To the editor:
Many of you reading this letter have lived in Marion County a lot longer than I have. In the 11 years I have lived here, I have come to appreciate all that Marion has to offer. There are wonderful people; caring merchants, friendship, loving churches, and a hospital that has always been there when I needed it.
These times of need were emergency services, current diagnostic testing, a surgical procedure, and most recently physical therapy. As I used these services, it became obvious that the hospital and its staff I are hampered by outdated and inadequate space. Have you ever been an inpatient with a disability and tried to get into the patient bathroom?
Times have changed and the need for inpatient rooms has lessened; the need for outpatient space has definitely increased. The staff and Hospital Board are responding to those needs with a capital campaign to bring us into the 21st century.
Fifty-two years ago, the Marion community also recognized hospital needs and addressed them with our current facilities. Now is the time for the current Marion community to recognize the health care needs for the future.
The capital campaign has reached beyond the halfway point. Many thanks to those who have already contributed. Elizabeth Carter once said, “You may not be able to help the whole world, but you can make a difference in your own community.”
As chairperson of the Campaign Steering Community, I offer you the opportunity to “make a difference in your own community.”
Talk to your friends about the hospital project. If you have not donated to the campaign, please do so by contacting me or another member of the steering committee. We can discuss some of the many ways to contribute. They include a one-time donation, donation of an amount each year for a designated time, and an estate donation. Many have donated in memory of a special person or persons.
Members of the committee are Sally Hannaford, Marlin Bucholz, Greg Carlson, Chris Costello, Don Hodson, Jeremy Armstrong, and I. Please be a part of making a future for Marion.
Judy Reno, Chairman
St. Luke Hospital and Living Center