March 17, 2020 9:10p
(WGTD)---Froedtert is finally talking to city officials about its decision to close the critical care unit at Kenosha Hospital in a consolidation move with its Pleasant Prairie hospital.
But that didn’t stop the Kenosha City Council Monday night from voting overwhelmingly for a second meeting in a row to support a resolution condemning the move.
Apparently in a bid to skirt the state’s open meetings law, council members were split up for separate meetings with Froedtert South C-E-O Ric Schmidt. Schmidt reportedly told them that Froedtert is planning to invest $150 million in the downtown campus.
Ald. Dave Bogdala said while that’s nice he’s not backing away from the pressure campaign. "Come to me with a developer's agreement and what you want to do to enhance that campus and I'll support you," Bogdala said. "But we need to pass this (the resolution) tonight,' he said.
Bogdala said while he understands that the consolidation move was a business decision other factors should’ve entered in.
The CCU closing means for one thing that the Kenosha Fire Dept. is now transporting all cardiac and other seriously ill patients to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie, six miles from Froedtert-Kenosha.
Ald. Dan Prozanski said the coronavirus and the future of Kenosha Hospital have replaced potholes as the most talked-about topic among his constituents.
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