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Guest column by Martha Jones Sichko

Many people who read this know someone who has faced challenges obtaining accessible, affordable health care in Freeborn County for years. Action is needed now to help patients.

Our county commissioners have received numerous reports of Mayo Clinic patients waiting excessively in the ER due to a lack of available beds in Austin or Rochester, contrary to Mayo’s 2017 optimization promises.

Commissioners have heard heartbreaking stories of the sick and injured waiting too long for ambulances, receiving untimely care and being denied appointments. Mayo is transferring seniors hours away to its critical access hospitals, like Lake City, where Mayo receives higher Medicare payments.

Despite these realities and the Post Bulletin’s May 11, 2024, investigation on Albert Lea’s health care situation, only two of the five commissioners, Christopher Shoff and Brad Edwin, have shown consistent concern for health care issues, while the others remain indifferent to the life-and-death consequences of citizens.

Minnesota Statute 145A.04 requires that county commissioners ensure access to essential healthcare. When they abandon this duty, residents’ well-being is directly affected.

Under this law, county commissioners can either form a County Board of Health from local experts or themselves. They chose the latter.

Since Mayo dismantled our local hospital and removed medical specialties, this board has neglected its duties for years, failing to inquire about patient transfers, adverse events, ER births and even employment numbers. They do not conduct any gap analyses on medical services, have no decision support for patients, and have no strategic or quality improvement plans, per the law.

The public should know that this board did nothing to support MercyOne in keeping vital services in Freeborn County. Likewise, they did nothing to encourage United Health District (UHD) to establish a clinic here.

When asked about the law and county health board responsibilities, Commissioner Nicole Eckstrom wrote, “I will educate myself on the county’s permitted role.” Yet, this didn’t happen until the law was read to her.

When asked to recuse herself from Mayo-related votes due to a conflict of interest, Eckstrom refused, despite being enriched by Mayo as her spouse earned $1,105,016 from Mayo as far back as 2019, according to the IRS 990 report.

Bias was evident from Eckstrom and Commissioner Dawn Kaasa when — after seven years of the public seeking answers from Mayo through a public meeting, they wanted to include UHD in the Mayo meeting so they could hear UHD patient concerns, unaware that UHD wasn’t operating in Freeborn County.

Similarly, these commissioners seemed out of touch again. They didn’t know that since June, Mason City Clinic had expanded into Freeborn County, offering needed urology, podiatry, ENT and psychiatry services.

District 2 lost a health care champion when Dan Belshan retired. His successor, Kaasa, doesn’t seem to put the needs of patients first or understand that another provider could operate a hospital cost-effectively here. The Post Bulletin confirmed in June that the Albert Lea Hospital was financially viable, serving a population of 65,000.

Kaasa disregards the need for Mayo to support senior transportation as they do for seniors in Austin. She equates it to higher taxes — not true. If she cares about saving citizens’ money, Kaasa should address how Mayo drives up costs by 30% despite no increase in quality.

Commission John Forman voiced a statement regarding patients that required a more understanding stance. In a county workshop focusing on the lack of a birthing center and concerns that mothers are giving birth in the ER and on I-90, attendees heard Forman’s response, “It’s the mother’s fault.” Forman’s statement doesn’t support a positive legacy.

While no one can demand anything from a $16 billion nonprofit, commissioners must not ignore the need for better health care. It’s necessary to ask tough questions and pursue effective solutions.

Thankfully, Commissioner Shoff pushed forward a resolution in July, asking Mayo to attend a county meeting and address health care questions, further closures and reductions, along with allowing patients to share their stories. In 2019, Mayo’s leadership walked out of the meeting before the patients could share their concerns.

Mayo’s leadership responded to the county’s request by refusing to attend a public meeting and listen to patients, showing once again their disregard for patients.

With this knowledge, citizens of Freeborn County must realize that without raising voices to demand action and accountability, health care will wither, and the commissioners will persist in their apathy for patients.

If the commissioners want to represent people, they should care for them, upholding their moral obligation to the mission of protecting and promoting the well-being of Freeborn County residents.

Albert Lea resident Martha J. Sichko is an advocate for seniors, fighting for affordable, accessible health care.