Ashland’s only hospital has had to cut back on services in recent years, leading some staff to question the hospital’s willingness to stay open.

Earlier this week, three employees of Asante Ashland Community Hospital expressed concerns about the fate of the hospital at a city council meeting.

They told council that ACH Hospital remains an important part of the community, despite closing its intensive care unit last year and not renewing its contracts with anesthesiologists and one of its orthopedic surgeons.

“ACH is an extension of that community and reflects the community’s values ​​in its health care,” said Suzanne Haveman, a part-time nurse at Asante, in her public comment. “All staff are considered caregivers in the way we treat each other and the way we treat our patients, from the doctor to the housekeeper.”

Haveman started at the hospital in the late 1970s and said the quality was “incredible” despite its small size.

“The commitment, skills and knowledge of the staff at the time were outstanding, and the small size made the whole thing a little more personal,” she said by phone.

In 2013, the City of Ashland transferred day-to-day operations of the hospital to Asante, a contracted healthcare provider.

Since then, the hospital has been “downsized,” Haveman said. The intensive care unit has been closed and there is a shortage of staff. Even the gift shop had to close.

Dr. John Mauer, another ACH official who made public comment, said he was “concerned about the fate of our hospital” but he was not here to “fire torpedoes at a sinking ship.”

He said the community needed to be informed about the stability of the hospital, as it had been questioned by staff since the takeover.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Mauer said. “We have witnessed the decline in our hospital. We have witnessed the closure of the intensive care unit. As a result, we can no longer perform high-risk operations. Our volume of operations has decreased.”

The closure of the intensive care unit in 2013 raised concerns among Dr. B. Monte Stewart, a general surgeon at the hospital, who was the third staff member to speak out.

“It’s impossible to recruit staff at this point because no one could come where we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Stewart said.

According to Stewart, Asante recently decided not to renew its contract with its anesthesia providers. Currently, the two permanent staff members are supported by temporary staff. He says the contract ends on September 1.

“I have several cases scheduled for September, but I’m not sure yet what my anesthesia plan will be to be able to perform those surgeries,” Stewart said.

The hospital falls into a larger trend of health care being “on the brink of crisis,” which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, he said.

“There is a real problem, particularly in Oregon, where there are not enough beds available and there are not enough doctors available in certain specialties, which creates real concerns about access,” Stewart added.

These issues have caused concern among a number of staff and called into question the hospital’s future plans. Stewart said the hospital has not been fully transparent about how it plans to address these issues.

The hospital administration said it is working to address these concerns.

“Asante Ashland Community Hospital is a jewel of our region and is known for providing healthcare in a family-friendly environment,” said Asante spokeswoman Desirae Myers. “We are excited to complete our strategic planning currently underway so we can invest in the facility and plan for the future needs of our community.”

Stewart expressed his hope that Asante would present a convincing strategic plan by the end of September.