Hospital not immediately threatened, but community support sought

While we appreciate the coverage of our recent presentation to the Chamber of Commerce on the legislation that could adversely affect the financial well-being of our hospital, we feel it appropriate to respond to those in our community who have expressed concerns that closure of the hospital is imminent. Recently, House Bill 2130 was introduced into the legislature but no action has been taken to date. Therefore, we are in no immediate danger of the hospital closing.

The point of our presentation was to ask for our community’s support in contacting legislators and letting them know that enacting House Bill 2130 would have devastating financial effects on our hospital and therefore on the community. It has been our experience that our legislators have been very responsive to members of our community and so we ask that the community continue to advocate on behalf of our local public hospitals to assure continued access to healthcare for all citizens of our state and our local community.

We appreciate the letters and calls of support from our community partners to our legislators and we ask for that same support as we work with our law makers to find appropriate solutions to reducing the cost of healthcare while improving quality and access.

J. Scott Graham

Chief Executive Officer

Coulee Medical Center