First of all - vote, Vote, VOTE next Tuesday for the Ambulance. We need the votes, and supporting the ambulance is supporting the hospital and communities that pay for the ambulances. The entire system in Wright County has expenses of $1.5 million (rigs, personnel, supplies, etc) and we are reimbursed by insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, out-of-pocket about $900,000. Hence, the loss. You are voting to levy a tax to offset the collective loss. No one is making any money. (By the way, Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics lost 2.8 million last year. The ambulance portion is a small part of this loss - a positive vote by the citizens next week will help in our goal to break even in this department.) Please show your support by voting next Tuesday. This is important*.
The Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics Ragbrai team rode in glory across Iowa last week. It was a beautiful week and we stayed with awesome friends and families connected to either the hospital or the riders. The graciousness and hospitality of the host families blew me away. We used their yards to camp in, their bathrooms to shower in, their pools (that one was great!) to chill out … the ride was wonderful, but the experience is so much more than that. It is truly the essence of Iowa. If you’ve ever thought of going with us for a day or all week, this is an Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics activity and you’re not only welcome, but encouraged. You won’t regret it.
I love meeting new friends and I love helping my friends achieve goals. In 2016, I was challenged to do Ragbrai by several people in the hospital. One of those who pushed me was Danielle in accounts payable. My first year riding, she was one of our support people - a lot of her experience with Ragbrai in the last dozen or so years has been as a support person. Last year, Danielle rode several days but didn’t quite achieve the entire week. This year though, she did it and wow … we are all so proud of her. When we believe, only then can we achieve. She believed in herself and persevered. Awesome.
*(hey, vote next week)
