“Hospital leaders announced last week that over the next three years, the health system will move overnight hospitalization and intensive care unit stays, childbirths and major surgeries requiring hospitalization to the Austin campus.”

My view is hospital leaders need to pause and listen to the community the Albert Lea hospital serves.   

Personally, my family has needed and appreciated having a complete hospital in Albert Lea. My three children were born in Albert Lea. My husband, children and parents have had major surgeries in Albert Lea. My children and parents have been admitted for illness and treatments.

When my mother was recently in the critical care unit in Albert Lea, we were so blessed with exceptional care in our home hospital environment.  Being a patient is stressful enough without being relocated to a different hospital.

On the official web site, http://history.mayoclinic.org/,  John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic,  states:

“Mayo Clinic has expanded and changed in many ways, but our values remain true to the vision of our founders. Our primary value — the needs of the patient come first — guides our plans and decisions as we create the future of health care.”

Will the proposed changes follow the Mayo Clinic primary value — the needs of the patient come first?

Will patient treatments, patient survival rates, patient health results/outcomes and patient costs with these changes ring true in the Mayo Clinic primary value — the needs of the patient come first?

We all know people sometimes need in-patient medical treatments to get through cases of dehydration, infections, pneumonia and other medical needs.

Keep it local — the needs of the patient come first.   

We all know there are times when scheduled medical procedures unfortunately turn into a need for overnight care.  This is not an ideal time to transfer the patient.

Keep it local — the needs of the patient come first.

In Minnesota we have weather that limits travel —blizzards, ice storms, tornados, fog, heavy rain and so on.  When our youngest was born, road conditions were hazardous with an ice storm, and we were lucky to make it to the Albert Lea hospital. At the hospital, our baby was breach and needed an immediate Cesarean-section. 

Keep it local — the needs of the patient come first.

We need overnight hospitalization, ICU, childbirths and major surgeries requiring hospitalization to remain at the Albert Lea Hospital.

Keep it local — the needs of the patient come first. 

Mayo Officials need to re-examine their decision. This is the time to make it right by keeping a fully-functioning complete hospital in Albert Lea. Remember and honor and follow the vision of the Mayo founders — the needs of the patient come first.

Ann Bryson

Alden