Four candidates for hospital board hold calm discussion of the issues

The four candidates for Winneshiek Medical Center Board of Trustees on Tuesday night held a calm and rational discussion of the issues facing WMC and the health care industry in general.

Steve Hildebrand, Karl Jacobsen, David Kratz and Jim Tweedy are all on the November 6th ballot, seeking to become one of the two new members of the WMC Board.

Hildebrand is a 1973 Luther College graduate who served on the NICC Board of Trustees for 9 years.  He stressed his commitment to "honor and integrity and common sense" in his opening remarks.  He also stated that everybody with a health plan in Winneshiek County should have that health plan honored by Winneshiek Medical Center.

Jacobsen is also a Luther College graduate, also receiving an RN degree from NICC.  He said he has spent 45 years as a patient and 40 years as a medical professional, including time spent as a health care administrator in Indiana and, most recently, as administrator of the Eastern Star Home in Decorah.

Kratz is a 1969 Luther College graduate who began serving on the Winneshiek Medical Center Board in 1986, serving 18 years, including 10 years as board president.  He says he's running for the hospital board again because he is concerned about the hospital's financial situation.

Tweedy married a Decorah woman seven years ago after working in the health care field in the Twin Cities for a number of years.  He says his priority would be to get health care groups in Winneshiek County to work together.  He says the way to do that is to find common ground among medical providers.

The most interesting question asked at Tuesday night's candidate forum sponsored by the AAUW was whether the candidates could understand how the relationship between WMC and Mayo Clinic Health Systems works.  "I don't understand it--and I'm a lawyer!" said Tweedy.  "It gets confusing as to whose duty is what," he added.  Jacobsen agreed, saying "I don't know where the line is drawn."  And Hildebrand said the hospital trustees created a public relations nightmare by holding a board meeting in Rochester.  "That was a mistake," he concluded.

The candidates were united in their interest in seeing the hospital make money.  "It takes money to keep up (with technology)," noted Kratz, while Jacobsen said simply, "We want this hospital to be in business for generations to come."