Tricia Hall never anticipated that her life would take her to Portage, but after meeting her husband 4 years ago over a simple Match.com meeting, Hall has found her way to the busy position of Director of Marketing and Patient Relations at NorthShore Health Center. Her daily duties consist of helping the very community she serves and ensuring that everyone who needs assistance or needs a voice is given one.
"This job is one that sort of just found its way to me," says Hall. "My original position consisted of working on data entry for colleges and reporting to the marketing director there."
Hall's director went on maternity leave, but before she left, taught Hall how to handle the roles of the director and ensuring that she could temporarily take over her duties once she left. However, once Hall found out that the director would not be returning, she was given her position.
Hall then met her would-be husband, got married and moved to NWI. Settling down in Portage, Hall soon found herself working at NorthShore and through her time spent there, found a passion for using her skills to help out the Portage community.
"I like that Portage is very community-based, there are many local and not for profits, it's so great to see everyone come together and be willing to help one another," says Hall.
Hall enjoys the ability to help out the community, even if it's through less traditional ways than most non-profits are used to.
"Before when I was with my previous job, I didn't experience the impact I would have on students and marketing," says Hall. "Now I have a more direct connection with the community. Now I can feel the impact even more."
Hall works closely with other members of her team to ensure that proper supplies are being provided, and in the end, people in need are being cared for in the best way possible.
"It really is a team effort working in medical services and outreaching to the community," says Hall. "It's all about communication and organization, being able to assess and discover what someone needs and then provide it to them."
Hall currently manages two teams, the outreach team as well as the prenatal and family care team. Both of these teams work extensively in the community to find aid for patients as well as providing guidance and in the case of the prenatal and family team, providing mothers with the resources and knowledge needed to care for their child.
"I think that's what sets NorthShore and my job apart from others, our willingness to educate," says Hall. "We are always trying to provide all that we can when it comes to preventative care and education regarding infants and young children. We want new moms to know that they have a resource they can use and that in the end, we are here to help them.
While working as a director means her time spent with patients is more limited than other members of the teams she communicates with, the amount of gratitude and positive feedback she has experienced from Portage has been an overwhelming experience.
"I've seen patients send in letters to our CEO, thanking her for letting these services exist. I've had patients come back to me, asking me how they can volunteer and give back since their experience had been so positive, there are many devoted patients here that want to give back again and help any way they can," says Hall.
For Tricia, it's the daily satisfaction of using her skills and knowledge that gives her the joy of working with NorthShore and working with the community of Portage.
"I don't get to interact with the patients as much as I would like, but I still make a difference by supporting the teams and by making sure they are involved and that they have a voice to make sure that they have what they need to ensure that the public is helped," says Hall. "I'm not a nurse, but I am always there to take ideas and be the backbone that supports the team."