Kathryn Davis is a nurse practitioner who cares for adult and pediatric patients at IU Health Saxony in Fishers. “It’s about 60/40, mostly adults and we take care of their health, see them for wellness visits or sick visits whenever they’re needed,” said Kathryn. “When you have people take the time to say thank you… that really affirms what we do here and it makes a big difference.”

The death of Hunter Clark’s grandfather revealed mysterious characteristics of a rare genetic disorder, now affecting several family members.

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

Hunter Clark looks up at his grandmother, smiles and says, “I love you, Grandma.” He pats her on the shoulder and snuggles in close for a hug.

The affection is mutual. As Clark recently completed an infusion at IU Health Simon Cancer Center, his grandmother, Patti Phelps, shared the story of her husband’s diagnosis, death, and how family members are coping with the same rare disease.

After the death of Phelps’ husband, her daughter, who is Clark’s mother, tested positive for Fabry disease. Clark, 23, an adult with Down syndrome, was also diagnosed with the disease. He is in Stage 5 kidney failure and is in the care of IU Health’s Dr. Kathleen Prag, a board certified nephrologist, and Dr. Bryan Hainline, who specializes in medical genetics.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Fabry disease is an inherited neurological disorder that occurs when the alpha-galactosidase-A cannot efficiently break down fatty materials known as lipids into smaller components that provide energy to the body. The mutated gene causes lipids to build up to harmful levels in the body’s autonomic nervous system, as well as in the eyes, kidneys, and cardiovascular system.

“Everything he died of in 2020 can be taken back to Fabry disease,” said Phelps of her husband. At the time, family members were not aware of the symptoms and they didn’t have a name associated with the disorder.

Some of those symptoms include burning pain in the arms and legs, impaired circulation, enlarged heart, blurred vision, progressive kidney impairment, gastrointestinal difficulties, and red spots on the skin.

In Clark’s immediate family, each individual, diagnosed with Fabry disease is being treated for different symptoms. They see a host of specialists including cardiologists and nephrologists. His mother suffers from pain and numbness in her extremities. His younger brother has been treated for a rash on his arms and also has gastrointestinal issues. His younger sister has pain in her legs.

“My husband was never tested and throughout the years we knew something was going on because two family members had kidney transplants. My husband had severe headaches and seizures but no one could find out why,” said Phelps. “He also had heart attacks and strokes and even though he lived to be 70, we look back and see so many things that were associated with the disease. We are blessed to have found Dr. Hainline, who is familiar with the disease. Everyone we’ve dealt with at IU Health – patient advocates, navigators, financial reps, doctors, nurses, have been fantastic.”

As Phelps talks, her grandson plays a game, eats a sandwich and passes the time during a treatment he receives every other week for five to seven hours. Clark loves country music, hockey and watching the Indianapolis Colts.

With his kidneys failing, Clark will begin testing in preparation for transplant, said his grandmother.

“This has been a lot for all of us to deal. We’ve lost family members to the disease and others are fighting. It’s been a long road.”

Carter Cramer had a close-up view of the healthcare field but it wasn’t until later that he pursued the path of nursing.

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

His supervisors applaud Carter Cramer’s professionalism, decision-making, and advocacy during difficult situations. They talk about his knack of collaborating and assessing and reassessing patients.

In his role as Team Lead Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Cramer not only performs clinical duties; he also oversees and manages the provider team of nurse practitioners and psychiatrists. He was also the first clinician hired in his department when it was still in the conceptual stages. Now, that virtual behavioral care unit services 17 different emergency departments, and 10 urgent care clinics, and numerous inpatient medical units. The primary role of the team is to provide psychiatric consultations.

Carter, 39, is originally from New York City. He started his career working in the nutrition and fitness sector. He received an undergraduate degree in sociology from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. After seven years of living and working in NYC post-college, he moved to Vermont to complete a post-baccalaureate pre-health program at The University of Vermont.

“While I was in school, I was working part time for a woman with cerebral palsy. She raved about her psychiatric provider. I drove her to her appointments with this nurse practitioner and this piqued my interest,” said Carter. He enrolled in nursing school at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn, where he completed his master’s in science in psychiatric mental health advanced practice nursing. He later went on to complete his doctorate at Missouri State University, Springfield, Mo., and landed in Indiana in 2018 when his partner moved to the state for work.

