Heart association honors IU Health, Reid

Two health care organizations were awarded last week.

The American Heart Association recently honored IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and Reid Health with its Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award.

It recognizes commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive treatment according to research-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is a program for improving stroke care in order to minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and prevent death. 

“IU Health Ball is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” Dr. Alan Schmitt, IU Health Ball neurologist, said in a press release. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better.”

IU Health Ball also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite award.

Reid Health earned the stroke award for the third consecutive year.

"It's wonderful to see our stroke team receive recognition for the incredible work they do every day," said Misti Foust-Cofield, vice president/chief nursing officer for Reid Health in a press release. "Their passion and dedication for serving our patients is inspiring.”

Accepting applications

Indiana Michigan Power is accepting applications for its I&M Neighbor to Neighbor Program.

The program offers assistance for financially qualified customers to help cover cooling costs. Applications are open through Aug. 31.

For more information, visit indianamichiganpower.com.

New leader named

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance on Thursday announced the promotion of Jo Lee Hayes to chief information officer.

Hayes has been with Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance for about a decade, most recently serving as executive director of systems development. She was previously senior vice president of enterprise technology for Sallie Mae.

She takes over for Greg Clancy, who retired.

“I’m thrilled that Jo Lee has brought her unique set of strategic leadership skills to our executive team,” said Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance CEO Kevin Murphy in a press release. “She has the vision and drive to conceive, design and execute mission-critical business and technology strategies ...”

Program launched

CVS announced last week that it has launched the Caremark Cost Saver program.

Caremark is intended to help lower out-of-pocket costs for drugs. Members will have automatic access to pricing available through the GoodRX program.

“We work every day to provide a more affordable drug benefit for our CVS Caremark clients and their plan members, and this collaborative prescription discount solution enables us to dynamically shop for the best price on their behalf,” said David Joyner, president for CVS Caremark in a press release. “By lowering out-of-pocket costs for our clients’ members, Caremark Cost Saver will help patients afford to take their medicine as directed.”

Purchase planned

Eli Lilly and Co. announced Friday it will buy drug company Versanis.

The purchase price was announced at “up to $1.93 billion.” The purchase is designed to strengthen its position in the fast-growing market for weight-loss treatments,” Reuters reported.

Lilly’s drugs for weight loss are hormone-based and designed to regulate blood sugar while decreasing Appetite. Drugs from Versanis act directly on fat cells for weight loss.

Board changing

Motherson Sumi Wiring Indiana Limited announced that Yuichi Shimizu has been named to the company’s board of directors.

Shimizu serves as president of Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited. He has held a variety of positions over his three decade career after earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo.

Motherson Sumi Wiring Indiana Limited is the parent company of MSSL Wiring of Portland.

Sponsoring team

Leeward Renewable Energy announced Thursday that it will sponsor a University of Michigan Solar Car Team for the next two years.

Leeward will give financial support and other assistance to the team to develop a solar car for the 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

“We are excited and proud to sponsor the U-M Solar Car Team in pushing the bounds of transformative vehicle technology, and we strongly support programs that cultivate innovation and ingenuity to create the next generation of leaders in renewable energy,” said Leeward chief development officer John Wieland in a press release. “The U-M Solar Car Team is one of the most successful solar car racing teams in the world.”

The company is developing Rose Gold Solar north of Dunkirk.

Dean named

Purdue University on Thursday named Jim Bullard as the first dean of its Daniels School of Business.

Bullard has spent the last 15 years as president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He started his career as an economist in the research division for the bank in 1990.

“Dr. Bullard has been an extraordinary leader for our country and will be a transformational leader of Purdue’s Daniels School of Business,” said Purdue president Mung Chiang in a press release. “His track record has the perfect combination of national impact, scholarly excellence, and innovative leadership ...”

Items being removed

McDonald’s announced last week that it is discontinuing its McCafe bakery items — apple fritter, blueberry muffin and cinnamon roll — and will phase them out beginning this month.

