What is our community saying about the proposed hospital district and what it will mean for Calhoun County?

“Let me tell you why I’m ok with our property taxes going up a little to save OUR hospital. My boys are so rambunctious, and Memorial Medical Center has ALWAYS been there for my family. We had a freak accident last night that ended with a flash burn to my sons upper extremities. He was rushed into the ER and immediately they worked to stabilize him and get him prepped to be air lifted to the burn unit in San Antonio. They are the focal point and the first to respond to help navigate the situation. I don’t think my son would have made the drive to Victoria. When I say we NEED our hospital I mean it wholeheartedly, you never know when it’s your loved one. Thank you to the amazing nurses, doctors, medics and pilots for assisting my son.”

– Kristina Rendon

 

“The way health care is these days, our only avenue to keep this hospital in this community is the hospital district. If the hospital weren’t here, it would be devastating to our community. I don’t want that to happen to us.”

– Dallas Franklin, owner, ReMax Land and Homes on the Bay

“Having a hospital is not as simple as “cut waste” or “figure it out. For such a minor impact to the community our hospital could improve exponentially. This is not a resale shop, where closing would just be an inconvenience. This could be the difference between you or your loved one receiving life-saving care in a timely manner.”

– Rika Miller

 

“There might be a time in your life when you need this hospital to get you taken care of. It’s going to benefit you at some time or another. The word ‘taxes’ is voodoo but it’s just a little bit a month and it’s a necessity. We can’t build and grow the hospital if we don’t have it.”

– David Gaskamp, small business owner

“Yes, there’s an investment, but it’s an investment in our future — one that pays dividends in healthier families, stronger economies, and a community that truly takes care of its own. The question we must ask ourselves is this: Can we afford not to take this step? I think a hospital district will help build a stronger community.”

– Yvonne Felkins

“I worked at Memorial Medical Center hospital for a few years and was proud to do so. I got to know many of the residents and the feeling of community that I’ve never felt since leaving. I get that taxes are already high, but this is one tax where you will know how your money is being spent–helping those in your community. I haven’t worked there in over 5 years but I definitely miss the culture of MMC where serving the community is the absolute goal. And you will miss it, too, if it ever has to close.”

– Sandy Chambers

“They saved my life. Without the hospital I wouldn’t be here today.”

– Jeri Robinson

 

“We need a hospital here in Calhoun County and to keep that going, to get more specialists here, and to get more advanced equipment, we need the community support.”

– Diane Atkinson, nurse

“If you don’t have a hospital, you don’t have a strong healthcare system. And then employers are less likely to look at Port Lavaca and Calhoun County. They’re not going to look at a community that doesn’t have a healthcare system for their staff. You have to invest in your local healthcare system.”

-Tania French, president, Port Lavaca Chamber of Commerce

 

“Having a local community hospital is extremely important for the health of the county. It is critical where we are in health care to support your small local hospital.”

– Dr. Joseph Jenkins

 

“From emergent, trauma care to chronic disease management and routine primary care, everyone in our community deserves access to world-class care right here at home, and a hospital district will help ensure that for years to come.”

– Erin Clevenger, BSN, RN, chief executive officer, Memorial Medical Center

 

 

“You look at towns where community hospitals closed, they tend to shrink in size, property values go down, and fewer businesses want to relocate there. We’ve got invest in the hospital if we want to keep this place going. It’s about the health of the community.”

– Dr. William Crowley

“Jackson county hospital in Edna has a hospital district. Matagorda County hospital in Bay City is a hospital district. Sweeny Community Hospital in Brazoria county is a hospital district. They are all thriving with better services after they became a district. All the small county hospitals in Texas are either becoming hospital districts or closing down and drastically cutting services, or getting bought out by a big corporation with no local control. Calhoun County needs a hospital, and we deserve more specialists and services not less as the population here is going to grow. At the end of the day your small county hospital can only be as good as the community decides to invest in it.”

– Kyle Daniel