IU Health Tipton Hospital

12/21/2025

Please join us in thanking and congratulating Linda Joines, pictured center, as she retires from the IU Health Tipton Hospital Board of Directors.

Joines was the first woman named to our board, and has been a valued board member of our board for 27 years.

12/20/2025

More than 20 years ago, Heidi Freeman underwent a mastectomy after being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. Like many patients, she expected some limitations during recovery and assumed certain discomforts were simply part of life after cancer.

Over time, however, those symptoms began to worsen, and they started interfering with her daily life. So, she decided to seek help and scheduled an appointment with IU Health Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation in Tipton.

Through manual lymphatic techniques, targeted stretches and personalized exercises, Freeman began to see improvement. The tremor resolved, her range of motion increased, and everyday activities became easier and less painful.

“I didn’t realize how much better things could feel,” she says. “Occupational therapy helped me regain strength and confidence I didn’t even realize I’d lost.”

Today, Freeman is doing well, and she hopes sharing her story encourages others not to ignore lingering symptoms or hesitate to ask for help. She also hopes more patients become aware of rehab services like occupational therapy and the role they can play in recovery.

More than 20 years after breast cancer treatment, Heidi Freeman turns to occupational therapy at IU Health Tipton Hospital and discovers how rehab can be a vita

12/08/2025

We are full of holiday spirit after Friday’s ‘Tis the Season holiday kick-off in downtown Tipton. It was a magical evening, as always, and one of our favorite events of the year.

Our team had the privilege of serving 15 gallons of hot chocolate and handing out 300 handmade ornaments to our friends and neighbors of all ages.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to share a warm drink or merry greeting — while our hands may have been cold by night’s end, our hearts were warm.

11/19/2025

Falls are the leading cause of injury for adults over 65. Each year, more than 14 million older adults—roughly 1 in 4—report falling. About 37% of those falls result in injuries serious enough to require medical treatment or limit daily activity.

To help reduce those risks, Teresa Williams, RN, trauma services program coordinator at IU Health Arnett, is leading an effort to make fall prevention resources more accessible—starting before patients even leave the hospital.

Through a grant from the Indiana Department of Health, Williams, who also oversees trauma programs for other IU Health facilities, created fall prevention closets at Arnett, White Memorial, Frankfort and Tipton hospitals, plus outpatient therapy locations.

These closets are stocked with walkers, shower chairs, grab bars, tub transfer benches, car handle assists and more, available at no cost to patients 65 and older. So far, more than 200 patients have benefited.

Williams often collaborates with the Rehabilitation Services team to identify patient needs and ensure the right equipment is available. That includes working closely with Mukesh Malhotra, OTR, CKTP, CPAM, Arnett Rehabilitation Services manager (pictured right with Williams), whose team plays a key role in helping patients regain independence and prevent future falls.

Before this program, patients often waited days after discharge to get the equipment they needed. Now, thanks to Williams’ leadership and collaboration across IU Health departments, they receive it before they leave the hospital—reducing the risk of another fall and helping prevent hospital readmissions.

11/15/2025

IU Health Tipton Hospital’s 75-year history includes more than five decades of combined service from two physicians from the same family.

Destry Lambert, MD, joined the IU Health Tipton Hospital team in 1973. For the native, it marked a return to his hometown, where he held a deep respect for the doctors who came before him—and a passion for connecting with patients.

Years later, his son Nathan Lambert, , would pursue the same path, returning to his hometown of Tipton and continuing a family tradition of service at the hospital that has long been a cornerstone of the community.

Now a , Nathan says he always knew he’d follow in his father’s footsteps. Growing up, he made weekend rounds with him at the hospital, watching the impact a physician could have on a community.

“My dad’s my role model,” Lambert says. “Every day when I come to work, I try to emulate the way he practiced medicine.”

For Destry, watching his son choose —and choose Tipton—fills him with pride.

Today, both physicians credit the hospital’s success to the people who work there, many of whom have cared for Tipton residents for decades.

