Miscellaneous & Other Services
The CHC offers various other services and events.
CPR Classes
We offer free First Aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary or heart - lung resuscitation) classes in Topeka, Indiana, or at a location for your group of up to 10 people. The three-hour classes are taught by a firefighter and paramedic, open to all ages, and offer basic certification through the American Heart Association.
Donations are accepted to help cover the cost of these classes.
Specialty Clinics
Cardiology
We collaborate with St. Vincent Health and Parkview Health to provide care for patients with inherited cardiac conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
Neurology
We collaborate with Dr. Vincent Carson at the Clinic for Special Children (CSC) in Lancaster, PA to provide specialized care for patients with genetic conditions that manifest mainly with neurological symptoms.
Hematology
We collaborate with the Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center (IHTC) to provide care for patients with rare blood disorders.
Mental Health Counseling
This service is provided by a licensed psychologist. Please call the CHC for more information and appointment availability.
Mom’s Group and PKU Support Group
We currently have a Moms’ group for parents with children with PKU that meets the last Saturday of every other month, a Moms’ group for parents with a child with any diagnosis that meets the first Saturday of every other month, and a couples group for children with PA.
Finding out that you have a child or other family member with special needs can be overwhelming. You may have the very best medical team involved and the most supportive extended family, but sometimes you may still feel that no one else really understands your situation.
You may also feel that no one else really knows what your daily routine is like, or how deeply you have to dig just to get up in the morning and do what you need to do. You may feel isolated and alone, and your child or family member may feel “different” and not understand why he or she needs to stick to a certain diet or avoid certain activities. Finding a group of people who are walking in your shoes can be a blessing, and can help bridge that gap between the medical and emotional needs.
At the CHC, we believe that it is important to connect families who are dealing with similar issues, and have several parent groups that meet on a regular basis. How groups can help:
• Improve your understanding of the impact of the diagnosis on you, your family, and your family member with the diagnosis
• Gain new ideas, new resources, new recipes
• Help you stay motivated
• Give you feedback on ideas you have tried
• Help you laugh at the sometimes awkward or embarrassing situations we inevitably find ourselves in!
If you are interested in participating in one of these groups, or if you have an idea for a group that you would like to be part of, either as a parent of a child with a diagnosis or as a patient with a diagnosis, contact the Case Management Coordinator at the CHC.
Education Events
The CHC hosts many education events to raise awareness about genetic disorders and for people to be come familiar with the CHC. Events usually consist of a talk by Dr. Ammous or another of our providers followed by plenty of time for questions from participants and sometimes a shared meal and fellowship. Discounted genetic testing is sometimes also offered at an event.
Past events include education on and testing for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), disease-specific awareness days such as zellweger spectrum disorder (ZSD) day and propionic acidemia (PA) day, a conference for local midwives to review the importance of and the CHC’s role in newborn screening, and "family days” where families with a specific disease come together to learn from experts and one anothers’ experiences.
If you would like to have the CHC come to your community (at a school, community center, etc.) and speak on a genetics-related topic or a specific disorder, please contact us!