Tim Bricker, President and CEO of CommonSpirit Health’s Midwest Region met with Senator John Hoeven at CHI St. Alexius Hospital Devils Lake for a tour of the facility and a promise to work to bring improvements to the region’s hospital and healthcare concerns. (<em>photo by Louise Oleson, Devils Lake Journal</em>)

Tim Bricker, President and CEO of CommonSpirit Health’s Midwest Region met with Senator John Hoeven at CHI St. Alexius Hospital Devils Lake for a tour of the facility and a promise to work to bring improvements to the region’s hospital and healthcare concerns. (photo by Louise Oleson, Devils Lake Journal)

DEVILS LAKE, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven on Monday, Oct. 9, brought Tim Bricker, President and CEO of CommonSpirit Health’s Midwest Region, to Devils Lake to discuss the need for improved access to quality health care in the region:

  • Hoeven reported he recently met with CommonSpirit Health CEO Wright Lassiter III in Washington, D.C. to outline the community’s concerns and work towards a solution.
    • During the meeting, Lassiter agreed to send Bricker to Devils Lake to learn about the community’s challenges and see firsthand the current state of the Devils Lake Hospital.
    • Hoeven and Bricker, along with Devils Lake Mayor Jim Moe and Mariann Doeling, President of CHI St. Alexius Devils Lake, toured the hospital as part of Monday’s visit.
  • Hoeven is insisting on holding a community meeting, similar to the roundtable he held in August, to ensure local residents can give direct feedback to CommonSpirit.
    • The senator has secured a commitment from Bricker to return to Devils Lake in the coming weeks for a community meeting.

“It is essential that the health care workforce in Devils Lake have the resources, tools and facilities they need to adequately serve this region,” said Hoeven. “The Devils Lake Hospital hasn’t received a major investment since 1972, and it is affecting local residents’ ability to access quality health care. It is important for CommonSpirit officials to meet with the community, and I look forward to holding a public meeting with them, similar to the one we held in August.”

Hoeven continues working to enhance rural health care services in a way that benefits both patients and providers, including in communities such as Grafton, Hazen and Rugby. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, Hoeven has worked to support programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that were essential in making these new facilities in these communities a reality.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR