When we were children, we all wrote letters to Santa telling him what we wanted for Christmas. Do you remember what it felt like when Santa decided that what you wanted was not what you needed and you got something you did not ask for? That is where we are; 24/7 urgent care was not on our bucket list — we asked for the reinstatement of beds and 24-hour emergency services.

Having said that, let us look at urgent care and how we can use it to fill the gap left by the hole that was our emergency room. What is the difference between urgent care and emergency care?

For urgent care: Minor injuries, like sprains, cuts, burns, bee stings, sunburns, and foreign objects in the eye-and all of life's bumps, bruises, and pains that aren't life-threatening, but need prompt attention; minor illnesses and their symptoms, like cold and flu, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, fever, sore throat, ear ache, upset stomach and allergies; and on-site diagnostics, including imaging and laboratory services, to expedite patient treatment.

For emergency care: Chest pain; stroke symptoms, like weakness on one side of your body, difficulty speaking and understanding, and loss of consciousness
Sudden, severe abdominal pain; high fever in an infant (101 F or higher in a baby under three months); persistent vomiting or diarrhea; severe allergic reaction; dislocation of shoulder, hip, or knee; and persistent or severe bleeding.

The urgent care center on the St. Andrews campus is now open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. The state has said those hours must increase to 24/7 within the next 90 days. Realistically, LincolnHealth needs time to staff the facility and to find talented personnel to make this the best that it can be. We know that with top-notch staff and strong community support, the urgent care center can thrive and become a permanent asset on the peninsula.

There is the outside possibility that LincolnHealth will ask for reconsideration of the conditions under which they were granted retroactive Certificates of Need for the merger in 2007 and the reorganization in 2013. If they request a hearing, they will need to do so in writing to DHHS and a hearing will only be granted if there is good cause. If DHHS determines that good cause for a hearing has been demonstrated, the department shall commence a hearing within 30 days of receipt of the request. A request for a hearing is considered to show good cause if it: Presents significant, relevant information not previously considered by the department; demonstrates that there have been significant changes in factors or circumstances relied upon by the Department in reaching its decision; demonstrates that the department has materially failed to follow its adopted procedures in reaching its decision; or provides other bases for a hearing that the department has determined constitute good cause.

If LCH is granted a hearing, we will be able to attend and participate in the hearing as an interested party. All testimony and evidence would be limited only to the issue being challenged.

There is still the issue of “the beds.” In our rebuttal to the preliminary analysis from the CON Unit, we made a good case for the need for additional skilled nursing beds (SNF) on the peninsula.

LincolnHealth has recently agreed with the concept during a presentation at St. Andrews Village. This issue, however, requires another Certificate of Need because the beds will be located “off campus” at the Gregory Wing.

We will be asking you to participate, with us, in the hearing at that time. Our message needs to be strong: We need SNF beds, not dually licensed beds; and we need the 18 beds LCH claimed they needed in their original letter of intent.

As we said in our rebuttal to DHHS: “Is it unreasonable for the people in our community to expect, in return for our substantially increased taxes, lower property values, and the increased risk to our lives, the reinstatement of 18 of those beds so that those who need a bed to recover or to live their last days will be able to do so close to home with their loved ones at their side?”

We want to thank Mrs. Claus (Commissioner Mary Mayhew) and her elves at the CON Unit. Placing the gift of 24/7 urgent care under our tree has made people in the community hopeful about the future. Now let us all work together to keep the lights on permanently — our community does not need to suffer another loss.