This is a political advertisement purchased by Galen Turner.
“Imagine a family in Ruston in the year 2066. Their child needs specialized care. Instead of driving two or three hours, they drive ten minutes. Their grandparents receive world-class treatment close to home. Medical students, researchers, and physicians choose Ruston not because it’s the biggest city in Louisiana, but because it’s one of the best places in the South to practice medicine.”
I know to many people in Ruston today this might seem a little far fetched. However, I’m an optimist and with all of the problems we have been facing on the healthcare front, I believe we shouldn’t strive for what we once had… but for so much more.
I also want to make it clear that I am so thankful for our doctors and nurses and other healthcare professionals that have been serving our community despite the situation we are now in.
However, when we talk about the future of Ruston, it is easy to think in terms of the next four years. We talk about the roads that need repairing, the neighborhoods that need investment, the businesses we want to attract, and the projects we want to complete.
Those things matter. They are some of the fundamental responsibilities of our city government.
But I also believe leadership requires us to occasionally look much farther down the road.
What could Ruston look like 40 years from now?
I will be 64 years old in 2066. Many of the students I teach today will be approaching retirement. The children growing up in Ruston then may be the grandchildren of families living here today.
What kind of city do we want to leave them?
One of the areas where I believe Ruston has tremendous long-term potential is healthcare.
For generations, Ruston’s identity has been closely connected to education. Louisiana Tech University is one of our greatest assets, and our location places us in a unique position between medical education and healthcare institutions in both the Shreveport and Monroe areas.
What if, over the next several decades, we built upon those advantages and established Ruston as a regional center for healthcare excellence?
Start With Something We Can Be Exceptional At
As a swim coach and as a former swimmer at Ruston High, I’ve had the privilege of getting to be around one of the best programs in Louisiana in the sport of swimming. I’ve also seen firsthand the incredible benefits that water can provide. In the pool, I’ve watched athletes recover from injuries, build strength without putting stress on their joints, and regain confidence after setbacks. Water has a unique ability to heal.
So what if Ruston became known for excellence in aquatic therapy?
Imagine a state of the art aquatic rehabilitation center serving patients recovering from orthopedic surgeries, spinal cord injuries, strokes, neurological disorders, and sports injuries.
Imagine physicians throughout Louisiana and the surrounding region referring patients to Ruston because they know they will receive exceptional therapy in an environment specifically designed for rehabilitation and recovery.
Imagine our community becoming a place where new techniques in aquatic rehabilitation are studied, tested, taught, and improved.
This is the kind of long-term thinking I believe can transform Ruston, Lincoln Parish, and the entirety of the state of Louisiana!
We already have exceptional physical therapy and if Ruston became a destination for aquatic rehabilitation. Orthopedic specialists could follow. Sports medicine physicians, rehabilitation researchers, biomedical companies, and healthcare entrepreneurs could begin seeing Ruston as a place where innovation is welcomed.
Partnerships could grow between healthcare providers, Louisiana Tech, and the private sector.
Students interested in medicine, physical therapy, biomedical engineering, kinesiology, nursing, and other healthcare professions could find opportunities to learn and work here.
That is how great medical communities are built… not necessarily by trying to become everything at once, but by finding something they can do exceptionally well and building from there.
Think Bigger Than Our Population
There is sometimes a temptation for smaller communities to believe that major institutions belong somewhere else.
I reject that idea.
Communities across America have demonstrated that nationally respected healthcare systems do not belong only in major metropolitan areas. Temple, Texas, for example, grew into a nationally recognized medical destination through decades of investment, partnership, and long-term vision.
Ruston does not need to become Temple, Texas though. Ruston should become the very best version of Ruston.
But examples like that should remind us that remarkable things can happen when communities commit themselves to excellence over a long period of time.
Ruston is not the largest city in Louisiana, but in many ways we are still a blank canvas. We expect excellence from Louisiana Tech. We expect excellence from Lincoln Parish Schools. Heck as a coach I expect excellence from our swim team at Ruston High School. We also expect our businesses to compete well beyond the boundaries of Lincoln Parish.
Why shouldn’t we have that same ambition for healthcare?
Healthcare Drives Economic Development
Building a stronger healthcare in Ruston would not just benefit patients.
Healthcare can also be an important part of economic development.
Physicians, nurses, therapists, researchers, technicians, administrators, and healthcare entrepreneurs create jobs. Patients and their families support hotels, restaurants, stores, and other local businesses. Medical research and innovation can create opportunities for new companies and partnerships.
Most importantly, stronger healthcare makes Ruston a better place to live.
When a young family considers moving here, access to quality healthcare matters.
When a company considers bringing jobs here, healthcare matters.
When retirees decide where they want to spend the next chapter of their lives, healthcare matters.
And when our own children decide whether Ruston is a place where they can build their futures, healthcare matters.
Economic development is not simply about recruiting the next company. It is about creating a community where people and companies want to stay, invest, and grow. And that requires excellent healthcare.
Let’s Start Now
I am not suggesting that the City Council can simply vote one evening and turn Ruston into a medical destination.
The city government cannot build a healthcare system by itself.
But city leaders can help create the environment where ambitious ideas are possible and welcome. We can encourage partnerships. We can make responsible infrastructure investments. We can support thoughtful development. We can work with Louisiana Tech, healthcare providers, business leaders, researchers, and our regional partners.
Most importantly, we can be willing to think beyond our own terms in office.
That is one of the reasons I am running for Alderman.
At 24 years old, I naturally think about Ruston’s future because, God willing, I hope to live much of that future right here. I want to raise a family in the same community that raised me. As a teacher and coach at Ruston High School, I spend every day around young people who will inherit whatever kind of Ruston our generation chooses to build.
I believe they deserve leaders who are willing to ask not only, “What does Ruston need today?” but also, “What could Ruston become tomorrow?”
Forty years from now, today’s debates over streets, budgets, and zoning will largely be forgotten. But the decisions we make today will shape the opportunities available to our children and grandchildren.
Excellence is rarely achieved by accident. It is pursued one decision at a time.
When people hear the name Ruston in 2066, I hope they think of a city known for innovation, education, opportunity, and one of the finest healthcare communities in the South.
I hope families who once had to leave Ruston for specialized treatment can receive it close to home.
I hope students who once believed they had to leave north Louisiana to pursue careers in medical research and innovation can find those opportunities here.
And perhaps somewhere in that future Ruston has a world class aquatic rehabilitation center that started with a simple question asked decades earlier:
Why not Ruston?
To find out more visit gogalenturner.com or email me directly at gogalenturner@gmail.com
The above information has been provided by a political campaign. Unless otherwise noted, the Lincoln Parish Journal publishing staff does not endorse specific candidates or ballot measures.