And as Tipton Hospital celebrates its 75th anniversary, the Lamberts’ story embodies what the milestone represents—how one hospital can shape lives, anchor a community and bring generations together through care.

11/05/2025

We’re proud to be recognized by Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. as the Volunteer Champion: Corporate Partner for Surrounding Counties.

Our Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) team—alongside dedicated IU Health team member volunteers—has been making a difference in Clinton, White and Tipton counties by supporting mobile food pantry events. Together, they’ve distributed food, offered blood pressure screenings and provided essential resources like hygiene kits.

This partnership helps address food insecurity in our communities, and we’re grateful to everyone who’s volunteered their time and energy to support this mission.

Thank you to all the team members who’ve stepped up to volunteer. Your dedication is helping us build stronger, healthier communities—one pantry at a time.

11/01/2025

We had a blast at the Halloween Spooktacular last night in downtown Tipton!

Our “spice” Girls and the Inside Out crew had so much fun seeing all of the little ones in their costumes. We love being part of this amazing community. 🧡

10/31/2025

Most people unpack holiday decorations once a year. For Samantha Koning, an who joined the team at IU Health Tipton Hospital earlier this year, it’s a year-round affair—centered around a 12-foot skeleton named Chuck NoRibs.

Chuck made his debut in the summer of 2022—and he hasn’t slowed down since.

From Santa suits and Cupid wings to Easter Bunny ears and an Indy 500 jumpsuit, Chuck’s wardrobe changes with the seasons. What doesn’t change, though, is the community’s excitement and affection for Tipton’s tallest resident.

“It’s brought so many smiles and conversations,” Koning says. “It’s been a really special way to connect with and support the community.”

Whether he’s dressed for or the seasons and holidays that follow, Tipton’s favorite skeleton continues his mission—making the community a little brighter, one costume at a time.

10/30/2025

This month, IU Health Tipton team members came together to support local families by distributing 166 birthday boxes at a Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. Mobile Pantry event.

Each box was filled with cake mix, icing, pans, candles, banners, tablecloths, napkins and forks—all the fixings for a special birthday celebration.

During the distribution, team members worked alongside a local church group to assist families picking up food from the pantry.

“We have a great network of community volunteers in Tipton, and I love that we can join in and lend some extra hands,” says Crissy Proffitt, Community Outreach consultant at IU Health Tipton.

The effort was also a meaningful way to give back to the community as part of our hospital’s 75th anniversary celebration.

10/29/2025

Our team members recently came together to help local families with a simple—but essential—task: doing .

On Oct. 16, the team once again partnered with Firefly Children & Family Alliance's Family Resource Center to host Laundry Lift, a program that offers free laundry services to community members.

IU Health Tipton Hospital supplied quarters for washers and dryers at the local laundromat, while Firefly provided laundry detergent. Team members also handed out free household cleaning kits stocked with everyday essentials like microfiber cloths, dish sponges, dish soap, multipurpose cleaner and window cleaner.

Together, we served 15 families with 51 washer loads, 37 dryer loads and 16 cleaning kits.

10/27/2025

Each year, IU Health teams across the western portion of the state put out their best and brightest pumpkins for a pumpkin decorating contest.

The IU Health Tipton Respiratory Care team submitted the winning pumpkin in the healthcare-related category, titled “Sick-O-Lanterns”.

Take a peek at all the winners for the following categories: cutest, spookiest, best movie/television show character and healthcare-related.

Thank you to all departments for participating!

10/23/2025

This year, our teams took their commitment to supporting the health of our communities to another level by offering blood pressure screenings and other vital health checks at events in the community.

For example, at the recent Encore Center lifestyle expo, IU Health volunteers offered free screenings to community members age 50 and up, in addition to sharing information on the healthcare services we offer.

The approach is simple but impactful: meeting people where they are by making screenings accessible at no cost in places they are already at, giving more people the opportunity to learn about their health.

Here’s why it matters:

“This may be the only time or place where individuals are able to get their numbers checked,” says Emily Hall, Community Outreach and Engagement consultant. “It is just another way our team members take the IU Health values and promise outside of the clinical space.”