Before Aaron Hammer knew how to read blueprints, conduct safety checks or appreciate the difference between a contractor and a vendor, he was just a kid eating hot dogs and ice cream in his grandpa’s house. And every time he visited, he saw a sign – commemorating 30 years of service – hanging on the wall.
“I never understood what that sign meant or why my grandpa had it hanging in the kitchen,” Hammer said. “I just knew, to me, he was the greatest.”
Turns out, Hammer would learn first hand what his grandpa did by following in his footsteps. He just didn’t know it yet.
‘Right away, St. Joe’s felt like home’
Hammer’s grandpa, Bob Kouba, spent more than 30 years as facilities manager of the original St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hillsboro, which opened its doors in 1951. Before that, the hospital – called the Hansberry Hospital – was located inside a house. Bob then handed the baton to Terry Sosinsky, who would also manage facility operations for three decades.
When Hammer graduated college with a degree in agricultural engineering, he joined an equipment dealership where he worked in sales, parts and service. But the dealership was 30 minutes away from his home in Hillsboro, and when his daughter was born, that distance – and a grueling schedule – began to take a toll.
“For the first six months of her life, I left the house at 6:30 in the morning and wasn’t home until 6:30 at night,” Hammer said. “Besides that, I worked lots of weekends. I started to look for something closer to home with a family friendlier schedule.”
As luck (or destiny, if you ask Hammer) would have it, Gundersen St. Joseph’s was hiring. After 30 years on the job, Sosinsky was preparing for retirement and looking for someone to take over.
“I never thought about working in Hillsboro, and nothing in healthcare really ever appealed to me,” Hammer said. “But right away, St. Joe’s felt like home. Besides my grandpa’s tenure, my mom, cousin and aunts also spent time working at St. Joe’s.”
‘He was a significant part of why the build was such a success’
Shortly after Hammer was hired, the hospital broke ground on a new facility. He would lead the charge – and began to understand, firsthand, what his grandpa did to receive that plaque that hung in his kitchen.
“During the building process, we relied heavily on Aaron,” said Kristie McCoic, administrator, Gundersen St. Joseph’s. “He walked the grounds daily to ensure accuracy and answer questions from contractors. He was a significant part of why the build was such a success.”
In 2020, the new hospital opened its doors. With 13 patient rooms and six Emergency Department rooms, plus space for lab, surgery, therapy and infusion services, the hospital sits right on Field Veterans Memorial Lake.
Hammer said, “The new building really fits the community. While it’s incredibly well built, we intentionally chose toned-down colors and budget-friendly materials. We think it’s the perfect example of what a rural hospital should be. We’re all here for the same reason: to help our patients.”
‘Rural hospitals contribute to the overall well-being of rural communities’
When both facilities were standing, they were about 25 feet apart. What’s now the parking lot and helipad was the location of the old hospital.
“Rural hospitals provide vital healthcare services in the communities we serve. They contribute to the overall economic and social well-being of rural communities,” said McCoic. “By bringing, and keeping, care close to home, we reduce the healthcare gap that exists between urban and rural residents.”
Unfortunately, Hammer’s grandpa passed away in 2012 and didn’t get to see the new building. But he often thinks about the plaque that hung in his grandpa’s kitchen – and all the times he spent eating hot dogs and ice cream with the original facilities manager. To Hammer, though, he was just grandpa.