Hospital board candidate emphasizes his experience

Decorah businessman Dave Kratz emphasizes his background as the reason voters should elect him to the Winneshiek Medical Center Board of Trustees in November.

"I have been a businessman all my life," Kratz tells decorahnews.com, which means he has made payroll for his employees and has a background in interpreting financial figures.

But it's Kratz's past experience on the hospital board that is unique among the four candidates for the WMC Board.  He previously spent 18 years on the WMC Board, including 10 years as board president.  That means he was on the board when it started all its discussions with Gundersen Clinic and with Mayo Clinic Health Systems.

Kratz says he doesn't want to be "in an adversarial role," but could be part of the solution to the hospital's current situation, "creating quality care at the hospital with access compatible with community need."