VALPARAISO | It is likely a group of local physicians is going to invest in the county's new hospital, which would give them control of the board of trustees, according to a representative of the company poised to take over the ownership of Porter hospital.

This type of arrangement is already in place at two Triad hospitals in the state and is in keeping with the company's approach with its medical staff, said James Shannon, Triad's vice president of development.

"We look at it as an ultimate alignment of incentives," he said during a news conference Thursday morning following the hospital's regular board meeting.

A physician syndication is in place at Triad's Dupont Hospital in Fort Wayne and at Kosciusko Community Hospital in Warsaw, he said.

Dr. Jac Cooper, president of Porter's medical staff, said there is a lot interest among physicians in the syndication option.

Talks are already under way with Triad and the next step is to set up a steering committee, he said.

News last week that Triad is being bought out by Community Health Systems, of Tennessee, initially raised some concern among the medical staff, but those concerns have since been discussed, Cooper said.

"I think there's more confidence from a leadership standpoint," he said.

Triad is poised to buy the county-owned hospital in a proposed deal valued at between $80 million and $120 million. The deal also calls for the construction of a new hospital.

The draft purchase agreement says physicians with active medical staff privileges at the hospital would make up at least 60 percent of the board if the syndication option is used.

The dollar amount the physicians would have to invest to trigger the syndication would be up to the physicians and Triad, said Deb Butterfield, Porter hospital's vice president of marketing and media relations.

While Porter hospital has just two physicians on its nine-member board, the hospital has four joint ventures that involve investments by physicians. These include the Sleep Disorders Institute of Northwest Indiana and EndoLabs, which provides colonoscopy and gastroscopy services.

According to the draft purchase agreement, the hospital board's responsibilities would include granting medical staff privileges and, when necessary, taking disciplinary action.

The hospital board of trustees also would be responsible for conducting periodic evaluations, selecting the chief executive officer, assuring medical staff compliance with accreditation requirements, identifying new services and educational opportunities, and participating in business decisions.