This U.P. County Faces A “Life Or Death Situation”

One of the most appealing parts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula is the remoteness of the towns. People head "up north" as an escape from everyday stresses. But what happens when the place that's supposed to be the ideal place to be has suddenly become one of the most dangerous?

This is the reality for residents in Ontonagan, a small village on the lakeshore of Lake Superior, who on April 19th saw the county's only hospital shutdown. The closure of the Asprius Ontonagon Hospital leaves residents and visitors in a state of medical limbo as the next closest emergency room is 45 minutes away on a good day, but could be a death warrant during the harsh U.P. winters.
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A user on Reddit pointed out how there's a "golden half-hour" after a 911 call to get someone to an emergency room, and how dangerous this situation is for the town when there nearest ER is so far away. A study found that rural areas tend to have to double the response times than urban areas, commenting that "even modest delays can be life-threatening". Ontonagon being medically isolated could be a death sentence.

This isn't to say there will be no healthcare in the area. The Ontonagon Hospital will reportedly be transitioned into a clinic open on weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm. But if a medical emergency happens outside those hours then injuries that could be considered minor could become life-threatening due to an inability to receive proper care.

The village has been effectively left to fend for itself.