Hospital must remain viable, community healing should come to the forefront

More than one person, in more than one venue or discussion, has suggested East Adams Rural Hospital is at risk of suffering its own demise. True, more than one argument has been made to suggest the district has crossed into uncertain territory, or that it is floundering in hostile waters.

However, unless the aforementioned individuals know something the rest of the taxpayers do not know, there’s no evidence the hospital is destined for certain death.

We’ve heard elected leaders of the district and the administration say they have no plans of closing the hospital. Employees publicly asked the board to address the rumors. The commissioners emphatically said they’re working to ensure the longevity of the hospital.

Some have suggested there’s a hidden agenda to replace the hospital with a super clinic. After asking some questions, we believe even that is a misunderstanding.

During the January meeting of the district’s commissioners, several people said preserving the hospital is critical. Individuals who find themselves on opposing sides of hospital district issues seem to agree on one common theme: we all want and need our hospital.

For more than a year now, a series of unfortunate events and decisions have led to a divided community. The district serves the eastern portion of Adams County and across those miles, disgruntled, disappointed and disenchanted taxpayers aren’t hard to find.

The issues boiled over in January 2011, when the district’s leadership insisted its homegrown physicians sign a new contract that carried several stipulations the doctors had never been asked to previously agree to — during their 16 and 20 years of local service.

When the physicians opposed the new contract language, the district’s leadership opted to halt negotiations and replace them with the equivalent of rent-a-doctors.

The community outcry over the district’s decision was clear. In the November general election, voters let their dissatisfaction be known. They overwhelming voted for candidates who said they opposed the decisions of the district. These same candidates also told voters they believe it’s time for a change in the administration.

For a year, conversations have been heated, unfriendly and quite frankly, unnecessary. All of this could have been handled differently. And even after the deeds had been done, the outcry could have been silenced, if someone in a position of leadership within the district simply stepped up, admitted things could have been handled better and invited everyone to find a way to work together to resolve the discourse.

Instead the issues have festered. The district’s decisions have resulted in a divisive, unhealthy condition that has left our communities fractured and polarized. Some on opposing sides of the district have contributed to the divide through strong, assaultive language.

Look around. Friends and neighbors and even family members disagree so passionately with one another about the district’s decisions, that bonds that took years to build have diminished or been permanently destroyed.

Hindsight is 20/20.

We’d like to believe much of this could have been avoided through compromise and thoughtful, heartfelt discussions.

Many have said they want to find a way to heal our communities. Jerry Snyder, a new district commissioner, said at the recent board meeting it may take generations to heal all the wounds.

We hope that’s not true. We fear it might be.

Everyone here needs a viable hospital. If not for them, for a friend of family member, who has a medical emergency. The hospital district, like our school districts and local governments, plays a key role in the survival of our communities as a whole.

Everyone’s quality of life has been impacted by the feud that has arisen as a result of the chain of events that has unfolded during the past couple of years.

We all need to work to repair the damage, heal our relationships and ensure we have a well-funded public hospital district, dedicated resident physicians and leaders who live here, work here and are vested in strengthening the future of our rural communities.

Anything less than that is unacceptable. Anything is possible, if we all come to the table with a sense of community and agree to allow the proverbial hatchet to be buried once and for all.