Write Team: Ottawa deserves a great new hospital

I was not born in Ottawa, but have lived here two-thirds of my life. I have never been an inpatient at Ottawa’s hospital. I had tests performed there (including the one that makes turning 50 a less desirable milestone), been in the emergency department to get checked out after an accident, and had minor outpatient surgery, but never had to stay over-night.

I recently was in OSF St. Anthony Hospital in Rockford for a night, after surgery. I ended up there because of some factors that a local surgeon referred me to his colleague in Rockford.

I was thoroughly impressed both with the surgeon and with the hospital. It left me thinking, “Why doesn’t Ottawa deserve, such an impressive hospital?” I know Rockford is much bigger, but my surgeon listed three hospitals in Rockford where he operates. We do not need as big of a hospital, where they wheeled me through a maze of hallways on my way to prepare for the surgery. It would have been so much nicer for my wife if it had not been necessary to make the trip to Rockford, but instead, could have driven across town to be with me and pick me up to take me home the next day. I also think of those who do not have the resources to make such a trip to be with their loved one.

While a new hospital is going to be built; why not build one that can service as many needs as possible of the local area? I understand the concept that when there are several hospitals in an area that each can concentrate on a specific need when doing so would be possible without putting peoples’ lives in danger. When doing so, it seems to me that the hospital systems need to take a further step and really partner with local communities to fit into their services. An example already in Ottawa, is the partnership between OSF and its physical therapy department and the YMCA in building the new Y.

Such a partnership could be forged between the new St. Elizabeth hospital (and other local OSF hospitals) and the cities or North Central Area Transit, to assure that transportation is available both to patients and their visitors when a service is no longer available at a hospital. Times could be set aside for those lacking transportation to get service at St. Elizabeth and be transported by NCAT.

The new hospital could also plan multi-purpose rooms to allow more services or adjust as the local health needs shift, or to make more services available on a not everyday, rotating basis. Perhaps grant money could be sought for services that ordinarily would not be able to be provided due to cost or low insurance reimbursement. New laws could be passed to make hospital services more available. I have learned from being in administration that much more is possible when a single ideal is not all that is leading when changes are made.

• Rodney Verdine is retired as the assistant director at the La Salle County Detention Home, but also had been a probation officer. He can be reached at newsroom@mywebtimes.com