A Save Our Hospital organization member asked the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners Tuesday to form a community health board with the city of Albert Lea, which he said could make a long-term difference in how local health care is delivered. 

Al Arends said the board could pass ordinances such as requiring a local health care provider give a 12-month notice when it plans to transition services outside a community and would be able to address the high health care insurance costs in Freeborn County.

Two other adjoining counties would have to participate for the idea to come to fruition.

A meeting involving Save Our Hospital, at least one possible representative from Freeborn County and other counties to discuss plans is expected Saturday at the intellicents building in downtown Albert Lea. A St. Peter-based consultant is expected to lead the discussion.

“We hope it’s a model that will be able to be taken to other counties,” Arends said.

With the transition of most inpatient services underway at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea, Arends said the county board needs to act soon.

“We need your help and support in the worst way,” he said.

“I think time is exceptionally important.”

Arends cited a recent increase in Albert Lea’s population after decreases as a reason why the community needs to address the transition of most inpatient services.

“We don’t want to see Albert Lea go backwards,” he said.

“There is an implementing statute under Minnesota law, and we will be considering a local community health board,” Freeborn County Attorney David Walker said in email after the meeting. “The first step is to do research on whether such a community health board was actually established in the ’70s in Freeborn County. The law precludes the county from establishing a community health board if it is already in a community health board’s jurisdiction.”

Walker said Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson promised she would help the county research “legally permissible financing options in the event that we either purchase the hospital or recruit another health system to purchase it.”

“Mayo has made it clear from the start that they do not consider selling the hospital to be an option,” Walker said.