“Carter is knowledgeable, competent and compassionate while leading and simultaneously educating others, staffing with team members and assessing patients,“ said his manager. “He is proficient and efficient in multitasking and prioritizing every need on and off the shift. This makes him a trusted, respected and invaluable team member. His tenacity and commitment to our team and work aligns with our value of excellence. Carter is the first to say, ‘yes’ in any situation – this includes filling staffing gaps, and his willingness to engage and resolve challenging and complex behavioral health cases.”

This week is Nurse Practitioner Week – a time to recognize the valuable contributions of IU Health’s nurse practitioners.

Cramer describes one time when he was working with an elderly terminally ill patient. The patient exhibited signs of severe depression and Cramer was able to work with the patient’s spouse to create a safety plan.

“The spouse expressed gratitude and felt more comfortable having a plan in place. Having access to our service prevented this patient from being sent to the ED for further assessment. Through virtual care, we are able to meet the patients where they are,” said Cramer.

His patients are what Cramer likes best about his role with IU Health. “I’m doing acute psychiatric and crisis work so I’m seeing patients in the emergency department at one of their greatest times of need. Being able to provide them with timely care at such a vulnerable point in their lives is both important for the patient and personally rewarding,” he said. “As a team lead I love being part of the leadership team, building programming and mentoring and training team members and new hires.”

In his spare time, Cramer and his partner enjoy outdoor activities such as skiing in Minnesota.

Keith Gilpatrick always hoped he could make a difference in the life of a child, so he followed in his mom’s footsteps and pursued a career in education.

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

Keith Gilpatrick grew up on the Southside of Indianapolis where he enjoyed playing basketball, baseball and football. He also enjoyed playing bass in a band, and building sets for the theater at Franklin Central High School.

After graduation he earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies education from IUPU and started his first teaching job in Pike Township. His principal became his mentor and he soon returned to school where he received a master’s degree in education leadership from Ball State University.

“My mom was an educator. She taught pre-school and I just thought her creativity was something very cool — the way she put together her lessons. After a time, the opportunity to mentor students became the favorite part of my job and I felt I could do more of that on the administrative side,” said Gilpatrick, who turns 38 on November 19.

He went on to serve as Dean of Students at Crispus Attucks High School and then Assistant Principal at North Putnam Middle School.

It was while he was at Crispus Attucks that he received his initial diagnosis of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

“I was having bad leg pain, night sweats and fatigue so I went to the doctor and from there went straight to ER,” said Gilpatrick. That was in 2020. At IU Health Simon Cancer Center, Gilpatrick received a bone marrow transplant donated by his sister, Jessica Gilpatrick, who works as a clinical care specialist in respiratory care at IU Health Methodist Hospital.

“Things went well for two years and then in July of 2023 I started getting weak. My hands stopped functioning and I went into the hospital with dehydration and pneumonia,” said Gilpatrick.

Married since July 14, 2007, to what he refers to as “another Jessica Gilpatrick” he is the father of Ella, 11, and Charlie, 8.

After 10 days on a ventilator, Gilpatrick learned he had relapsed causing damage to his kidneys. He was in the hospital for two months in care of Dr. Rita Assi who specializes in hematology.

As he talked with nurse Allison Boone, Gilpatrick explained the process for his new treatment.

“Dr. Assi told me I needed CAR-T but the team didn’t think I’d get approved. She pushed for it and I got approved,” said Gilpatrick. CAR-T Cell Therapy is a way to get immune cells called “T cells” (a type of white blood cells) to fight cancer by changing them in a lab so they can find and destroy cancer cells. The innovative therapy involves collecting a patient’s blood and passing it through a machine that separates out the T cells. The cells are then sent to a laboratory to be modified to become CAR-T. Gilpatrick underwent three days of chemotherapy to prepare his body for the treatment and then the CAR-T cells were infused back into his body. IU Health was the first health system in Indiana to have access to CAR-T cell therapy.

“Dr. Assi is very optimistic. My bone marrow is in good remission. We’ll keep monitoring things and after I go home I’ll come twice a week for labs and check in with Dr. Assi periodically,” said Gilpatrick.

He’s already looking forward to returning to life at home with his family. He enjoys playing video games and throwing footballs with his son, challenging his daughter to board games and watching her act out her roles in plays. He and his wife love to watch movies and listen to music – especially Ska, a combination of Caribbean mento and calypso and American jazz, rhythm, and blues.

