Freeborn County commissioners heavily questioned Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic officials about the health system's decision to integrate services between two of its Minnesota campuses during a board meeting July 18, the Albert Lea Tribune reports.
The discussion occurred approximately one month after county officials requested to meet with Mayo officials. Bobbie Gostout, MD, vice president of Mayo Clinic, and a second health system official attended the meeting Tuesday, along with community residents.
Commissioners argued consolidating services between the health system's campuses in Albert Lea and Austin, Minn., would create a service gap for procedures and services for residents in both communities.
Freeborn County Commissioner Dan Belshan asked Mayo representatives to create a new committee of elected officials to listen to community members' concerns. He also asked officials to institute a six-month moratorium on the transition so officials can analyze how the change would affect the community.
Dr. Gostout said community members' claims the hospital is being shut down are "disingenuous" and the Albert Lea campus will retain elements of a full-service hospital, the report states. She said the health system's decision to consolidate services between the campuses was in response to the "current staffing crisis caused by provider shortages and increased demand for services."
When asked about implementing the six-month moratorium, Dr. Gostout said Mayo Clinic officials "made a careful decision and were working their way through the implications of their decision." When asked if officials would consider walking back their decision to consolidate, she said, "No, we've pounded through difficulties to come up with the best solution."
The first component of the consolidation is expected to begin in October and will continue into late 2019 or early 2020.