Ozaukee News Graphic

Letter to the editor: New hospital will push St. Mary’s to do better

Ozaukee News Graphic, August 16, 2007

I for one am thrilled to hear that Aurora plans to build a new hospital in Ozaukee County. We deserve far better care than we have been receiving at Columbia St. Mary’s-Ozaukee. Competition is good for the consumer.

For Mr. Brideau, (the CEO of Columbia St. Mary’s) to claim that the addition of another hospital will increase the cost of service to the patient is just plain hooey. Hospitals negotiate contracts with our insurance companies and that is the amount that they are paid for their services whether there is one hospital in the county or 100.

More than likely, the presence of nearby competition will require Columbia St. Mary’s to improve their level of care or risk losing patients to Aurora. This will cost the CSM’s empire some bucks, but it can only be good for us- the residents of Ozaukee County.

Hip, hip, hurray!

Susan C. Kenny
Port Washington