A message from Bob Franko, CEO
I’ve always appreciated Centier Bank’s “Not For Sale” campaign. It started in an era when banks were rapidly merging, getting acquired, or gobbling up other banks in a western-style landgrab for market share. What I didn’t have an appreciation for, however, was the cut-throat competition, baseless promises, and ugliness that often ensued during and after the transactions—and thus why Centier Bank never wanted to be a part of it.
The VNA Hospice of NWI understands that now as well as anyone. Like Centier we have deep roots in this community, with more than 55 years of care and compassion. We are one of the longest tenured hospice providers in The Region—since 1983. One of our competitors, a formerly owned-and-operated private, for-profit operator, just announced its sale to a large, privately-owned, for-profit company from Texas. Frankly, I’ve had a lot of respect for this competitor through the years because of its commitment to our area and because its owners were a part of the local fabric. I certainly understand their decision to sell at this point. Many people create a business to eventually sell the business.
But not the VNA Hospice. You see what happens in these situations is that the new owner, whether they’re in Tennessee, Texas, or California, has no attachment to our area. We are a market to be dominated to them. That’s all. They’ll say all kinds of stuff about “the same people” and the “same commitment”, but it’s all hogwash and we know it. Their sole purpose—their only reason to exist—is to extract as much revenue as they can from this market. Suits in Texas or Tennessee will talk about cost containment, revenue optimization, managed human capital, and operational efficiencies. They don’t know the difference between Lake Village, Lake Station, Cedar Lake, or Lake Central, and honestly they don’t care. What can we soak out of them?
There are only two nonprofit hospices left in our six-county area. They also happen to be the only hospices left that are locally owned-and-governed. Everyone else, some 13-14 hospices by anyone’s count, are all owned by out-of-state enterprises run by shareholders who demand returns. They don’t care about you. They don’t care about our customs, traditions, values, and the care our loved ones receive; only that someone can pay for it. You are not a market to us. You are us, we are you. This is our community, a community of families, friends, and neighbors who deserve the very best, and you just voted us the Best in the Region to deliver on that promise. We aren’t for sale, either. We will never sell your trust.