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To The Communities We Serve - A Message From Our Board of Directors and President / CEO

 

During the past month, our country has seen an incredibly challenging time from both an economic and healthcare perspective as a result of COVID-19. As the number of positive cases and deaths related to Coronavirus continue to rise throughout the state and nationwide, we want you to take comfort in the fact that we’re doing everything possible to ensure that we’re prepared for the potential surge of patients that may require our care in the upcoming weeks. This includes our effort to responsibly distribute our inventory of supplies in order to protect those who are, or will be called to serve on the front lines.

These unprecedented times require us to be flexible, inventive and resourceful. For many, this is also a time of great sacrifice as we all strive to do our part in an effort to protect the greater good. Despite the challenges ahead, caring for our local communities and the patients we serve will always remain our top priority.

Over the past several weeks, State and Federal mandates and directives have required that we suspend all non-emergent services. Like other healthcare organizations, this has put us in a difficult position where we’re unable to generate revenue for the majority of our services. In order for Oaklawn to continue to provide care in the days ahead while remaining financially viable during these turbulent times, we must do everything possible to reduce costs and delay expenditures wherever possible. Effective April 13, 2020 we began implementing several cost-reduction initiatives, including temporary employee layoffs. It is our desire that laid-off employees will be recalled as needed once our patients start to return to Oaklawn for their non-emergent healthcare needs.

Although we have many challenges yet to overcome, it’s important that we aim to shift our focus from fear and uncertainty, to gratitude and hope. We would like to thank all of our world-class staff and providers for the exceptional care they provide to the communities we serve during this pandemic – as they do every day.  We would also like to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone in the community who has shown your support of Oaklawn. We have been overwhelmed by the countless thoughtful gestures and words of support, in addition to the those who have donated their time and resources. Together, we will find strength, courage and compassion in each other and as a community, allowing us to reach the other side of this pandemic stronger than we were before.

To help ensure you get the latest information, we’ve launched a special coronavirus page at oaklawnhospital.org/coronavirus. It includes information about our updated visitor policy, hours, operations, and donations as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers re: COVID-19. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any other questions or concerns; we’ll always do our best to answer them. Readers with general questions related to the coronavirus or who would like to be screened may also call Oaklawn’s Coronavirus Hotline at (269) 789-7614 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. any day of the week, and between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekends.

We’ve never been prouder to be part of the Marshall and Calhoun County community or more committed to meeting the health care needs of those we serve.

 

Sincerely,

Oaklawn Board of Directors & Gregg Beeg (President / CEO)