John Dillon
President of the Board
&
Ken Kozel
Chief Executive Officer
Dear Messrs. Dillon and Kozel:
As the newly appointed Economic Development Coordinator for the Town of Chestertown I write to express my deep concern — even alarm — at how the decisions you are making about the medical system’s future may affect the future of this historic and artistically vibrant river town, and the top-tier liberal arts college founded here 233 years ago. It is no exaggeration to say that you hold the fate of one of Maryland’s most culturally significant communities (and the nation’s tenth oldest college) in your hands. I hope you will bear the great weight of that responsibility in mind as you deliberate the level of services you will offer at the former Chester River Hospital.
Beyond the beauty of the Eastern Shore and the small-town charms of Chestertown, many of our residents decide to move here or stay here in no small part because we have a quality hospital and a top-tier liberal arts college. They can be assured of an active lifestyle, a lively life of the mind, and the security of health care provided by a caring, local staff and doctors they know.
As a relative newcomer to Kent County (14 years and counting), I will leave it to others to describe the commitment and generosity the community has dedicated to creating and nurturing its local hospital over the past 80 years, and the sense of betrayal that has accompanied the diminution of services here. Especially painful has been the loss of Obstetrics and Pediatrics, voids that make it especially challenging to attract and retain young families and young couples interested in starting families.
My job is to look toward Chestertown’s future, to help keep it bright and vital. The prospect of even more healthcare functions being transferred to other towns is truly frightening. Those once drawn to Chestertown’s special character to live and work or to enjoy a full life in retirement may instead feel the need to live closer to a mega medical center. Your strategic options threaten to pit one Eastern Shore town against another with devastating results for the town furthest from the most complete hospital services.
My office and the Kent County Office of Economic Development are working hard to draw new residents to Chestertown and Kent County and to retain the businesses and residents already here. Washington College works hard to hire the best new professors and staff and to attract young scholars and athletes from across the country to its campus. And international manufacturer Dixon Valve works hard to hire the best possible employees for its headquarters and plant in Chestertown. We are all striving to ensure that this authentic river town, with its fiercely preserved colonial architecture and its remarkable community spirit, faces a future worthy of its storied past.
As you make the ultimate decisions for UM Shore Regional Health, you have the power to do grave damage by creating a paucity of health care services in Chestertown. Likewise, you have the power to instead be a true partner in helping us grow the community and improve its quality of life. Your mission statement asserts, “our goal is to provide quality health care services that are comprehensive, accessible and convenient, and that address the needs of our patients, their families and our wider communities.”
If your policies and plans live up to that mission, we will all rest easier here in Chestertown.
Kay MacIntosh
Economic Development and Marketing Coordinator
Town of Chestertown
tom mchugh says
Excellent overview of the issues. The letter touches upon some factors missed in some of the other presentations. The link to WC is a good point. What one gets here is the fact that taking away our hospital is a disservice to all…the elderly, the young people, our educational system, and our wonderful reputation as a great community in “the land of pleasant living.”
Retha J Arrabal says
Excellent letter Kay. As a Realtor, I assure the Board, the conversation from prospective buyers always turns to availability of healthcare. It’s a topic of major concern. For many reasons, all good for the community, Kent County and our town needs this hospital to remain in place.
Jerry Roderick says
Thank you Kay for sending the message so many of us want heard. The hospital is one of three or four pillars that this community has come to rely on. If taken away, the rest of the foundations begin to crumble. We have already seen the drop in professional positions there resulting in fewer young families. Our School systems are seeing a sharp decrease in students. All these things impact the local business’s and it is occurring because a Board well away from Chestertown is making decisions. We need to support the current proposed legislation that gives the local Health Department the say in any change in local hospital care. This level of input makes much more sense than outsiders deciding what works best for us.
Kay MacIntosh says
Thanks Tom, Retha and Jerry. And thanks to President Bair for addressing the issue from the College’s perspective. One truth coming from all this discussion is that our hospital needs an executive and a board devoted totally to its needs—wanting to make it the very best it can be—even as part of a larger system. Current board members are destined to always be a minority vote among fellow voices skewed toward Easton and Baltimore. So proud to be part of a community that does show up and engage with the tough issues as needed.
Stephan Sonn says
The issue too is who is running the show.The UMMS tactical executive team is waging a PR war and wagging the dog, and the dog is responding by not responding. So the state is allowing all this to happen: allowing harm.
Since when is that a state mission?