US Senator John Hoeven convened a roundtable Tuesday, Feb. 20 to discuss what is happening with the Devils Lake hospital. It was the third roundtable this past year as the Senator, local healthcare workers, leaders and community leaders work together to see progress where little has happened in more than a decade, maybe longer.
As proof of that, former Mayor of Devils Lake, Dick Johnson during the public comment period, held up a photo similar to ones that were being shown during the presentation by Tim Bricker, a CEO from CommonSpirit Health that now owns the Devils Lake hospital. With the photo was a stack of information and other artist’s renderings a good inch thick – all from over nine years ago, or more, when local supporters of the city’s hospital were once again promised renovations and upgrades in equipment by the then owners, CHI St. Alexius Health. Holding his proof high as he spoke, Johnson said, “This is why there’s a lack of trust that what you are telling us will ever really happen.”
Bricker’s presentation showed artist’s renderings of what they intend to improve at the Devils Lake hospital. He informed the crowd gathered in the Kenner Room of the Hofstad Ag Center on the LRSC campus that where Devils Lake was not previously included in the Common Spirit corporation’s grand financial plans they are now part of that plan. Naturally those grand plans had to be adjusted because of Covid-19 and the pandemic that affected the entire world, especially the healthcare field, these past four or more years. That was an encouraging fact that Bricker brought to the roundtable discussion, however he was unable to state with certainty when the work (and if it) would all be completed.
A handout with 15 specific objectives outlined what would be discussed at the meeting. It was titled Lake Region Healthcare Objectives. The number one objective was Local Representation in Decision-Making: “Devils Lake needs a community driven healthcare system. It is important that the residents of the Lake Region have continual and real-time input into all significant decisions regarding the delivery of and access to healthcare services. This concept is important to preserve the Devils Lake identiy as a regional healthcare destination.”
Each of the remaining 14 objectives were discussed by the individuals concerned with them:
- Access to adequate, locally based dialysis at the levels justified by our regional demand.
- 24-7 General surgery coverage (in house or local surgeon).
- An integrated approach to emergency medical records/patient records/information sharing.
- A properly staffed and physically modernized emergency department.
- Maintenance of an open ICU concept with a continued commitment to local critical care as appropriate.
- Pediatric care accessibility and planning.
- Commitment to system level collaboration among all healthcare provider entities.
- Reasonable and appropriate availability to diagnostic imaging (CT, ultrasound, MRI).
- A mental health approach integrating both emergent and routine access.
- 24-7 Prenatal/Postnatal care including c-section capacity.
- Coordinated end of life geriatrics and hospice care.
- Oncology/infusion medicine capacity.
- Integrated utilization of telemedicine.
- Development of regionally focused outpatient/same day surgery/procedure capacity (skin, eye, feet, ortho, etc.)
That’s the “wish list” of healthcare concerns for Devils Lake and the surrounding area partners. How long will it take to accomplish this list? Time will tell. Everyone sitting in the Kenner Room has some level of investment in this plan, whether it was Mariann Doeling who heads the Devils Lake hospital; Kevin Dauphinais and Dixie Oman from Spirit Lake Health Center; Altru President Josh Deere and CEO Altru Dr. Todd Forkel; Dr. Mark Thompson and Andrew Askew (who is a 2005 graduate of DLHS) both from Essentia Health or Bricker from Common Spirit.
As the meeting was coming to an end each around the table said they would continue to work to bring Devils Lake’s hospital to a better place. Bricker said, “We’ve dug ourselves into a hole it won’t be easy to get out of,” he admitted, “Stick with us, hold us accountable.”
Although a few present were skeptical that they were receiving promises, as they had many other times before, there was some optimism, too, that this time it just might happen. Again, time will tell.
Work began on the Devils Lake hospital on December 18, as promised. It will continue as work begins first on the ER as they renovate the hospital’s former rehab space and expand the ER from its present location to include that new space.
No doubt there will be another round table meeting, perhaps several of them, before all is accomplished but it looks like everyone wants to go forward and is hopeful for the future of healthcare in Devils Lake. No one knows exactly what that will look like or when or how it will all be completed. Time will tell.
