Some perspective on doctors’ offices
I read today of the progress being made on the hospital’s new office building.
I am sure it will be a wonderful addition or at least I am hoping so. The article implied the staff have been having to work in old buildings that also required them to walk a entire block to get to the hospital. Just a bit of perspective seems to be needed here.
First, I thought the wellness program promoted by the hospital encouraged us all to get in daily walks and maybe even 10,000 steps a day. But second, those old buildings referred to have housed medical professionals who have served patients in this community successfully for 40 to 50 years.
Certainly they can be considered dated but old buildings don’t just fall down and these have had thousands of dollars’ worth of improvements made over the years to keep them in good operating shape.
But what our community should remember to do is give a big shout out and thank you to the early pioneer doctors who committed to live and practice in Cañon City and who, at a time the hospital was not drowning in cash, took the risk to borrow real money from real banks and build these old buildings so that our community could be served across the street from the hospital.
Today, new doctors need to be courted and wooed to a small community by new buildings and state-of-the-art facilities. I understand that. The commitment and entrepreneurial spirit of those original doctors 40 to 50 years ago was rare and simply no longer exists. So thank you to doctors Ley, Hildebrand and the Ritchie brothers for their innovative boldness and commitment to Cañon and for adding soctors Clower, Reppert, McGuire and Woodard to help steward the buildings to this day.
And, of course, congratulations to the hospital on their new building.
Jeff Mueller,
Cañon City
