Several years ago Rosemary Bass’ aunt and uncle moved to a new retirement community in California City, Calif.
“They have wide streets, a golf course, real nice restaurants there,” Rosemary said.
But no hospital.
Her aunt, in good health, got along fine until she suffered an asthma attack — after hours. The nearby medical clinic had closed for the day.
“By the time the ambulance got to their home and took her to a hospital in Lancaster, about 30 miles away, she had died,” Rosemary said.
“I’m all for a new hospital for Allen County,” she said. So is he, chimed in husband John.
ROSEMARY, 81, knows Allen County Hospital inside and out.
“I saw it when it was new and now that it’s decrepit,” she said.
Son John was born at ACH in 1953, a year after the hospital opened.
Rosemary also worked at ACH in its respiratory therapy department for 20 years before retiring 20 years ago.
Last year she had one knee replaced, this year the other, with follow-up physical therapy both times and occupational therapy for the first knee at Allen County Hospital.
She also had physical therapy at ACH four years ago following a shoulder replacement.
“I couldn’t have asked for better care,” she said, noting that John Morris, who leads the physical therapy department, was a friend her days as an employee there.
John Bass, 86, has had several first-hand experiences with care at ACH, through visits to the emergency room. One led to his transfer to Wichita because of heart concerns.
“That’s a good thing about having a hospital here,” said John. “You know the people who take care of you and they know you. That helps out when you have to go in for something.
“I’ve never had a bad experience at the hospital,” he said.
“Nor have I,” added Rosemary.
ACH’S DECLINE as a medical center didn’t occur overnight, Rosemary said.
“When I was working, there were things we needed,” she said. “The respiratory clinic was in the basement and there were times when we moved equipment — it was hard to get it on the elevator.
“Over the years the employees have tried to keep the hospital up, but there are things (many because of its 1950s design) that are problems,” Rosemary said.
“The doors are too narrow and the rooms aren’t well suited” for modern approaches to medical care. She had her knee replacements done at Labette Health in Parsons, but would have preferred to have had them done at home, “but we don’t have an orthopedic surgeon right now.”
Rosemary supposed workers might depart if a new hospital wasn’t approved.
“I fear we’ll lose good employees if we don’t get a new hospital and the employees think the hospital may close, particularly those who don’t live in Iola,” she said.
Both she and John observed that a quarter-cent sales tax, one of four financial legs for a new hospital, wouldn’t be a burden.
“Anyone can afford that,” she said, including retirees such as the Basses.
Construction of a new hospital would be an immediate economic advantage for the area, John noted, by giving local construction companies and their employees job opportunities.
Having a new hospital along U.S. 54 at the east edge of Iola would be convenient for all concerned, John said, and “with businesses that were out there now gone, it would fill up some empty lots and improve the look of our town.”
