Hats off to the volunteers of the Albert Lea Healthcare Coalition! I will admit that when the Save our Hospital group began their protests and meetings, I was skeptical they would be able to accomplish much.

Boy, was I wrong.

Through months of hard work, they have been able to secure the commitment of MercyOne to open a medical clinic in Albert Lea in 2020, and they have laid out a phased plan that eventually could lead to the return of a birthing center to Albert Lea.

Now it is time for the rest of us to step up. If you are a person that has complained about high medical costs and limited services, you need to have the courage of your convictions and contribute to the coalition’s fundraising drive. They are already over halfway to their goal. At Albert Lea Seed we are proud to support their fundraising campaign with a three-year pledge. Why are we pledging?

1. Saving money. We believe that competition will reduce or slow the growth of costs in both health care services and health insurance. I respect the hard-working people who staff the Mayo Clinic Health System facility here. This is not about vilifying them or the outstanding care they have provided to our community. But there is no denying that health care costs in southeastern Minnesota are the highest in the state (often 20 to 30% higher). Bringing competition into Albert Lea will bring down costs, and that has the potential to reduce health insurance premiums as well.

2. Economic growth. We believe in order for Albert Lea to grow, we need to have competitively priced health care services that potential employers (and their employees) require. Having high-priced health care services and not having a birthing center in Albert Lea is first and foremost a family issue, but for that very reason it is also an economic development issue.

3. Commitment to Albert Lea. Like everyone, we want Albert Lea to be a vibrant and growing community. We have all been discouraged by seeing local businesses close and health care access decrease. If we want to reverse this trend, we have to be part of the solution.

The volunteers of the Albert Lea Healthcare Coalition have worked very hard to give us this opportunity. Don’t let it slip by. Please support the future of our community by making a three-year pledge that you can afford.

Mac Ehrhardt

Albert Lea Seed