October 2016 FREE Northwest Edition Reaching Seniors Throughout Lake And Porter Counties 26,500 Circulation Spotlight 4 Faith 15 In God We TrustTrust www.seniorlifenewspapers.comwww.seniorlifenewspapers.com SERVINGERVING ADULTSDULTS 50 YEARSEARS AND BETTER. Vol. 21, No. 12 MEMBERS — Joel and Lee Ebert of Crown AUTO CLUB Point stand in front of their 1941 Chevy outside Suzy’s Diner in Hebron during a recent car show and fundraiser for the Wi- namac Old Auto Club. — Kent Widener of Hobart sits BEHIND THE WHEEL behind the wheel of his white-over-seafood-green 1954 Chevy Bel Air with hish wife, Kathy, beside him. Text and Photos Photos had events eventss atat churches and for church models,d l andd vehicle hi l styles t l when h one clublb hash otherth indoor i d events, t liklike a By CARRIE STEINWEG food banks and Alzheimer’s research. goes to one of the shows or events. February valentine’s event. Pettit Feature Writer “We’re a very giving club,” he said. “We have everything from a 1908 said the club is always looking for Sometimes at the events, they accept Buick to 1970s Dodges — just any- members and invites those interested Indiana’s first car club was founded freewill donations and sometimes it’s thing classic. We have a lot of cars in to visit the website, winamacoldauto- in 1950, and it’s still going strong generous donations from members the club. One was a lead car in the club.weebly.com, where one will find with about 141 members and about that help support charitable groups. movie, ‘Public Enemy.’ A majority of newsletters and photos. One can also 300 automobiles. The Winamac Old “We’ve been to about 10 nursing the cars are over 50 years old,” said view Pettit’s videos on YouTube by Auto Club is the oldest car club in the homes this year,” said Pettit. “We take Pettit. searching Winamac Old Auto Club. northwest Indiana area. the cars there and the residents see In the winter months, when the The club was started by seven “Some of these guys have a lot of them and their minds go back to that club is unable to meet outdoors, they men, who had their first meeting in a cars,” said Paul Pettit of Hebron, era. I have an old milk truck, and get together most months (Novem- garage. Today, there are at least five president of the Winamac Old Auto we took it to a nursing home where I ber through March) at Trinity Free members who have been in the club Club. knew a guy there who worked for the Methodist Church, Merrillville. The for more than 50 years. While the warm weather days are dairy. I put him in it and, at 95 years numbered, the club members have old, I took him for a ride around the been at several recent events soaking parking lot and he was thrilled. They up that last bit of Indiana’s summer. said it was all he talked about for Although members gather to talk about three weeks.” shop and admire each other’s automo- Pettit said when he showed up with tive collections, it’s more than a social his Divco milk truck, they brought the club. Many of the events are done to man down from his third-floor room bring smiles to the faces of elderly and the staff didn’t think he would go nursing home patients or to collect outside. funds for a good cause. “But he went out and the other A car show, held last month at residents came out and he had a ball,” Suzy’s Diner in Hebron, was planned Pettit said. to take donations for a woman with Unlike some car clubs targeting a cancer. Other recent events have been specific make or a specific time period, visits to the Bonner Senior Center in Winamac Old Auto Club only requires Portage, Oak Grove Christian Retire- members to have a classic car in the ment Village in DeMotte and Avalon state of Indiana that is 25 years or Springs in Valparaiso. The club also older. So, one will find many makes, MILK TRUCK — Paul Pettit, president of the Winamac Old Auto Club, stands in front of his Divco milk truck. Winamac Old Auto Club is the oldest car club in the northwest Indiana area. &TUBUF1MBOOJOH.FEJDBJE#FOFGJUT1MBOOJOH 7FUFSBOT#FOFGJUT1MBOOJOH 5SVTUBOE1SPCBUF"ENJOJTUSBUJPO 1PSUFS$PVOUZ0GmDF -BLF$PVOUZ0GmDF 57&-JODPMOXBZ TU'MPPS Franklin Street, Suite 203 1MVN$SFFL$FOUFS 7BMQBSBJTP *OEJBOB *OEJBOBQPMJT#MWE 4VJUF 1IPOF 4DIFSFSWJMMF *OEJBOB 'BY 1IPOF'BY $POOJF-#BVTXFMM $&-" $FSUJmFEBTBO&MEFS-BX"UUPSOFZCZUIF/BUJPOBM&MEFS-BX'PVOEBUJPO XXXDPOOJFCBVTXFMMDPN 2 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ October 2016 www.seniorlifenewspapers.com Key Positions Ferracane oversees human resources department of CHS By CARRIE STEINWEG cago, St. Mary Medical Center through our doors.” Feature Writer in Hobart, Community Hospital He said that a