Ashland’s only hospital has been cutting services in recent years, leading some employees to question its commitment to remaining open.
Earlier this week, three staff members at Asante Ashland Community Hospital brought forward concerns about the fate of the hospital at the city council meeting.
In 2013, the daily operations of the hospital were transferred from the City of Ashland to Asante, a contracted health care provider. Since then, the hospital has closed its intensive care unit and has been experiencing staffing shortages.
Erik Neumann / AP
They told the council that even though ACH closed its intensive care unit last year and has not renewed its contracts with anesthesia providers or one of its orthopedic surgeons, the hospital is an important part of the community.
“ACH is an extension of this community, and reflects the community’s values in its practice of health care,” said Suzanne Haveman, a part-time nurse at Asante, during her public comment. “All employees are considered caregivers in how we treat each other and how we treat our patients, from physicians to housekeepers.”
Haveman started at the hospital in the late 1970s, and said that although it was small, the quality was “incredible.”
“The dedication, skills and knowledge of the staff at the time were excellent, and that smallness made it a little more personable,” she said over the phone.
In 2013, the daily operations of the hospital were transferred from the City of Ashland to Asante, a contracted health care provider.
Since then, the hospital has been “whittled away,” Haveman said. It closed its intensive care unit and has been experiencing staffing shortages. It even closed its gift shop.
Dr. John Mauer, another ACH staff member who gave a public comment, said he was “concerned about the fate of our hospital,” but that he was not there to “shoot torpedoes at a sinking ship.”
He said the community needed to be apprised of the stability of the hospital, which has been called into question by staff members since the acquisition.
“Actions speak louder than words,” Mauer said. “We have seen the diminution in our hospital. We have watched the ICU be terminated. We are not able, therefore, to do high risk surgeries. Our surgical volume is down.”
The intensive care unit’s closure in 2013 prompted concern from Dr. B. Monte Stewart, a general surgeon at the hospital, who was the third staff member to speak.
“It is currently impossible to recruit, because nobody would be able to come to a place where we don’t know where it’s moving forward,” Stewart said.
More recently, Asante decided not to renew its contract with its anesthesia providers, according to Stewart. Right now, it is using temporary providers to help the two permanent staff members. He says the contract will end September 1.
“I’ve got cases scheduled in September, and I’m not positive what my anesthesia plan is, to be able to do those surgeries,” Stewart said.
The hospital falls into a larger trend of health care being “on an edge,” something that was exacerbated by the pandemic, he said.
“There’s a real struggle, and certainly in Oregon, of not having enough beds, and not having enough providers in certain specialties is creating a real concern about access,” Stewart added.
These issues raised concerns for a number of staff members, calling into question the hospital’s plan for the future. Stewart said the hospital has not been entirely transparent about how it hopes to address those issues.
Hospital officials say they’re working to address those concerns.
“Asante Ashland Community Hospital is a treasure in our region, known for delivering healthcare in an intimate setting,” said Asante spokesperson Desirae Myers. “We are excited to complete our strategic planning efforts that are currently underway so that we can invest in the facility and plan for the future needs of our community.”
Stewart said he is hopeful that Asante will present a strong strategic plan at the end of September.