EDITOR:

OSF St. Francis Hospital deserves more recognition as a first rate facility. I have heard people bad-mouth St. Francis Hospital for years. I am proof-positive that they don't deserve the bad comments. The nurses, doctors, and staff at St. Francis are the greatest. The nurses are true heroes. How they do what they do, and keep smiling, is amazing.

I spent quite a bit of time in hospitals this last four months. I had a few life-threatening situations and because of the professionals at St. Francis, I am alive today. The doctor in the ER, Dr, Belkowski I believe, would not give up until he found out what was wrong with me. Once he did, Dr. Campbell performed the surgery. I believe there is no better surgeon. And he is a really nice guy.

I had some tough days, but the nurses did everything they could to help me through it. One nurse, and I wish I could remember her name, saw me in some real pain. She picked up a chair and sat down and held my hand until the medication kicked in. That would not have happened at a lot of hospitals. One nurse, Brenda was extremely helpful. She took extra time to make sure I understood everything about my situation before I was discharged. After her shift, she came to my room to make sure I was able to deal with all of the added "stuff" that I was going home with. All of the nurses were exceptional. All of the doctors were great. The technicians that did the tests and X-rays, and woke me up to take my blood, were great. I can't thank them enough.

Next time you hear someone bad-mouthing St. Francis Hospital, make sure that you don't jump on the bandwagon and start bashing them, too. It seems like the thing to do. People here think it is better to go to Marquette or Green Bay. When I lived in Green Bay, people wanted to go to Appleton or Milwaukee. It seems like the "in" thing to do. The grass is always greener....

St. Francis is just fine with me. If they can't help, they will send me north or south to someone who can. I'll be much happier staying right here.

Thank you OSF St. Francis Hospital. A special thanks to all of those dedicated professionals; the nurses, the doctors, and the staff. You saved my life several times. I will never forget that!

Tom Grant

Escanaba