Baylee Alexander has done a lot of things she wasn’t sure she’s be able to after liver transplant. She finished nursing school, got married and had her first child, a beautiful little girl who she was eager to introduce to her transplant team. “The fact that I get to live out my dreams because of someone’s decision to be an organ donor is amazing.”

A mobile lung cancer screening program will soon take life-saving screenings to eligible high-risk Hoosiers statewide, thanks to a $4.5 million gift from the Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation that will include matching dollars from Indiana University Health, bringing its impact to $8.5 million.

The program leverages the collaborative partnership between IU Health and the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. The gift was made jointly to IU Health Foundation and the Indiana University Foundation, because it will support both patient care and research efforts focused on enhancing lung cancer screening and lowering lung cancer incidence and deaths.

Nasser Hanna, MD made the announcement at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“We’re beyond thrilled that the Wood Family Foundation is making this mobile resource available to Hoosiers,” said Hanna, the Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation Professor of Lung Cancer Clinical Research at IU School of Medicine and an IU Health lung cancer physician. “Lung cancer screening unequivocally saves lives by catching it in its earliest and most treatable stages. All of us at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and IU Health know how valuable these painless and safe imaging tests will be for those at risk of lung cancer–especially those who face barriers to accessing such screenings.”

Julie Wood, the Wood family matriarch, said the gift is one in a series of gifts made in memory of her late husband, Indianapolis auto executive Tom Wood, who died of lung cancer in 2010.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to continue our longtime support of the cancer center through this gift,” she said. “We know Tom would be so pleased to see us doing what we can to save the lives of Hoosiers who face this terrible disease.”

The mobile program, the only one of its kind in Indiana, is expected to screen its first patient in 2025. The gift will support the build-out of the mobile CT scanner unit as well as the first year of patient care resources, staffing, operating and marketing expenses. Mobile programs allow increased access to cancer screening and prevention by bringing care to the community, rather than requiring travel to medical appointments at hospitals and healthcare centers. This is especially helpful to people in rural areas without easy access to such tests.

IU Health will match $4 million of the gift, the portion dedicated to the mobile screening program, making the gift’s total impact $8.5 million. The contribution is a lead gift to All the Difference: The Campaign for Indiana University Health, the statewide fundraising campaign recently announced by IU Health Foundation.

“IU Health’s size and reach give us a powerful opportunity–and a great responsibility–to lead in improving the health of Hoosiers,” said Crystal Miller, IU Health Foundation president and IU Health chief philanthropy officer. “But we can only do that with the support of visionary philanthropists like the Wood family. This gift will literally save lives, and that is the greatest impact a donor can make. I am grateful to the Woods for their foresight and generosity.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, killing more people than colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer (the second-, third-, and fourth-leading cancer killers) combined. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death. However, with early detection, done with low-dose CAT or CT scans, the mortality rate caused by lung cancer can be decreased by 20 percent. Screenings are painless and take only a few minutes. In Indiana, only 7 percent of those at high risk were screened, according to 2022 data from the American Lung Association.

Explore ways to support cancer prevention and treatment at IU Health Foundation.

He’s quick to offer directions and a kind word and this team member is also an IU Health patient.

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

Anyone who comes to IU Health University Hospital or Simon Cancer Center has most likely been greeted by Jeffery Hamilton. He is the watchful eye at the hospital entrance off of Barnhill Drive. For the past 11 years, Hamilton has served as a hospital valet cashier.

But his role goes beyond giving directions and parking information. Hamilton is often the first face patients see. He offers a friendly greeting and many team members and patients know they can grab a sugar fix from the candy jar Hamilton stocks up.

What they may not know is that Hamilton is also an IU Health Simon Cancer Center patient.

“The first time I was a patient here was five years ago when I broke my toe and had to have surgery at Methodist Hospital,” said Hamilton. Then three years ago, Hamilton was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that begins in the glands.

Hamilton, was drying off after a shower and discovered some blood under his arms. As time went by he had biopsies and mammograms and was diagnosed with male breast cancer.

November is Men’s Health Awareness Month and Hamilton believes it’s a good time to remind men to follow their instincts.

“Men don’t talk about breast cancer and they don’t typically do self-exams. I would encourage them to get regular checkups – colonoscopies, prostate screenings, heart – whatever is age appropriate. If you feel something, say something,” said Hamilton.

Since his diagnosis, Hamilton has undergone surgery to remove the tumors, and also reconstructive procedures. He has been in the care of Drs. Carla Fisher, Aladdin Hassanein, Gregory Durm, and Mark Langer.

