For those who stir the waters of discontent over the recent problems with Star Valley Health — I would like to take them back some three decades ago when a health care management company was overlooking the potential of our local hospital and taking many of our procedures to the Wasatch Front for care.

As one covering the hospital board meetings in those days I, as well as our board of directors, could see that it was not in the best interest of our hospital. With that plan for health care, Star Valley, and the western Wyoming area was limited in a future for successful health care.

We had key board members, people like Mark Taylor, Mike Hunsaker, and others who “called out” the large health care manage company on their management policy.

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That policy lacked a successful path forward for health care in Star Valley.

Rather than responding with an approach for a solution, the managers essentially sent a letter “wishing us luck” with our hospital.

I say “our hospital” because the responsibility of health care belongs to everyone in rural Wyoming communities.

The same hospital board some thirty-plus years ago,  stepped up to the challenge, found a CEO and subsequent CEOs, that developed a plan to take Star Valley Hospital, to Star Valley Medical Center and then on to Star Valley Health.

With those changes came additional general practice physicians, general surgeons and orthopedic surgeons, in addition to a slate of visiting specialists that brought our local hospital to the point of offering health care to a level we had never imagined when I sat in those board meetings so many years ago as a young reporter that wanted his little family, and all Star Valley families, to have adequate health care.

Over the years, to financially offer the ground support for this expansion process, the plan needed take on a regional approach. Thus, an aircraft. Absolutely brilliant when you have general surgeons, orthopedic surgeons and specialists, all based out of three Star Valley based surgical centers!

Are there challenges along the way. Of course!

Having spent time on the State’s Legislative Committee dealing with health care, and visiting health care facilities around Wyoming, I can say without hesitation, there will be problems. Star Valley Health is not unique.

As one example, accounting is incredibly difficult in health care with insurance companies and a variety of reimbursement programs.

There was a mistake, but it can be corrected with a team of the right people, accountants and consultants, as  needed.

Retirement programs will be put back in place with time. Be patient.

Billing problems, ready access to our physicians? Yes, course corrections are needed. But all are possible.

For those sharing those digital doom and gloom self declarations of knowledge and importance on social media — I wish I could take you back a few decades to a little hospital board room where board members were on the precipice of a hospital closure.

That fearless little board found a way to take us all into the future with improved health care, in a manner we didn’t see as possible at the time. There was hope for those who prevailed with courage.

There is a reason I have brought three governors to Star Valley to share our rural health care success story.

And that story is not over!

It’s imperative that we all stand behind our hospital, the great staff, the health care professionals, the board of directors and everyone to secure great health care for the next generations.

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