A GROUP POSES for the 1970 groundbreaking of Community Hospital in Munster, which opened its doors in September 1973.
Community Healthcare System hospitals have had at least 195 reasons to celebrate this year. Community Hospital, St. Catherine Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center hit major milestones in 2023 with a combined 195 years of service to communities throughout Northwest Indiana.
In April, the latter two hospitals marked 95 and 50 years, respectively, and Community Hospital celebrated 50 years in September.
“Community Healthcare System is proud of the deep roots our hospitals have established in Northwest Indiana,” said Donald P. Fesko, CEO of Community Foundation of Northwest Indiana, Inc., parent company of Community Healthcare System. “However, we are even prouder of the investments we have made throughout the decades to bring advanced medical care and highly skilled and compassionate physicians and staff to our communities. Our goal as a healthcare system always has been to improve the health and quality of life for the patients who trust us with their care.”
Community Hospital in Munster, which opened its doors in September 1973, is Northwest Indiana’s largest hospital with 454 beds. It specializes in advanced cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, mother-baby care and orthopedic treatments. The hospital treats complex stroke with the elite designation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center serving all of Northwest Indiana. Community Hospital also offers Lake County’s only dedicated obstetric emergency care for expectant and postpartum women, staffed 24/7 by specialty nurses and board-certified OB/GYNs.
Most recently, Community Hospital earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. This selection makes Community Hospital the 14th center in the United States and the first hospital in the Midwest to receive this designation.
St. Catherine Hospital, which broke ground on April 21, 1927, to open in April 1928, has been a steward of East Chicago and neighboring communities for nearly a century. The hospital continues to forge new ground with advanced technology, such as CyberKnife S7 for precise robotic radiation therapy, and the SOZO Lymphedema Prevention Program for reduction of secondary lymphedema in cancer survivors. In 2022, St. Catherine Hospital again achieved a five-star rating, the highest ranking possible for overall quality of care from the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a feat only a dozen other Indiana hospitals earned for the year.
Since opening in April 1973, St. Mary Medical Center has evolved to become a nationally recognized healthcare institution. It is a Center of Excellence for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, one of only a handful in the state. The hospital’s Joint Academy has earned recognition from the Joint Commission for advanced certification for total hip and knee replacement; and orthopedic surgeons at the hospital use the advanced Mako Robotic Arm-Assisted Surgery System for partial and total knee replacements.
In 2022, cardiologists at the hospital became the first in the area to treat carotid artery disease and prevent future stroke using an innovative procedure called transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR). The hospital offers the latest technology for robotic-assisted bronchoscopy bringing to residents of Northwest Indiana the minimally invasive Intuitive Ion for lung care and cancer detection.
Community Healthcare System’s fourth and newest hospital, Community Stroke & Rehabilitation Center, will celebrate its five-year anniversary in 2024. After opening in 2019, the Crown Point hospital already has grown to be recognized among the country’s best for rehabilitation care from Newsweek and Statista, most recently earning the distinction as No. 2 in the state.
Another reason to celebrate
Also in 2023, Community Healthcare System earned the No. 1 spot on Forbes magazine’s list of America’s Best Employers for the state of Indiana.
To compile the list, Forbes teamed with research firm Statista to survey 70,000 workers at companies with a minimum of 500 employees in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to the magazine’s website. Community Healthcare System outranked all 73 employers on the Hoosier list, including internationally recognized companies such as Microsoft, Google, Marriott International and IBM.
Fesko believes Community Healthcare System’s tireless commitment to staff and patients is what put the organization at the top in Indiana.
“We believe in investing in our employees by providing educational opportunities and fostering career advancement,” Fesko said. “Our goal as an employer is to have a happy, successful team of workers who delivers the best care to our patients across Northwest Indiana and beyond.”
If you are interested in working with “America’s Best Employer” in Indiana, visit Community Healthcare System’s job search page at COMHS.org to view available openings and to apply online. Community Healthcare System also offers open interviews for full- and part-time positions at multiple locations across Northwest Indiana. Job seekers should be prepared to answer questions about their employment history and education. No appointment is needed. Open interviews are held 1 to 3 p.m. every Thursday at the following locations:
• Community Hospital/CHS Conference Center, 9201 Calumet Ave., Munster
• St. Catherine Hospital, 4321 Fir St., East Chicago
• St. Mary Medical Center, 1500 S. Lake Park Ave., Hobart
• Community Stroke & Rehabilitation Center, 10215 Broadway, Crown Point
For more information about Community Healthcare System, visit COMHS.org.
