The discussion about Riverland could benefit if we reframed things in terms of the people needing the services and the people paying the bills.

The goal here is to provide better patient care, provide an expanded set of patient services and attract the doctors to provide those services. With that squarely in mind, we need to get the biggest bang for our bucks.

A combo approach would provide a better long-term result than the current either/or, here/there approach.

Let’s build 25 state-of-the-art patient rooms along with state of the art surgical facilities. Also include a modern ER. Then begin a systematic renovation of the original building to provide room for lab and imaging facilities, create a cafeteria for visitors and employees that can actually be found, provide modern office space and provide space for the expanded medical services to keep those new rooms filled. Such specialties as cancer treatment, cardiology and orthopedics would be a big plus for the region.

Let’s leverage what is available in the current location to provide for a bigger, better medical community for the next fifty years. The all or nothing approach is going to leave us with a cramped, teensy, tiny, albeit new, facility.

Looking down the road to the day when we can add 50 to 75 more patient rooms, wouldn’t it be nice to have the facilities to get us there?! A combo approach would have a better chance of doing so.

 

Wayne Roberts, Ferriday resident