Every single person across the state of Michigan deserves access to high-quality health care — whenever they need it, no matter where they live.

For years, I’ve traveled across northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula for work, and so I’ve heard more than my share of stories from those having no choice but to drive long distances to receive the care they need — even for emergencies or in the middle of the night.

This is not acceptable. Around-the-clock care should not be a special privilege reserved only for Michigan’s biggest cities, but this could become a reality for many of us.

I was alarmed to learn that access to care in rural communities like ours could be cut as debates on this matter continue in D.C. Many hospitals across our state are in dire financial straits, forced to contend with skyrocketing labor costs and other operating expenses even as the funding they take in to care for patients has not kept pace. We’ve lost nearly 1,700 hospital beds since 2020 alone. We are lucky to have MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena here in Alpena, and we must protect this lifeline to our community. Those of us in Northeast Michigan must now act to spread the word about this potential crisis and protect continued access to care.

Rural communities like Alpena lean heavily on our hospitals. They have always been there for us when we needed them. Now, we must call on our elected representatives to protect our hospitals and the life-saving care they provide.

JESSE OSMER,

Alpena