Mayo Clinic Health Systems public meeting will be a chance to hear the plans of Mayo officials

Most of the discussion about the future of health care in Winneshiek County has been conducted by the Board of Trustees of Winneshiek Medical Center.  That's how it should be--board members are elected by the public to guide the hospital into the future.

The public hasn't been privy to as much discussion from Mayo Clinic Health Systems and from Gundersen Lutheran.

That's why the July 19th public meeting being sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System should be such an interesting meeting.  What will Mayo have to say about their vision for how health care will be provided in the future?  What changes do they think will be needed in order to continue to be able to afford to provide those health care services?

So I plan to attend the July 19th meeting--if for no other reason than to hear what the top Mayo administrators have to say.  The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 19th, at the Hotel Winneshiek in downtown Decorah.

There should be one big disclaimer, however.  The July 19th meeting is not in any way a balanced discussion of the future of health care in Winneshiek County.  Mayo officials hemmed and hawed a month ago when asked whether there will be any Gundersen Clinic representatives on the panel (there will not).  So please understand that you'll be getting just one opinion about the future of health care.

But that's enough to make me interested in attending--and I hope you're interested, too.  Even if it will be a one-sided presentation, it will give the public an idea of what Mayo Clinic Health Systems wants to do with health care in this area in the future.