Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,
The citizens of Albert Lea, Minn., need your help.
We are extremely concerned and upset about Mayo Clinic’s decision to remove the In-Patient Hospital stay and Baby Delivery Services from Albert Lea and transfer those services to Austin, Minn. Mayo plans to use our current hospital only for chemical dependency and psychiatric services, plus a limited Emergency Room. Medicaid funding is decreasing and many psychiatric patients depend upon that to cover their expenses, so how long will that be available before Mayo decides to close that service down too?
Mayo’s plan is devastating to our community. How can we possibly entice and encourage new businesses and new residents to move to our area, if we do not have a full-service clinic and hospital? I have been a resident of Albert Lea all of my life and, frankly, I do not want to stay if I cannot count on a full-service hospital. My husband has many health issues and it is very important to us to have immediate help when needed, not a 25-30 minute ambulance ride to Austin.
In the past few years, we have heard of birthing mothers, and elderly patients being sent to Austin, Owatonna and Rochester, Minn., because they were told there were no hospital rooms available in Albert Lea. The truth is, Albert Lea had many hospital beds/rooms available. There was simply a shortage of staff (verified by local nurses) to take care of the patients and this is due to Mayo cutting back the number of staff (part of their long-range plan). Please note–Albert Lea has more hospital rooms than Austin.
Mayo has created havoc with several other small communities in southern Minnesota in the last couple of years–Fairmont, Lake City, Madelia, and Wabasha, to name a few. For example: the Fairmont medical system had approximately 740 employees prior to Mayo transferring services, now there are only about 400 employees. What has that done to their economic stability?
Mayo is a multi-million/billion dollar monopoly business. The original legacy designed by the Mayo Brothers was “Patient First.” It provided caring, professional, and personal care. Now it appears to be “money first.” This plan has been in place for a few years without Mayo consulting or informing hospital employees (doctors, nurses, etc.) or our Albert Lea City and Freeborn County leaders. Mayo did not perform an economic research study regarding the effect it would have on Albert Lea, Freeborn County, or its nearby northern Iowa counties–Winnebago and Worth.
Albert Lea was one of the first town designated as a “healthy” Blue Zone. What will happen to our town’s designation once we no longer have a full-service hospital?
Our medical costs and medical insurance premiums are 29 percent high in our area, compared to the metropolitan area of Minnesota, due to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
We live in open country, In the winter time, we face extreme cold, snow, high winds, frost, sleet, freezing rain, icy roads, and blizzards contributing to hazarouds weather driving. If birthing mothers and ill patients are sent to Austin, Minn., for hospital stays, not only are they being exposed to dangerous road conditions, but their loved ones as well. I understand an ambulance service will be available, however, that in itself is adding an additional financial expense to the family and/or their insurance company. Ambulance service is not cheap. It will require Medicare, Medicaid, insurance companies, and out-of-pocket expenses to many patients, as well as taxpayers to cover those bills. Why should it be necessary for family and friends to be forced to travel so many more miles to be with their loved ones during a traumatic health crisis (especially our western communities and northern Iowa communities)? How will elderly spouses be with their mate unless they ask a family member to take off work to assist them or pay someone else to drive them? We have many nursing home patients who will be greatly inconvenienced and will be caused additional pain and suffering due to this. Each of these options will add more financial burdens and stress to the families.
Why is Mayo transferring inpatient services to a town that is even closer to Rochester, Minn.? It does not make sense. Is Austin’s Hormel Corporation the determining factor?
If you, too, are concerned about the transfer of health services from Albert Lea, please contact your federal, state and local representatives and tell them why Mayo’s decision is devastating to the very sick, seniors, mothers and newborns. Concerned citizens of Albert Lea and Freeborn County have established an organization, “Save Our Hospital.” Concerned citizens are welcome and encouraged to attend our Sunday weekly meetings at the American Legion, located at 142 N. Broadway Ave., Albert Lea, Minn. at 6 p.m.
Sincerely,
Joanne Hansen
Member of Save Our Hospital
201 Bancroft Dr.
Albert Lea, Minn. 56007