Ask Mr. WMC Answer Person: "How about (stories) focusing on the exceptional care provided to WMC patients?"

Elyse Schnitzler, who works at Winneshiek Medical Center, e-mails: "How about (stories) focusing on the exceptional care provided to WMC patients?  There has been so much negative press surrounding the hospital in the last couple of years.  It would be nice to hear something positive. For those of us who work there, there are much more important things than the politics.  Namely, providing care to community where we live, work and raise our families.  And, in my opinion, we do an excellent job in all departments."

Mr. WMC Answer Person says: "Thank you for your e-mail, Elyse.  There has been so much to discuss about what's happening at the hospital that we haven't had time yet to post a story about how the staff still is providing good care, despite the turmoil at the hospital.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a website, www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, that rates hospitals on a number of factors.  Because Winneshiek Medical Center is a smaller hospital, there are a number of categories in which there is not enough information for a ranking.

But on a number of measures, Winneshiek Medical Center comes out with a very good rating.  In the treatment of pneumonia cases, proper treatment was given 100 percent of the time.  The hospital's treatment of heart attack patients also received several 100 percent ratings.

There were a few categories for which the hospital received lower ratings.

You can visit the website to read further information about the level of care given at the hospital, but, in general, Elyse's statement is correct.

However, Mr. WMC Answer Person disagrees with Elyse's opinion that politics isn't important.  In this case, it is affecting which people use the hospital and how much they have to pay.  It also affects whether the hospital makes a profit--and can afford to give Elyse and other staffers the pay they deserve!