Even until the bitter end on Feb. 2, Lakeshore employees were committed to the health of others in the community. OBSERVER Photo.

Its heartbreaking to say the least to watch what has happened at Lakeshore Hospital. As a past employee of Lakeshore, I watched the crumbling after the Berger Commission told Lakeshore and Brooks to work together, cutting duplicate services and making a better, more efficient working hospital system.

Jonathan Lawrence was hired and he began spending money like there was a windfall of it. One thing being refurbishing a building in Fredonia to hold meetings with an elevator, new desk, chairs, and more. All the best. Two hospitals buildings open and running had no room for meetings?

Was there not any scrutiny on his money spending by the board chair Christopher Lanski? My colleagues and I were sitting on broken chairs, and sitting at desks where you couldn’t get the drawers open.

When we heard of this it made us think maybe we could at least get new chairs.. We were told there wasn’t any money. This spending went on for the duration of his time here, and then suddenly he was gone.

In came UPMC Hamot and things took off. With each meeting held at Lakeshore, the employees were told by Hamot and Lanski, “No the hospital won’t be closing.” We were hopeful.

Then as time went on things were changing and not for the good. Questions were asked at each meeting but always with the assurance that the hospital would remain open, but layoffs were happening. Before long trucks pulled in and hospital equipment was being removed and taken to Brooks. Couldn’t find the leaders to find out what was going on. The Health Department stopped it.

An interim chief executive officer was appointed to help get us back to normalcy, and he got us out of bankruptcy.

The spirit was raised and he held meetings as things happened — good or bad — and told us what we needed to do with each meeting. e was looked up to by all of us, and always encouraged us. We began to see the light in the tunnel.

Next we were told Kaleida Health took over. Morale went up but we were still afraid to believe.

They came over and with Lanski again and assured us all was well. Dunkirk was going to build a new hospital, a very small one for inpatient services only and Lakeshore would offer outpatient services with expansion of the Mental Heath Department and other outpatient services that the new hospital would not have any room for.

They took the inpatient services away immediately from Lakeshore to Brooks. That was supposed to happen when the new hospital was built. Where is it? There was a time limit we were told.

The billing offices would merge and would be put together in a building — not selected yet — again saying there would be no room in the new hospital.

Irving and Silver Creek are now in crises and people have lost their jobs, as well as Dunkirk people. Why was money put into Lakeshore, just to be closed.

The hospital is in great shape, and could be the hospital we need, but all we heard is Dunkirk-Fredonia needs this new hospital, very small hospital for inpatients only. We were told that over and over. They seem to be having trouble knowing where they can build it.

We know our health care is in trouble, but who is running the ship? Look at how this closing is being done, with no thought to the patients. None.

The administration is turning their head it appears, and everything is a secret. The mindset looks like it was a plan from the beginning for a new hospital for Dunkirk and the future of Lakeshore?

Lakeshore had always been there for their public and the employees were pleased with the new advancements and looking forward to a new chapter. But they did not stand a chance.

Sue Eaton is a Dunkirk resident.

Hospital blatantly wastes tax dollars

Editor, OBSERVER:

With the recent events at the Lakeshore campus of Brooks-TLC I am confused by the lack of investigations into the theft and destruction of hospital equipment.

We longtime residents of the Silver Creek and town of Hanover remember collecting nickels in response to the fund drive to build this hospital. A large amount of money in the form of grants — taxpayer dollars — has been infused into this hospital in recent years to upgrade the emergency room and improve the hospital equipment.

I find it hard to believe no one is responsible for removing and destroying these resources. It seems our state government and big business don’t care if the people of this area are left helpless when tragedy strikes.

Maybe it is time for a full-scale investigation into why this area is left without this valuable resource.

ANNE C. WEISE,

Silver Creek