I am a member of the community of Lowville, a registered nurse, and most importantly have used the services at Lewis County General Hospital. I am not only distraught at the current situation of the hospital, but have grave concern for the future of the hospital and our community.

The physicians at LCGH are a rare breed. I have witnessed these doctors calling patients by name, remembering their medical and surgical history without having to ask, asking them about their other family members and shaking their hands with true meaning.

I have witnessed the emergency room physicians saving lives and telling family members that their loved ones have passed on.

I have seen them work 12-hour shifts (many of them grueling), weekends and holidays to cover the ER 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The emergency room doctors cannot be replaced. The administration has been unable to provide our community with an orthopedist for over a year.

There will not be another local group of emergency physicians who will be able to cover the emergency room 24 hours a day seven days a week as effectively as the current group of physicians.

The Board of Managers turned a deaf ear to the concerns of the physicians. The hospital board members have not taken a true interest in the hospital. They have not created nor encouraged a team approach at the administrative level.

They have neglected to develop or implement strategic goals for our community hospital. It is apparent they have been content with the status quo and have not stepped up to manage a multimillion -dollar operation, and now our physicians are going to be their scapegoats and the members of the community are going to pay the price.

While I do not presume to fully understand the operations of this community hospital, I do know the level of medical care provided is equal, if not above, in standards of care to any larger facility, and the sincerity of concern for the patient and their family is levels above what one would ever receive at larger hospitals.

I support our family physicians, surgeons and emergency room doctors. I support our community hospital.

Marcy L. Teal

Lowville

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