The company told CNN it’s “always listening to our fans and adjusting our menu based on what they crave,” signaling that perhaps the items weren’t selling as strongly as they once were. 

The bakery items joined the menu in October 2020.

Milestone surpassed

Invenergy Services, a subsidiary of green energy firm Invenergy, announced Friday that the company’s portfolio has surpassed 20 gigawatts of clean energy generation projects.

The current portfolio includes more than 11,500 megawatts of wind power, 5,700 megawatts of thermal and 2,300 megawatts of solar. (The company is planning Skycrest Solar in northwest Jay County.)

“This milestone is a reflection of what can be achieved when you combine deep technical expertise, an owner’s mindset, strong partnerships, and a dedicated team with a clear vision to operate these plants like they’re our own,” said Invenergy president and corporate business leader Jim Murphy in a press release. “We are incredibly proud of the sustained growth of Invenergy Services’ managed portfolio and look forward to expanding our services …”

Partnership set

On Thursday, NextEra Energy Resources announced an agreement with Sysco Corporation to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

NextEra will wok with food service company Sysco to lower its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 27.5% by 2030. Sysco plans to source 100% of its energy from renewable resources.

“Collaboration with great partners is a critical element of Sysco’s journey to reach our climate goals by 2030,” said Neil Russell, Sysco chief administrative officer, in a press release. “As the largest foodservice company in the world, we’re excited to work with NextEra Energy Resources; they are the right partner to help us achieve our renewable energy goal at scale and ensure we meet the urgency that climate change demands.”

Initiative funded

Indiana University on Thursday announced its Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering is working on the new initiative “A Workforce Ecosystem for Strategic Radiation Hardening by Design.”

NSWC Crane provided a $5 million grant for the effort, with additional support coming from Indiana Economic Development Corporation. The program is intended to give students the opportunity to build and test microelectronics in extreme environments.

“Because of growing industry need and demand, opportunities for students in the field of microelectronics are staggering,” said Joanna Millunchick, dean of the Luddy School, in a press release. “Collaborations like this one between our faculty and colleagues at Crane and IEDC are essential to ensuring that Indiana is a leader in such a critical sector.”

$1 million donated

Dollar General last week announced its donation of $1 million to Feeding America in order to commemorate the third year of partnership between the business and the organization.

At full capacity, the partnership results to providing up to 20 million meals per year.

“Millions of U.S. households struggle with food insecurity, and through our extensive supply chain and unique store footprint, we are able make a difference through our Feeding America partnership to help address hunger in our hometown communities,” said Dollar General vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy Denine Torr  in a press release. “Since 2021, we have donated millions in funding and in-kind products to the Feeding America network of food banks to stock food pantries, support food distribution efforts and assist school backpack feeding programs. We are grateful for their efforts to help eliminate hunger and nourish our neighbors in need and proud to continue our support.”

Dean named

Purdue University on Thursday named Jim Bullard as the first dean of its Daniels School of Business.

Bullard has spent the last 15 years as president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He started his career as an economist in the research division for the bank in 1990.

“Dr. Bullard has been an extraordinary leader for our country and will be a transformational leader of Purdue’s Daniels School of Business,” said Purdue president Mung Chiang in a press release. “His track record has the perfect combination of national impact, scholarly excellence, and innovative leadership … Today’s exciting recruitment is a singular, extraordinary moment for the future of DSB and the tech-driven, free-market economy.”

Airport awarded

Indianapolis Airport Authority learned last week that it will receive $22.58 million from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program funding.

The money will be used “to construct energy efficient infrastructure and install solar panels at the Indianapolis International Airport.”  Indianapolis Airport Authority has the funding will hep with the first 25% of a program to transition the facility to renewable energy generated on site.

“This is a huge win for the Indy airport, our environment and our community,” he said in a press release. “We’re committed to environmental sustainability, minimizing the impact of airport operations on the environment, and we’re doing that by exploring continuous improvements and opportunities for innovation.”