huge challenge and Hartsfield Village Continu- in healthcare overall these days As vice president for Com- ing Care Retirement Community. is the need to do more with less munity Healthcare System Tony Also, a medically-based fitness resources. Ferracane oversees human re- center in Munster, as well as “Reimbursements continue sources for the group of medical several outpatient and diagnostic to go down every year and the centers and physician centers in centers, physician offices and amount of people using our northwest Indiana with close to immediate care centers in the services continues to increase,” 8,000 employees. He has held the region. he said. position for 15 years. Although the job is not without Hiring and retention is also a “I’ve been in health care all challenges, it is one that Ferra- big focus of the job. my life,” said Ferracane. “My cane enjoys and finds rewarding. “We’re continually challenged first job was as a social worker “People in healthcare are nationally by the need for expe- in the emergency room and it very special. They just go above rienced staff with increasing re- progressed from there. I went to and beyond on a regular basis. tirees in the workforce. However, school, got my master’s in human They’re really heroes,” Ferracane we’re doing well in terms of hir- resources and worked my way up said. ing for our health care system,” from there.” Showing appreciation to he said, adding that partnerships His career in the field has in- the many employees that with universities and community cluded working at other hospitals make such a different for their colleges are a critical piece in in the Chicago area, including patients is what he calls one helping to fill the positions with the University of Illinois Medical of the best parts of his job. “In skilled professionals. Center in Chicago. addition to an excellent compen- “Personally, I feel we’re the In his position in human sation and benefit program, the premier healthcare system in resources, the ultimate goal is to health care system organizes northwest Indiana and have provide the best possible patient everything from recognition much to offer to our patients care. programs to employee service throughout the region,” he said. “The way I can sum it up is award dinners to picnics to let Ferracane and wife, Diane, COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARD — Brandi Adams, most of my job is to serve the employees know how much they have one son. Outside of the relationship manager for Lake Area United Way, presented the people who serve the patients of are valued. The best recognition workplace, he has a wide range Community Excellence Award to Tony Ferracane, Community our community,” he said. are the comments from our pa- of interests and diverse set of Healthcare System’s vice president of human resources. Ferracane Within the system are St. tients telling us how well they hobbies that include fishing, oversees human resources for a group of medical centers and physi- Catherine Hospital in East Chi- are cared for when they walk sports and beekeeping. cian centers in northwest Indiana. (Photo provided) S. O. S. – Medicare failed Valparaiso client By WOODROW WILCOX she was getting bills total- pany paying its share of the clients? If not, why not? insurance agency over $1 ing $629.36 and her insur- bills. That will leave a much (Note: Woodrow Wilcox is million dollars by fighting On Aug. 23, I helped a cli- ance company had not paid smaller balance for the client the senior medical bill case mistakes and fraud in the ent discover that the reason anything. to pay. If our agency had not worker at Senior Care Insur- Medicare system. He wrote her Medicare supplement In our first meeting at my helped this client, she would ance Services in Merrillville. the book, “SOLVING MEDI- insurance company was office, the client and I phoned have been hounded to pay all He has saved clients of that CARE PROBLEM$”). not paying her claims from Medicare to have copies of the bills and her insurance doctors and hospitals was Medicare’s documentation of company never would have because Medicare was not the claims sent to her. When known that there was a claim Low vision support group sending the claims to her in- she got them, she brought to pay. This problem was not surance company. The client them to our office. Together, caused by our client or her meets twice in October is from Valparaiso. we phoned her insurance insurance company. The prob- It was our second meet- company to learn why it lem was caused by Medicare. Valparaiso Low Vision Support ebration Room, first floor, Pines ing at my office.