A Sentimental Journey…

by Jo Stamer
The news hit. It hit so hard and sudden that at first, many of us were unsure if we’d heard it right. It feels like the loss of an old friend or close family member, but it was just a building, right? Just a building? Hardly. It was far more than a durable structure, a geographic location, or the hospital with a tiny parking lot. Oh, it was so much more. For decades, Baum Harmon was our hub in healthcare, our safe place, a sanctuary that housed our greatest and most vulnerable moments and all those in between. It’s where our babies were born, our loved ones passed, our local ambulances transported and our hearts and souls trusted and prayed. Each time we walked through the doors, those memories followed us inside. The reminiscence of Dr. Getty’s dress shoes clicking down the long hallway, Dr. Smith’s distinctive voice, Dr. Breeling’s handlebar mustache, Dr. Desai’s calm demeanor and Becky’s warmth and assurance. Countless other medical providers and staff have graced these walls through the years, each providing their own signature care and compassion in their patient’s journey. We all, no doubt, have dozens of stories about our experiences inside this medical center. A place where bad news could be expected, good news welcomed and hearing the word, “dismissal” a relief. Through the years, regulations changed the daily schedule and layout but it remained an integral sector in our South O’Brien communities and beyond. How do you say good by to a building? After all, the structured speaks no language, it has no heartbeat and it certainly can’t shed tears when the final doors close, or can it? I believe when the equipment is rolled out, the computers are shut down, the blue hospital signs removed and the halls are quiet, we will hear the faint cry and witness the final tears and last breath of this building. The hospital that sheltered us and provided protection will then cease operations and fall silent. I hope it hears us whisper back as we walk away heartfelt gratitude, “Goodbye my friend, and thank you…”