VMH hosting meetings in Allamakee County to discuss proposed City to County conversion

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) staff and board members continue to visit each Allamakee County community to present and discuss the need to convert from a city-owned hospital to a county-owned hospital. The hospital turned in a petition with more than enough signatures to earn a spot on the ballot November 8 for voters to vote on this conversion in the upcoming general election.

The schedule for these county meetings, by community and date, is as follows:

• New Albin - Thursday, September 29 at 6 p.m. at the New Albin Community Center
• Dorchester - Thursday, October 6 at 6 p.m. at Wings Restaurant
• Lansing - Monday, October 10 at 6 p.m. at TJ Hunters Banquet Hall
• Waterville - Tuesday, October 11 at 6 p.m. at the Waterville Community Center
• Harpers Ferry - Tuesday, October 18 at 6 p.m. at the Harpers Ferry Community Center
• Waukon - Tuesday, October 25 at 6 p.m. in the Freedom Bank Community Room
• Postville - Tuesday, November 1 at 6 p.m. in the NEIA Wellness Center Meeting Room.

Anyone is welcome to attend these presentations, and question and answer sessions will follow each one. Questions such as the following will be covered at these informational meetings:

QUESTION: How is VMH doing financially right now?
ANSWER: After years of financial instability, VMH has begun to gain ground through operational improvements, expanded services and recruitment of additional providers. COVID relief dollars played a significant role in temporarily offsetting recent expenses and funding minor renovations. Those resources will be depleted by year end 2022.

QUESTION: If you were doing fine without county funding, what’s changed?
ANSWER: The city-to-county conversion isn’t just about what has changed, such as the depletion of COVID relief dollars, it’s also in response to what has not changed.
VMH faces ongoing financial challenges - many that are unique to rural hospitals. For example, rural hospitals like VMH must comply with the same regulations and healthcare codes as larger hospitals. The difference is, large facilities profit from efficiencies of scale and high patient volume, while rural hospitals that serve small communities struggle to break even on many services.
Challenges like these have caused more than 125 rural hospitals to close since 2010. Converting to a county hospital will allow VMH to build on the financial progress it’s made in recent years, while ensuring recurring financial support to keep access to quality care close to home.

Detailed information and hand-out materials on the need for this city to county conversion will be shared at these community meetings, as well as shared in future local newspapers and on the hospital’s website at www.veteransmemorialhospital.com/voteyes/. Anyone is welcome to attend these presentations, and question and answer sessions will follow each one.

A Facebook Live event was aired Friday, September 16 and is available for review by going to the Veterans Memorial Hospital Facebook page. For more information about the need for the city to county conversion, call VMH at 563-568-3411.