Guest column: Changes are coming for Ottawa

My wife Julie is a nurse.

More than that actually. Her name tag reads “Julianne, BSN, RN Supervisor Nursing/Patient Care Ambulatory Services.” She is employed by OSF Healthcare.

It is necessary to divulge that information before I continue. I’m fairly certain my opinion will come across as biased. There is no way around that.

The recent disclosure by OSF to build a new hospital in Ottawa while shifting some of their long-standing services to Peru came as a shock to everyone, including me. The news landed on our doorsteps with a giant thud. The details were uncomfortable for many of us east of La Salle-Peru. Nobody likes change. Even if it’s for the better.

I can remember a time long ago when I was just a child, good ol’ Dr. Sutton came to our house to diagnose and treat me while I lay in bed. I don’t remember what was wrong with me. A generation later, while I was playing on the floor with my toddler, I crashed into a bedside table. Requiring stitches, I called Dr. Sutton, who said to meet him at the office. Did you get that? I called his home phone, talked to him personally, then agreed to meet him at his office – after hours – to get stitched up.

That doesn’t happen anymore. The days of doctors making house calls ended decades ago. Why? I don’t know. But that type of health care will never return.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health care took a turn toward the internet. This was great for me. I didn’t even have to leave the house to consult with a doctor. I didn’t even need to get dressed. All I did was log onto my health care account come appointment time, and my doc and I had a nice little chat. Unfortunately, I had to have surgery on my neck and traveled to Peoria for the procedure. It broke my 60-year record of never spending a night in a hospital.

I knew I would need to go to Peoria for surgery. That’s where the surgeon operated. As far as I know, you have to go to a much larger hospital in a bigger town than we have around here if you need any type of major surgery. I had three discs replaced, a titanium bracket installed with eight screws and all wrapped in a metal cage. I came home the next morning. Officially, I wasn’t even an inpatient.

This was unheard of in the mid- to late 20th century. Health care technology has vastly improved since doctors carried black bags everywhere they went. Insurance companies now call most shots on how long you can stay in a hospital bed.

When OSF started expanding its operations, it did so with a plan and a purpose. I can’t tell you what exactly that plan or purpose was, but I can surely tell you that it has been successful.

OSF hasn’t been buying up hospitals. OSF has been working to keep health care available to all of us despite the struggles of hospitals that just couldn’t keep up with the changes both financially and logistically.

Health care has made a lot of changes over the decades. Those changes were based on research and experience. I believe the administrators of OSF have done their jobs and put together a plan for the future of not only OSF but also for us. I trust that plan is sustainable. We don’t have to like it. We don’t. But like it or not, just as we have with past changes, we will get used to it.

Kevin Foster is a lifelong resident of the area. He is retired and spends his days watching birds and losing at “Jeopardy!”