LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Alfonso Gatmaitan, FACHE, has been named Chief Executive Officer of Clarian Arnett Health, effective November 2, 2009.

Gatmaitan joined Clarian Arnett Health in May 2009 as interim Chief Executive Officer while also serving as CEO for Clarian West Medical Center in Avon.

Gatmaitan has a long track record of success as a health care executive. He began his career 24 years ago at Logansport Hospital, served as CEO for Tipton Hospital for 11 years and joined Clarian West Medical Center in 2003 as its first employee.

“With Al Gatmaitan on board, we are positioned to build upon the rich history of Arnett Clinic and combine it with the quality focus of Clarian Health Partners,” said Dr. Donald Clayton, Clarian Arnett Board Member. “Our success will be evident through the collaboration of physicians and staff while continuing to maintain our primary focus on the patient.”

Clarian Arnett Health is a member of the Clarian Health system, yet is an independent non-profit organization with its own board of managers and executive management team.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — August 10 marked the kick-off for the statewide child safety campaign, Kids dart. Drive smart. The campaign, initiated by Riley Hospital for Children in 2007, provides campaign signs to the public free of charge to place in their yards warning drivers to stay alert for children playing outdoors.

Clarian Arnett Health has purchased more than 5,000 signs for the Greater Lafayette community. The public is encouraged to visit Lafayette and West Lafayette fire stations to pick up a sign for their yard.

To support this initiative, Clarian Arnett Health has purchased more than 5,000 signs for the Greater Lafayette community. The public is encouraged to visit Lafayette and West Lafayette fire stations to pick up a sign for their yard. The signs are a reminder to drivers that children are at play and to slow down and stay alert.

This unique grassroots effort is designed to protect child pedestrians, who are frequently injured by motorists. August marks the return to school for most children, bringing them outdoors to walk to and from school and to play outside after a long school day spent inside. This “Back to School” season results in a significant increase in children injured as pedestrians or bicyclists.

From 1999-2006 there were 4,789 pedestrian fatalities due to motor vehicles among children 17 years of age or younger in the United States. Indiana children accounted for 87 of these deaths. Deaths only tell part of this story, however, it is estimated that in 2007 more than 42,000 children were injured as pedestrians.

The 2009 campaign has added a new dimension, campaigning against the distraction that texting while driving causes. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, 78 percent of all motor vehicle crashes involve a driver distracted within three seconds before an accident. Distracted driving includes texting while driving. There are approximately 250 million cell phone users in the United States, and in the first half of 2008, 95.4 billion text messages were sent, equaling almost 530 million per day. Texting while driving significantly increases the probability of having an accident.

To take part in this community initiative to spread awareness of child pedestrians, pick up a yard sign at your local fire station and remind others that Kids dart. Drive smart.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. –- An Employer Forum Meeting about the Alpine Clinic employer and employee assistance programs will take place on July 28 at Clarian Arnett Hospital in Lafayette, Indiana.

Psychiatrist Dr. Nizar El-Khalili and neuropsychologist Dr. Kelly Earnst of the Alpine Clinic will speak to area employers about how to determine if cognitive or emotional problems may be impacting an employee’s ability to function at work. Employers are invited to hear discussion of issues related to continued work, medical leave and disability. The doctors will also share assessment tools used to assess cognitive and emotional function.

The program titled “Alpine Clinic Employer and Employee Assistance Programs” will take place in rooms AG410 and AG411 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Clarian Arnett Hospital on July 28. For more information, contact Aadron Rausch at 765-448-8534 or arausch@clarianarnett.com.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Registration is now open for the Safe Sitter Program at Clarian Arnett Health. The two day course trains prospective babysitters in first aid basics, including infant and child CPR. The classes meet August 6th and 7th from 9:00a–4:00p at the Clarian Arnett Hospital. The cost of the two-day program is $25.00.

Babysitting can be a great opportunity for young adolescents to make money during the summer time, while offering parents an opportunity to take a night off.

The nationally recognized program is open to boys and girls, 11-13 years old, and teaches the sitters what to do in case of emergency, first aid basics, how to care for a choking child and how to prevent injuries. The course also offers a session about babysitting as a business and how to keep yourself safe as a sitter.

The program consists of 12 and one-half hours spread over two days and provides CPR training and time with a toddler. Students take a written and oral test upon completion of the course.

“Babysitting shouldn’t be taken as a light responsibility,” said Terri Jones, RN at Clarian Arnett Health. “It’s important to ready yourself for emergency situations.”

“Parents should look to hire sitters that complete the program,” Jones said. “If you’re looking for the most qualified sitters, Safe Sitter graduates are the ones to look for.”

Safe Sitter was founded in 1980 and educates nearly 35,000 adolescents a year in more than 900 teaching sites in the U.S. and England. The program was developed by an Indianapolis pediatrician and is regularly evaluated by medical experts to ensure its accuracy to the recommendations.

For more information or to register, contact Terri Jones at 765.838.4670.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — For the upcoming July 4th holiday, Clarian Arnett Urgent Care announces the following changes to their normal operating hours:

• Friday, July 3rd – All three Urgent Care sites will be open from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, July 4th – 2600 Greenbush site will be open from 8:00a–8:00p. The Southside and West Lafayette Urgent Care locations will be closed.
• Sunday, July 5th – All three Urgent Care sites will resume normal business hours of
  8:00a–8:00p.

The Greater Lafayette area Clarian Arnett Urgent Care facilities are:

• West Lafayette: 2995 N Salisbury St., West Lafayette, IN. Phone: 765-448-8000
• Lafayette, Southside: 1 W. 240 S. (Old US 231 S), Lafayette, IN. Phone: 765-448-8000
• Lafayette, Greenbush: 2600 Greenbush, Lafayette, IN. Phone: 765-448-8000

For more information, please visit www.ClarianArnett.org or call 765.448.8000 (toll-free at 800.899.8448).