Bothwell serves us well

Published 10:01 pm Monday, October 26, 2026

Friends: Recently, two local citizens, one an RN, spoke before the Sedalia City Council regarding their recent experience in the Emergency Room at Bothwell Hospital.

It is not my desire to dispute their experience in any way. I applaud them for bringing this issue to the Council. Illness, especially emergencies, are extremely personal and often very scary experiences.

Each of us interprets these events differently based on several variables. I certainly understand that waiting for treatment during “emergency” situations can be extremely frustrating and challenging even for the most patient and reasonable among us.

Fortunately, my firsthand experience in the local ER is very limited. However, their plight sounded very familiar. I have frequently heard this same story many times when the subject of the Bothwell ER comes up. I also do not want to denigrate the caring and professional members of the ER; I am certain they are doing all they can to meet the needs of those they serve under extremely challenging conditions.

We are not always at our best when we do not feel well or are concerned about a loved one. One of the issues seems to be that many non-emergency cases end up in the ER due to a variety of reasons. This undoubtedly places more stress on everyone involved. Furthermore, I do not believe this situation is unique to Bothwell. ER wait times are a pretty common complaint everywhere.

Although my experience with the Bothwell ER is limited, my family has extensive experience and history with this venerable organization. My family has experienced numerous births, surgeries, tests, treatments and even deaths at Bothwell.

Recently, we have used their services extensively and had nothing but the finest treatment from staff, nurses, and doctors. They have many exceptional departments and personnel, such as outpatient surgery, radiology, urology and their clinics and testing services.

We have been blown away by the caring nurses such as Brenda Adams on the second floor, Nurse Practitioner Dena Jenkins, Dr. Doug Kiburz and so many others. Like all organizations, I am sure they can and want to improve. Funding, insurance companies, and government policies are likely to be among the great challenges small hospitals face today.

I will not presume to suggest “solutions” to perceived problems as I am neither qualified nor informed enough about the specifics of these challenges. My immediate response to the ER situation was that they need more help to move people through faster, but nothing is that simple.

This is a complex problem, and I can only hope that potential solutions are being constantly worked on to solve these serious concerns. I’ve said all of this to say that local control of essential services like our hospital is, in my opinion, far superior to corporate ownership.

You see, I’m a bit of a socialist (Oh no!) when it comes to health care. In a nation as wealthy as ours, every citizen should have access to the best health care available regardless of the cost. I do not have the space today to debate this issue, but I can say with certainty that corporate control has one over-riding goal and that is profit. Profit has its place, and I am all for it, just not when it comes to managing our health care access. Hospitals across the country are failing and being bought, such as recently in Marshall. I hope that our hospital remains locally controlled and here to serve our community for generations to come. They serve us well.

James Page is a Sedalia resident.