Opposition to hospital expansion lacking (letter to the editor)

Waukesha Freeman, May 27, 2006

To the editor:

Another Lake Country health care provider has announced plans for a multimillion-dollar expansion. Where, oh where, is the wringing of hands, the wailing of voices and the gnashing of teeth?

The silence that met Oconomowoc Memorial Hospitals $37 million expansion project was absolutely deafening. Where are all the do-gooders who claimed just a year ago that we had enough health care facilities, and building more would only drive up costs? For those with short memories, this point was raised time and time again to argue against the Aurora Health Care hospital project.

Whats readily apparent is that Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital and its parent company, ProHealth Care, get a complete pass on hypocrisy. These organizations were the chief lobbying force against the Aurora project with a goal of protecting their monopoly market. Now, when they want to embark on their own multimillion-dollar project, they expect everyone to ignore the very arguments they used against Aurora.

Their motto seems to be, Do as we say, not as we do. The real shame is if the public lets them get away with it.

Rick Moon
Brookfield