Ft. Wayne columnist's story connects Wishard

It's often striking how wide the reach of Wishard Hospital truly is.

People from across the state have stories of relatives and friends connected to Wishard, some who live in the Indianapolis area but many others from farther north, south, east or west of the capital city. Often these connections are made by Wishard's Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center, one of the best in America, or another medical pathway.

On Friday, though, a Ft. Wayne columnist penned an editorial in remembrance of a fallen friend and colleague. His column likely did not intend to draw any link to Wishard, or to the proposed construction of a new Wishard Hospital, but in a way his work was reflective of how and what Wishard is and does.

In "Beyond the Numbers," Morton J. Marcus, an independent economist, speaker and writer formerly with Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, writes of his relationship with Chris Linn.

Linn, Morton writes, worked at the Indiana Univeristy Indiana Business Research Center. Linn was an Indiana Republican, Morton writes, and a responsible citizen. Linn also lost his life too early, in Morton's words, "because he chose to continue smoking cigarettes even though he knew all along the potential consequences."

Morton writes of his last conversation with Linn: "he asked me to help him get an absentee ballot so he could vote for the Wishard Hospital improvements on the November ballot in Marion County."

Of this last conversation, Morton writes, "Chris Linn went out as a responsible citizen."

Unknowingly and probably unintentionally, Morton's column reflects two things: approving the Wishard Hospital project is a civic responsibility, and it is an issue with bipartisan support.

This story also connects to Wishard's message of preventative care and its efforts in providing smoking cessation services, but the striking element again is the reach.

Wishard impacts, touches, moves, inspires, and helps far more people than those who require its medical services. Wishard is woven into the fabric of the community.

It's a community that covers the entire state, and probably even beyond.

Visit WishardYes.org for more information about the Wishard referendum.