Despite the fact that administrators called it a win-win situation, we are not sure that is exactly correct.

Anytime an employer of 13 people closes up shop, it is going to be a blow to the town where it happens.

That is what is happening in the case of the Mankato Clinic closing the doors of its Blue Earth Medical Center, an event that will happen at the end of August.

Granted, there still are medical practioners, clinics and medical services in Blue Earth. We agree that the citizens here are going to continue to have quality medical care locally. That is a good thing.

We also agree that it is very important that the Mankato clinic will continue to provide specialty doctors who will assist clients in the area with medical treatments. The fact that oncolgy, and therefore chemotherapy treatments for cancer, could also be one of those services, would be a very welcomed new service by those who need it.

That does not negate the fact that Blue Earth is losing an asset. Nor does it negate the fact that some people may (and we stress ‘may’) be losing their jobs, or at the very least, have to re-locate where they will perform their jobs.

Dr. Kirk Odden has been a physician in Blue Earth for a long, long time. He has a lot of loyal patients. He has also done a lot of work at St. Lukes Care Center. We salute him for all his work here, and wish him well as he shifts his practice to the Lake Crystal Clinic.

We also hope that everything works out, not just for Dr. Odden, but for his patients, for the employees of the Blue Earth Medical Center (Mankato Clinic), and for the community of Blue Earth.

Luckily Blue Earth still does have skilled doctors and a fully staffed hospital and two other medical clinics. There is also a new doctor who will be starting medical practice in Blue Earth shortly. It isn’t as though we are suddenly bereft of medical facilities. But we do suddenly have a little less of it.