There was a time a few months ago when it looked like the Fort Dodge area was going to be without a nearby source of cardiology care.

In April, Iowa Heart Center surprised everyone, including its own patients, by announcing it would no longer provide 24-hour, seven day a week services in Fort Dodge.That was troubling news to say the least, considering that heart disease is a leading cause of death.

Faced with this dire scenario the leadership of UnityPoint Health -Fort Dodge worked behind the scenes to put together a cardiology clinic to replace the services that would be lost when Iowa Heart Center closed its doors locally.

Their work was a success, and on Aug. 15 the new Trinity Heart Center was announced.

It opened in October, right after Iowa Heart Center closed. And it opened in the very spot where Iowa Heart Center was located in the Physicians Office Building East.

There are many people to be thanked for this welcome development, obviously including a long list of administrators and physicians at UnityPoint Health -Fort Dodge.

But there is one additional person who played a key role.

In Iowa, hospitals must get a certificate of need from the state government before launching any new services. Those are awarded by the Iowa Certificate of Need Council. The late Kati Kregel, of Fort Dodge, was a member of that panel.

When the Trinity Heart Center proposal came before the council, Kregel was pressured by an attorney representing other hospitals who demanded that she recuse herself from the vote. She refused to do that, and with her affirmative vote, the council awarded the certificate.

Patients who need cardiology care will now benefit from Kregel’s presence on the council, as well as the hard work of many health care professionals who worked to establish Trinity Heart Center.

We are thankful for their efforts.