"3. Pocahontas Memorial Hospital is a vital part of our county..."

Note: The Pocahontas Times asked all county commission candidates to answer 6 questions, to be published one each week. Below is my response to this week's question.

"3. Pocahontas Memorial Hospital is a vital part of our county; however, it seems to have constant financial difficulties. How and why should the county commission continue to support PMH?"

Pocahontas County's sparse population density and large geographic area make this a most challenging place to operate a hospital. Our land area alone would suggest that more than one hospital is needed, but our low population and the problems PMH endures clearly show that such isn't viable.

PMH is a fairly small hospital, and patient needs of a serious or critical nature are normally routed to Davis Memorial or life-flighted elsewhere. In addition to PMH, there are several clinics throughout the county that offer basic services, and likely overlap some of the care available at PMH. I think the "several-and-smaller" approach has proven successful throughout the county in providing health services to our citizens.

One observation I will make is that it is likely that some of these clinics are also experiencing financial difficulties as well. The degree to which PMH is public and the clinics are private could be debated; the distinction maybe serving as justification for why PMH receives county assistance while the clinics do not. I think it's a fair observation, and while I'm dumb enough to raise it, I'm not smart enough to answer it. This issue isn't one with which I am very familiar yet, so I'll need to learn more about it.

I would imagine there are ways to help offset the expenses of PMH through grants or patient subsidies of some kind, so the commission and PMH should make every effort to identify such possibilities and to educate patients on what they can do to help PMH save a dollar where possible. It would also be good for the commission to take a proactive approach in asking the medical community of Pocahontas County - PMH, clinics, and all - what they need to improve healthcare throughout the county and see if we can work together to make some of that happen.

Health care costs continue to spiral. Hopefully, we as a country can enact a healthcare reform package soon that will help stop this trend. That notwithstanding, PMH provides a needed and public service, and I think the county commission will have to continue to do what it can to help.