[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 63 (Monday, May 18, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              CONGRATULATING THE METHODIST HOSPITALS, INC

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                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 18, 1998

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, It is my distinct pleasure to 
congratulate The Methodist Hospitals, Inc. as it celebrates its 75th 
Diamond Jubilee Anniversary this Sunday, May 17, 1998. Methodist will 
commemorate its 75 years of dedicated service to the communities of 
Northwest Indiana in a Rededication to Community Service ceremony and 
Community Open House to be held at its Northlake Campus in Gary, 
Indiana. The celebration will serve as an opportunity for Methodist to 
reaffirm its commitment to excellence in health care services to every 
individual in Gary, Merrillville, and the surrounding communities.
  Methodist Hospital was established in 1923 in response to concerns 
that a larger hospital would be needed to accommodate the growing 
population of the emerging ``Steel City'' of Gary. The events leading 
up to Methodist's dedication on May 27, 1923, however, can be traced 
back to 1910, when a registered nurse by the name of Margaret Pritchard 
came to Gary with the vision of establishing a hospital. In acquiring 
donations from a group of doctors in 1911, Ms. Pritchard witnessed the 
accomplishment of this task with the opening of Gary General Hospital 
on Van Buren Street. Over the next few years, measures were taken to 
provide for Gary General's future funding and growth, which resulted in 
an affiliation with Methodist Episcopal Hospital of the State of 
Indiana in Indianapolis, a major fundraising campaign targeting the 
steel mills, and the donation of property by the Gary Land Company. On 
June 11, 1923, Methodist Hospital and its School of Nursing officially 
opened.
  After Methodist separated from the hospital board in Indianapolis in 
1942, it expanded through major construction efforts and development of 
services to accommodate health care needs beyond the boundaries of 
Gary. Some of the hospital's additional services came with its 
establishment of Lake County's first physical therapy department in 
1949, the county's first acute care unit for psychiatric patients in 
1951, and the state's first accredited, full-service rehabilitation 
services center in 1971. Methodist further expanded its services to 
Northwest Indiana when it built a new 165-bed hospital facility in 
Merrillville, Indiana, which was completed in 1975. As a result of its 
growth, Methodist became regarded as a regional health care system and 
thus, the two facilities became Northlake Campus in Gary and Southlake 
Campus in Merrillville. In February of 1981, H. Theodore Tatum Family 
Health Center opened at the Northlake Campus, providing a base for the 
Family Practice Residency Program, and offering additional medical care 
for the community.
  During the past two decades, Methodist Hospital has continued to grow 
and change, reflecting the needs of the communities and responding to 
the new era of outpatient services made possible by advances in 
technology and medicine. Methodist remains a not-for-profit community-
based health care system, and is affiliated with various prestigious 
organizations, including: the Joint Commission for American Hospital 
Organizations; the Indiana State Board of Health, the Accreditation 
Council for Graduate Medical Education; and the American Academy of 
Family Physicians. Over the years, Methodist has taken an active role 
in bettering its communities by forging partnerships with schools, 
churches and businesses, and participating in outreach programs, such 
as Healthy Start, for prenatal and infant wellness, and Turning Point 
Center for addictions. In its 75th year of existence, Methodist 
Hospital has renewed its commitment to the residents of Northwest 
Indiana into the next century and beyond.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me in commending the administrators, health care professionals, and 
other individuals who, over the years, have contributed to Methodist 
Hospitals' success in achieving its standards of excellence. Their hard 
work has improved the quality of life for everyone in Indiana's First 
Congressional District.




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