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Letter to the Editor

Small-town ER saved my son

Site Administrator · Hays, KS · June 7, 2026

To the Editor,

Our son Jake fell from a hayloft on a Saturday night. The nearest trauma center was ninety miles away. The staff at Hays Medical Center stabilized him, coordinated a helicopter, and kept us informed every step.

Rural hospitals are closing across the Midwest. Ours is hanging on by a thread of grants and exhausted nurses. Jake is home now because people in our community fought to keep those doors open. This letter is for them.

— Linda and Ray Kowalski

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