Senator Draheim Addresses Recent Clinic Closures

Minnesota State Senator Rich Draheim (R-Madison Lake) issued the following statement Tuesday about the announcement that Mayo Clinic Health System will close six facilities in southern Minnesota.

“This has become a disturbing pattern. Nearly every year that I have been in the Senate, there have been clinics and facilities closed down. And every time it happens it becomes harder for rural Minnesotans to get the care they need.

“The cycle is familiar to everyone who interacts with the healthcare system down here. Appointments get harder to come by. Patients are forced to look elsewhere for the care they need. Then the declining patient volumes are cited as a reason that clinics are closing. It is frustrating to watch because the result is always the same: rural families are left with fewer options and longer drives to see a doctor.

“It is all part of a broader trend that goes beyond one company or one community. Pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals across rural Minnesota are being thinned out or closed completely, leaving large gaps in coverage. That is not acceptable for the people who live here, work here, and raise their families here. And what happens if, God forbid, there is a major emergency that requires significant local resources. Will they be available?

“I am frustrated, I am disappointed, and I am concerned about the direction we are heading. Rural Minnesotans deserve better than being asked to travel farther and farther for the care they should be able to find closer to home.”