We live in what is often referred to as “The Information Age.” We can thank technology for this. The result is that all of us now have almost unlimited sources of information and, in fact, if we chose to, each of us can contribute to the bank of information. The difficulty, of course, is that we would like to equate information with truth and with the current avalanche of information, the age-old question of, “What is truth?” gets a bit cloudy. Here is my version of the truth relative to a prolonged exchange I stumbled across on Facebook concerning fundraising efforts of the Albert Lea Healthcare Coalition.

The coalition is a legal entity that grew out of SOH (Save Our Hospital and then Save Our Healthcare) in order to realize the goals of SOH. Those goals were, and still are: restore services lost; reduce medical costs; and regain control of those services. To further these goals, the coalition has formed a partnership with MercyOne, a health care provider. A very logical question arises concerning this partnership: “Why do the people of the Albert Lea area need to participate in the financing of this project?” The answer to that question may be found in the goals of the coalition. We need to regain control of medical services. The coalition is raising money in order to purchase the building (former Herberger’s building), where MercyOne will locate its services. MercyOne will invest a lot of money equipping that building with medical equipment and will lease the building from the coalition. Both parties will have a vested interest in the success of the venture.

Another good question commonly raised is in regard to the restoration of lost services. This is clearly stated as a goal but is not a part of the five-phase plan for which money is being raised. The answer is that the coalition’s mission does not end with the five-phase plan. The coalition’s mission will never end because goals are always just a little bit ahead of us and always demand attention. When the five-phase plan is in place, the next priority will be to further restore the services lost. One thing is certain: These goals will not be realized without the support, both financial and patronage, of the people of the Albert Lea area. 

If restoring services lost and regaining control of those services is not motivation enough to support this cause, then consider the prospect of reducing the cost of those services.  The economic impact and the ripples of that impact would provide a tremendous boon to all aspects of our community.  So, if you were contacted long ago with a contribution packet and have put it aside, or if you have just recently been approached, please consider joining in our efforts to improve health care in our area. One of our core values is respect, so if you have issues with our cause, we will respect your interpretation of truth.

Have a great holiday season.

Neal Skaar

Albert Lea