Arcadia Hospital Will Be Missed

As many already know, the Franciscan Skemp hospital and emergency room in Arcadia closed last week. While I was fully aware of what the obvious impacts were, I failed to realize just how hard, not only the staff, but also community members would take this change. While I will admit that I never utilized the services of the hospital or emergency room, many lives have been positively impacted by the presence of the facility. Considering there are so many farms in this rural area, I think having an emergency care facility in the vicinity eased a lot of minds. Given that farming accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, it does concern me that there will no longer be a hospital in Arcadia.

Not only that, but the city is a manufacturing hub in this region, with people working shifts around the clock. If I were working in a plant where serious injury could occur, I would definitely feel better if there were a hospital nearby. Thankfully, the Arcadia Ambulance Service received a donation from the Franciscan Skemp Foundation that will allow them to add a second crew. That money will also go toward more training, which, while not a bona fide substitute for an emergency room, is certainly something makes me feel better about the current situation. The hospital closure also affected many families when their loved ones had to be relocated to different facilities. I know, if I had a grandparent or other relative who had to be hospitalized, I would want them as near as possible. To think that families will now have to travel to places like Eau Claire or La Crosse to visit with those individuals just doesn't seem right.

Then, of course, you have the emotional aspect of the hospital closure. As was mentioned during the closing ceremony last Thursday, the loss of the hospital was likened to a death in the community. In many ways, that's true. So many people have had to find other places of employment, if at all, leaving behind a cherished venue where they worked for years. The bonds that these people forged as a staff is similar to the attachments built with childhood friends and those with which you graduated high school. You spend so many hours a day with the same people that they become like family. Now, that family is divided and the staff is going their separate ways.

Seeing so many people wiping away tears and becoming emotional during last Thursday's ceremony was something I was really not anticipating. While I knew what kind of impact this change would have on the community as a whole, I never stopped to think about those individuals who thought of the hospital as their second home and their coworkers as family. For them, this change is more like turning the pages of a book and starting a new chapter. It is ironic, however, that those who have cared for the ill and helped them recuperate are now the ones who find themselves in need of healing. Hopefully, the saying is true and time really does heal all wounds.

Jennie Oemig
Staff Writer
Trempealeau County Times