispanic Heritage Month as a learning opportunity. There are plenty of events in the Indianapolis area planned in celebration of this month too.

Guzman is secretary of La Plaza’s Board of Directors—an organization that advocates Latino students for educational success and connects their families to health and social services. The organization recently held a large celebration in downtown Indianapolis, with Latino vendors, food and more on display.

He also spoke during the Indiana Latino Institute’s Nuestra Luz (Our Light) celebration this month, which highlights the Latino community and its contributions. He’ll also be checking out the Indiana Historical Society’s month-long Latino heritage series.

“It’s an opportunity for us as a Latino community to learn about our rich history, culture and heritage, and then also allow others to learn about it too,” Guzman says.

As Guzman has found success at IU Health, he’s always tried to carry that forward with the local Latino community.

Along with serving on La Plaza’s board, he also serves on the Hispanic Business Council’s Indy Chamber. He’s also mentored a local Latino student through the Starfish Initiative, giving him support from freshman to senior year.

“I’ve always wanted to give back to the Latino community in any way I’ve been able to, because it’s that sense of family,” he says.

Si se puede — Yes, we can

As Guzman has given back—both to IU Health West and his community—it’s also given back to him.

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, Latinx and Hispanic people represent the largest racial or ethnic minority group in the United States, comprising 18.5% of the total population. Yet, data still shows that few hold executive-level roles. Guzman’s strives to be an example for other up and coming Latinos.

He was also one of the Indiana Latino Institute’s 2022 Elevated Latino Under 40 honorees, after being nominated by IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy, Director of Patient Safety Stacey Pomeroy and Art Vasquez, president of IU Health West Central Region.

He thinks back to his father, who made a dangerous journey to become an American citizen.

“My dad came here as an illegal immigrant, with $20 in his pocket, the clothes on his back and a gallon of water. He always tells me if he can make it in the U.S., anybody can make it,” Guzman says. “He didn’t speak any English. He had no social security card. He had no high school education. What do I have to complain about? I’ve got everything and more above and beyond that.”

There’s a phrase in Spanish, Guzman adds, “Si se puede,” or “Yes, we can.” If Guzman’s father can do it—if Guzman can do it—anybody can.

“I take it as a personal mission to ensure I’m as good of a role model as I possibly can be for other young Latinos that are in healthcare, whether it be clinical or non-clinical,” he says.

Guzman recently helped launch the Indiana chapter for the National Association for Latino Healthcare Executives, with the goal to ensure that healthcare and healthcare administration is a career choice for Latinos.

While his father might not know it, he’s taught Guzman a lot, and now, Guzman is sharing it with young professionals at IU Health and beyond. The most important things he has learned are:

• Hustle. There’s no substitute for a strong work ethic.
• Be humble—you’re not as good as you think.
• Never focus on someone else’s money or possessions. Hard work is always rewarded.
• Don’t ever stop being a kid.