Senator Thune Visits Hospital And School

    Last week, South Dakota’s U.S. Senator John Thune made a stop in Britton. The senator, who  serves as the Senate Republican whip, the number two position in Senate Republican leadership, dropped by on Wednesday during the legislature’s winter recess. He made stops at various businesses and visited with a few different groups.
    After having lunch at the VFW and stopping by Flowers by Anita for a Valentine’s Day pop-in, the senator made his way to the Marshall County Healthcare Center. Thune sat in on the leadership team meeting with several department heads. CEO Nick Fosness invited the team members to share recent ‘wins.’ 3-D mammography and lung screening capabilities were mentioned as was their participation at the upcoming Langford Area School Career Fair. 
    Fosness reported that a big win for the whole facility was that they are fully staffed currently and have had more job applicants than open positions. “That is really an anomaly for a small town,” the CEO explained. He also noted that they do not have to rely on contract workers for their staff. He added that the facility is averaging 500 clinic visits per month and around 1,000 ER visits a year. “This really shows the importance of having a critical access hospital in our area,” he said.
    When Thune asked about other local priorities for MCHC, Fosness discussed the success of telehealth and thanked the senator for his work on those measures. Fosness also noted that some of the COVID-19 telehealth waivers and flexibilities are set to expire at the end of the year. “We would like to see those telehealth measures made permanent,” he said.  Thune added that he and his colleagues are trying to get the reimbursement for telehealth covered into the future. 
    The senator’s hospital visit ended with a tour of some of the facility’s new spaces, including the new lobby and clinic area and lab. 
    Thune next traveled to Britton-Hecla School for more of a casual gathering. He was greeted at the school by sophomore student Jade Tisher. The senator was actually invited by Jade during the previous school year. The young student was then a member of Garret Knebel’s Contemporary World Issues class where the students were required to invite a speaker to class. Jade had chosen Senator Thune.
    The senator  took a little time, but did make the visit. He spoke to a group of students ranging from ninth to eleventh graders. Thune discussed his youth living in the small town of Murdo, South Dakota. He explained that he never really contemplated entering politics until a chance meeting with Jim Abdnor, South Dakota’s then U.S. Senator from Kennebec. The longtime senator went on to become a mentor and guiding force for Thune. 
    The class speaker detailed his own political career starting in the mid-90s. He mentioned two major elections where he won or lost by a narrow vote margin. He used those anecdotes to drive home a point for his young audience. “You might not think so now, but your vote does matter,” he emphasized. 
    He also encouraged the students not to rule out ever running for public office. “Commit yourself to being difference makers,” Thune stressed. “And if a door cracks open, don’t be afraid to push it open and see what’s on the other side.”
    When the senator opened up the floor for questions, the students had several well-thought-out inquiries. They asked about having World War II veterans in his family and how athletics shaped him to be a leader. 
    Thune wrapped up the session by asking the students what issues concern them. Students brought up topics such as the video hosting service Tik Tok as well as ‘Right to Repair’ concerns. At the end of the class, the senator took photos with all the classes.