Dear Editor:

I have been reading in the papers about Marshfield Clinic building a new hospital in Marshfield. Why?

Saint Joseph’s Hospital is planning on an expansion, and with the Marshfield population under 20,000, this sounds like a competent business plan. A new hospital in our community will only increase health care cost and up the cost of insurance to pay for this building. As stated in the paper (by Saint Joseph’s Hospital President Brian Kief), “Remodeling is much more cost effective or cost efficient than building new.”

I do not understand why the Marshfield Clinic and Saint Joseph’s Hospital cannot work out their differences and help our community. Aspirus Hospital has combined the hospital with physician offices as did St. Claire’s.

The average income in this area is not $45,000. Try $30,000 or less. Then add on the cost of health insurance and the high deductible these same families are paying. Food prices have gone up in the last few months, and wages have not. The new building may go up along with Security Health Insurance increasing, but what about the people in our community?

What are the values of these facilities, and how do they compare with what Marshfield needs?

Alice B. Younger

Stratford, WI