Defendants' Answers to Plaintiffs' Second Set of Interrogatories as Amended
Public Court Documents
1977
7 pages
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Case Files, Hatcher v. Methodist Hospital - Hardbacks. Defendants' Answers to Plaintiffs' Second Set of Interrogatories as Amended, 1977. 1c890de8-5384-f111-ab0f-7c1e527d528a. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/ac0e0bd7-803b-411f-91d9-444a4d799d8d/defendants-answers-to-plaintiffs-second-set-of-interrogatories-as-amended. Accessed October 10, 2026.
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[||21e44b6b-23e9-41af-832d-7e87f3291efd||] IN THE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA
HAMMOND DIVISION
BERNICE “TERRY, et al.,
Plaintiffs
NO. H<76~-373
METHODIST HOSPITAL OF GARY, INC.,
et al.,
Defendants
RICHARD GORDON HATCHER, et al.,
Plaintiffs NO. H 77-154
METHODIST HOSPITAL OF GARY, INC.,
et al.,
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Defendants
DEFENDANTS' ANSWERS TO PLAINTIFFS
SECOND SET OF INTERROGATORIES AS AMENDED
Come now the Defendants' Methodist Hospital of Gary, Inc. and
Denis E. Ribordy and files answers to Second Set of Interrogatories
as amended, propounded to Defendants by Plaintiffs herein.
1. 8tate the name of the data base, either as it is referred
to in the defendant's customary data processing operation or so
that it can be uniquely identified in subsequent answers or pleadings.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A-_1
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2. Which categories of employees are included in the data
base.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
3. When was the data base first created, and when was it last
used.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
4. If volumes, version, or generations of the data base are
(were) periodically produced, state:
(a) how often a copy is produced.
(b) what period of time is covered by each volume.
(c) in what ways any of the answers to questions in Part I
differ between different volumes of the data base.
(d) by volume serial or other unique identifier, the volumes
still extant and the contents and dates thereof, retained,
and if so,
(e) identify any volumes scheduled for destruction within the
next twelve months.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
5. If entries in the data base are periodically updated, without
a new volume or copy being created (such as the weekly updating of a
disk master file), state:
(a) how often the data base is updated.
(b) which fields or records are subject to revision.
(c) whether complete copies are made and retained, and if so,
(d) state by volume or other unique identifier the volumes
still extant, the contents and dates thereof, and any
proposed destruction dates.
ANSWER:
whether changed or purged entries are maintained in
computer-readable form, and if so,
answer all applicable questions in Part I for any files
containing these purged entries.
See Exhibit A
Provide the following for all fields found within each
different record structure within the data base.
a "record layout" for the file may be produced, providing it supplies
each requested item of information in a clear, legible, and unambigous
In the alternative,
(a) its location within the record.
(b) a brief description. of its contents.
(c) a brief description of its function and significance,
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if not immediately obvious (such as name, race).
the physical representation of its contents (character,
zoned decimal, packed decimal, signed decimal, binary,
floating point, location of assumed decimal point, lo-
cating of sign, right = or left - justified, strictly
numeric, numeric with blanks, etc.).
the sign codes used for decimal fields (f.e., IBM
standards hexadecimal "C" or "FP" for plus, hex "DY
for minus).
the status of the field; whether data was always entered,
was sometimes entered (was optional), or was never en-
tered (space was provided, but field was not used).
For each field which contains "coded" entries, such as
a Field for race containing a *1" for white and. a "2¥
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Taal APN] ng
for black, or numbers representing department titles,
provide a translation table which contains each possible
entry and its English translation or literal meaning.
If such translation table exists in computer-readable
form, answer all appropriate questions in Part I con-
cerning the table.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
7. If the file is composed of records differing in form from
one another, provide the record layout for each possible record entry,
(c.f. question 6) and state how the format appropriate to any par-
ticular record can be ascertained. If the file is "hierarchical"
in structure (i.e., it contains an unpredictable number of minor-level
records related in some manner to a preceeding major-level record),
describe in detail the structure of the file, and state how different
record types and levels can be recognized.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
8. State the approximate number of logical records in the data
base.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
9. Describe the storage device or medium.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
10.: State the:
(a) logical record length.
(b) physical record length (blocksize).
(c) record format (fixed length, variable length, spanned,
blocked.
(d) file organization (sequential, indexed, direct, VSAM).
(e) recording code {EBCDIC, ASCII, BCD, Hollerith,
column binary).
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
11. State the programming language or retrieval system used to
Create and access the data base.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
12. If the data base is generated or accessed by a program which
is part of a formal or documented processing system, provide a "flow-
chart" for that system, showing the flow of information (files) from
program to program.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
13. 1f on magnetic tape, state the density (bits per inch), the
number of tracks (7.9), the recording technique (parity, translation,
conversion, character code ) if on 7 track; the form of internal
identifying labels (IBM standars, non-labelled, IBM 1400 series,
Burroughs standard, etc.), and the format of block prefixes if ASCII.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
14. With reference to the fields enumerated in the answer to
Question 6, describe the order in which records in the data base are
sorted.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
15. Briefly describe each of the defendant's computer facilities,
including:
(a) manufacturer.
(b) model number.
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(c) name and release of operating system.
(d) type and number of each input/out/put device.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
16. If the defendant's client colivater system is not capable of
copying each of the data bases identified in Part I according to
the following parameters, state why not, and state what alternatives
are avallable for each of the parameters listed:
(a) onto magnetic tape.
{h)."9 track.
(cy. aL 800, 1600, or 6250 bpi.
(4d) in EBCDIC character code.
(e) with IBM standard OS labels.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
17. For each information retrieval program or report generator
(L.e., software capable of producing a multitude of different reports,
depending on control information entered) available, hats purchased,
leased, or written locally,
(a) identify its name or title, vendor or author, and any
optional features installed.
(b) identify which of the data bases named in Part I the
program operates on, and whattype of reports it is capable
of generating.
(c) Identify and describe all documents, reference manuals
or texts which describe the program and its operation.
ANSWER: See Exhibit A
18. If defendant contracts with an outside service bureau or
agency for processing of data bases identified in Part I,
(a) describe those services completely.
(b) indicate which data bases identified in Part I are in
the possession of such bureau or agency.
(c) answer all parts of questions 15 and 16 concerning the
bureau's data processing capabilities.
ANSWER: See Exhibits A and B
19. Give the name, business address, job title, and job function
nf:
(a) the manager of defendant's data processing operation.
(b) each analyst or programmer who has intimate knowledge
of the contents or function of each data base identified
in Part I (specify which).
(c) the person (s) who answered these Interrogatories.
ANSWER: See Exhibits A and B
HODGES, DAVIS, GRUENBERG, COMPTON & SAYERS
Edward J. Hus$ey 7
5525 Broadway
Gary, Indiana 46410
Phone: 981-2557
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