Governor Greitens visits Bootheel to discuss medical services

Governor Greitens made a trip to the Bootheel on Thursday visiting the communities of Malden and Kennett.

Greitens and his team of medical professionals spoke at the Visiting Nurses Association in Kennett hosted by the Dunklin County Republican Committee.

Greitens opened with a thank you to the community for their efforts to continue to bring medical services to the area.

“Thanks for everything you guys have done here in Kennett,” said Greitens. “One of the reasons we’re down here is because of the hospital consolidating and how it’s going to impact this community.”

Greitens continued, “What I think we have to do is whenever we face hardship, we’ve got to look at it, straight in the eye, you have to deal with it and then we’ve got to pull a team together with good people to make sure we’re taking care of people who need it.”

“We’ve brought together a team of people to work together to make sure that we’re looking out for our families,” stated Greitens. “I wanted to let all of you know that we recognize this isn’t going to be easy but I wanted to come down here and let you know we’re going to get through this. We’re going to bring in great people and we’re going to do everything we can to take care of families.”

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams shared his commitment to the area as well.

“I am surrounded by heroes in this room,” said Williams. “This could have been a problem you run away from, so I just can’t thank you enough from the health care community for your vision and your willingness to take on this challenge.”

Williams continued, “I can’t thank the governor enough. The governor’s job description for me is very simple, protect health and save lives. I’m incredibly grateful that he’s green-lighted every resource we have.”

“There were 24,000 visits to the E.R. this year,” informed Williams. “Of those visits 85 percent were for urgent care, that still leaves 15 percent and we will save these lives by building out a facility. We’re working with county commissioners. We’re getting every resource. We are paving a way to make that happen.”

District 149 Representative Don Rone also reassured the community.

“You’re in for a ride,” he said. “You’re going to have a roller coaster ride that you’ve never had before. Do not get discouraged. Governor Greitens will bring the right people and put them in the right place.”

Rone continued, “We need a hospital in the southeast of the Bootheel. We don’t need to go to Sikeston or Cape. We need something right here and with the Governor’s help I have no doubt that you’ll get it. You’ll have what you need.”

The Governor then concluded with these comments.

“Great challenges can also bring together great people that can do great things that they never thought were possible,” he said. “We’ve got a choice to make. We can either sit back and say this was done to us and there’s nothing we can do and we’re going to have to get hurt by it, or we can each one of us decide we’re going to step up, reach out, we’re going to find people and new ways to work together.”

“We have to do that,” said Greitens. “That’s the choice we have to make, because we’ve got people that are counting on us.”