My name is Diane Engelhardt Williams, a retired pediatrician and native of Ashland. 

I wrote a letter to Tom Gessel, CEO of Asante, regarding the closure of inpatient admissions at Ashland Hospital.  The letter is included here with the hope it might have some influence with the community and possibly the Asante board:

As a pediatrician, I practiced across the street from Ashland Community Hospital for over 30 years. As an individual, I was born in that hospital when it was located on what is now the SOU campus. As a native, my grandparents settled in Ashland in 1906, grandmother having their first child in the Portland area because there was not adequate medical care here. That problem was solved when Ashland Hospital came into existence in 1907. 

The prospect of our hospital closing, except for outpatient services, has hit hard for those of us who strongly support its existence. There is no question that medicine in the U.S. is in trouble. The finances of medicine have always been inequitable for patients and providers alike. Politics threaten huge changes in patient care and reimbursement.

That said, is there no way Asante could consider extending and broadening the role of Ashland Hospital? Has there really been enough communication with affected providers to develop a better plan for its existence? It seems like a significant tragedy to suddenly potentially terminate the careers of some providers and staff as well as to leave two-thirds of the hospital empty. Are there no better purposes for those beds and staff? Since Asante’s stated mission is “to provide quality health care services in a manner valued by the communities we serve,” Ashland obviously being part of these communities, are we living up to that mission? Is there hopefully time for more conversation?

Thanks for your consideration.

Diane Williams, MD

Ashland