Northwest Indiana Discussion

How does everyone feel about all of the hullabaloo surrounding Porter? (Who was the brainiac that thought up that name change btw?)

Porter is in a unique position because it is county owned. They have to be more open than private or not for profit hospitals. They have an element of politics involved that others don't.

Are there really problems at Porter, or does Bob Harper want to change everything now that the Dems have a majority of the commissioners?

I don't think any one outside knows the true situation, but I do know this: if I ever meet Bob Parks I am gonna keep my mouth shut for fear that he has his James Bond tape recorder running!

Sorry I've been absent for so long... Did you make it to either of the public hearings they held to get questions from the public and answer them? I couldn't make it to either one...

I remember hearing from the chaplain at a ministerial meeting that they had to change the name to bring all the various campuses and centers under one name. Apparently insurance companies & such were having trouble seeing that "Portage Community Hospital" (or whatever it was called) was connected to "Porter Memorial Hospital," etc. It was creating major headaches. So now all of them are called "Porter" with sub-designations like "Valparaiso Hospital Campus," etc. Apparently there was quite a long process to decide the name, and it included asking community residents where they went for medical care. Quite a few answered, simply, "Porter." Since people were already referring to it with the shortened name, they decided to stick with it.

As for all the hullabaloo... I don't know enough about it to comment...

Peace,
Rich Schmidt

www.LivingHope.info

Hey, Rich, good to see you back.

I didn't make it to the meetings. As to the name change, your explanation makes sense, but the premise they used doesn't. Easy fix - Porter Memorial - Portage, Porter Memorial - Valparaiso, Porter Memorial-Chesterton, etc.

I heard a figure of $300,000 to make the change. New signs, letterhead, etc.

"Porter" may be simpler, but since that is also the name of the county and a town, it only seems to add to the confusion. But this is just one small topic.

I guess I was trying to get everyone's insight into the political things that have been happening. Secret tapes, calls for the whole board to resign, etc.

When the "noise" gets this loud, it smacks of politics in its worst form. Power.

I don't really know what to think - since my only insight is through the articles in the press. I am sure that there are things at Porter that could be better - just like everywhere. It just seems to me that there has been a little too much grandstanding for it to be about making things better; instead it seems to be about power, politics and the like.

They changed their name so they would have an excuse to spend a fortune on new signs and letterheads. I will always call it Porter Memorial. I see that people are protesting the new location. I don't blame them. I live three blocks from a hospital, and when they run certain machines off and on during the day and evening, my reception to my television and computer is interrupted. I have been told by the companies concerned that there is nothing that can be done about this.