I’m trying to make sense of the latest news from the hospital planning saga.
As reported by the News- Herald on April 19, 2014: “Hospital/Care Center Administrator Kimber Wraalstad said committees would be formed in the next several months to assist with the planning. Committee members will be sought from hospital and care center employees, medical staff, the hospital board, and from the public.” The article later states that: “Wraalstad also said that by the end of the year the design review with the Minnesota Department of Health and other agencies should be finished.”
The processing of ideas from employees and the public should have been initiated two years ago when the idea of revamping the hospital and care center was first proposed. Processing ideas through committees that “would be formed in the next several months” tells me there is little regard for public and employee input.
Anyone who has built anything knows that brainstorming ideas is first and foremost, then reduce it by what is required (and wanted), then down to what is actually needed, wanted (and can afford). Then start drawing plans. A realistic timetable to research new ideas is also incorporated into planning. By the time these committees are formed in “several months” the public and employees’ input of ideas will die on the vine, too late to change the design that is forecasted to be approved by the end of the year.
I believe the plans are already done, how else did the 20 million dollar amount get selected?
I won’t be surprised if the location of the administrator’s new office will have a lake view and to reduce staffing, there will be one universal nurse’s station for the entire facility. Emergency department, care center and acute care will all be served by the same staff. I hope I’m wrong.
Sign up to be on a committee, put in your 2 cents on the 20 million dollar project, before it’s too late…
The saga continues.
Paul Dahl RN
Gunflint Trail
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