On Wednesday, April 11, 2012, Porter Health System's CEO Jonathan Nalli & CHS Transition Planner, Colleen Tymensky spoke at the Portage Rotary Club regarding Porter's state of the art replacement hospital and the transition to the new site to a full room of Rotarians, guests and friends. Jonathan Nalli started the meeting with the literal nuts, bolts, dirt and concrete about the new location, the marvelous facility and what it brings to Porter County.
If you thought moving into that new home, or apartment, was complicated because you had to call NIPSCO, the water company, your insurance company, sign a million sheets of paper after a never ending negotiation, pack up all of your belongings besides the kids and pets, you cannot imagine what it takes to build a new facility, get the staff trained on all the new equipment, learn where everything is, while running the existing facility at the same time.
And then when the time comes transfer all the patients to the new building while keeping the existing one operational and safe. This is where Colleen took over and after a few moments of: “critical path, co-ordination, orientation, communication” and on and on, she sounded more like Mission Control in Houston. “Check, check, all systems go” and she added some more checks and re-checks.
It is not a simple task of just getting about 120 or so patients into your car and driving them over to the hospital. There are early morning last minute visits, up to date lab work and records to go with the patients, what to do if a patient should need help, what happens with all the other patients from all the areas such as maternity, ICU, etc. Who gets moved first, last? So many “what if’s” it made our heads swim. Just imagine keeping both facilities on track and under control while transitioning to the new building.
The big moving day is scheduled for August 25th which is still about 80 days ahead of schedule. Our hats are off to Jonathan Nalli and Colleen Tymensky, and everyone else that is involved in this monumental task and project.
Rotary luncheon meetings are every Wednesday at 12:15 PM in the Recreation Room at the Miller's Assisted Living Facility and they are open to all active and retired business professionals.