Through his testing, Hamilton was also diagnosed with cancer in his right lung. He recently completed five sessions of Sterotactic Body Radition Therapy (SBRT).

“Being a patient and seeing people come through our doors makes me think about their next steps. I can relate to the radiation patients and I really think about the kids,” said Hamilton. Pediatric oncology patients receive radiation therapy at IU Health University Hospital

“I try to give them a kind word or a smile to just help brighten their day,” said Hamilton. It’s something that has come naturally to him. He’s spent most to his life entertaining others through stage performances. His acting began about 50 years ago when he performed in the musical “Oliver” as a student at Knightstown High School. He has also performed with Footlight Musicals, Guyer Opera House, the Nettle Creek Players, and Theater on the Square. He was once a roving entertainer at Union Station – creating balloon animals and performing fire eating routines. He also worked at two Indianapolis costume shops.

One of his most memorable roles was as the band director in the movie, “Hoosiers,” starring Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper. The Indiana favorite tells the story of a small-town high school basketball team that enters the state championship.

“I like everything about theater but when I got my diagnosis things had to slow down,” said Hamilton. He recently tried his hand at a new hobby – painting. His watercolor illustrating the male breast cancer ribbon was part of IU Health’s 2023 CompleteLife Art show. He also enjoys reading – especially James Patterson books.

“I would say in this role, I always want to treat everyone the same but since my diagnosis I can see things a little more through the eyes of the patients.”

IU Health is proud to embrace military veterans as part of our team, several of whom have carved out their careers in rehabilitation services. “I think I carry over a lot of what I learned in my military career as far as teamwork, and loyalty, and compassion,” said Kate Lowry, an occupational therapist. “I appreciate when people approach me and tell me they appreciate my service [in the military]. It feels good to hear that.”

Thank you and happy Veterans Day to every veteran at IU Health and elsewhere who have served in the U.S armed forces.

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

IU Health West saved Amanda Westfall’s life after she had a heart attack. Now, she prioritizes self-care and encourages others to be proactive about their heart health.

Amanda Westfall will always remember the events of August 27 because they changed her life. She remembers feeling odd that morning.

“I woke up and I just didn’t feel right,” she says. She thought it might be a combination of anxiety and low blood sugar since she had a history of both. “I describe it as an inner tube that was super tight all the way around my shoulders. I tried to eat. I tried to calm down.”

Nothing she did helped lessen the strange feeling.

Since her husband was out of town, she called her parents to take her a local Emergency department. The doctors there told her she was having a heart attack. She was shocked because she had felt great up until that day.

“I wasn’t exactly the epitome of health though. I’m 47. My lifestyle has changed, but I guess it was bad,” she explains.

Westfall needed a heart catheterization and was transported by ambulance from the first healthcare facility to IU Health West.

“It was amazing because the doctors took over and wheeled me straight over the Cath Lab,” she says. “My main artery, called the widow maker, was completely blocked. While they were in there, they put a stent in and blew that out.”

She remembers feeling a huge difference immediately.

“I’m here because of their quick action. It was so meticulous.”

Westfall spent the next four days in the hospital’s Intensive Care unit. After she was discharged, she began seeing Dr. Omar Batal, a cardiologist at IU Health West, and also began 12 weeks of cardiac rehab at the hospital.

Through the experience, she has learned to put herself first. As a working wife and mother of three teenagers, stress was a constant in Westfall’s life.

“For probably a year, I wasn’t doing anything for me,” she says. “Moms take care of everything. For my family and the doctors to take care of me while I went through this was just amazing.”

She is also encouraging her loved ones to be proactive with their health and get their hearts checked. Some have even found they are at risk and are taking preventative steps.

Though she wouldn’t wish her experience on anyone, Westfall says she is glad for the wakeup call.

“You have to put you first,” she says. “Love yourself and love your heart.”

Kayla Treat is a pediatric genetic counselor at IU Health. It’s her job to meet with families about genetic testing options and results. “One of the big things that drew me to the career is that it’s a patient-facing role so I get to interact with patients and families,” said Kayla. “Of course if you are delivering a pretty devastating diagnosis… that can be challenging, but other times we might talk about a diagnosis that gives the perfect explanation finally about what their child has struggled with for years. It’s really rewarding when we hear that families are appreciative of us taking the time to help them understand these complex conditions.”