Our hospital
EDITOR: At the risk of beating a deceased horse I would like to comment on the last minute “infusion of cash” that helped our hospital avoid yet another closure. This is not a long term solution for the financial woes of SWMC. I would hope that all involved with this hospital would begin to recognize and accept that a rural full service hospital in an area served by nearby other full service hospitals is not sustainable.
The financial commitment to maintain a fully staffed 24 hour ER which necessitates an ICU and inpatient beds is just not possible and has exhausted financial resources more than once. Many good people have donated time and money to try and resuscitate this concept but it is DOA.
The interior of SWMC is beautiful and efficient, reflecting this donation of time and money. It can be put to other uses such as: 1) a combination retirement/assisted care living for the elderly; 2) an outpatient surgery center; 3) a physical therapy and rehabilitation unit; 4) an urgent care center that closes at 9 p.m.; 5) an eating disorders center for the serious disorders of anorexic nervosa and bulimia with a full inpatient/outpatient program as well as a wing for bariatric surgery.
These are a few ideas that I hope would be considered before a developer buys the land, bulldozes the hospital, and puts up expensive houses or condominiums, which is something else Sebastopol does not need!
Connie Kellogg
Sebastopol
TrumpCare and missile strikes
EDITOR: Liberals and Progressives were gratified with the outcome of the TrumpCare legislation. This rollback of a program benefitting millions of people was defeated by Trump enemies and allies alike. The headlines are filled with connections to Russian Intelligence, Trump’s hysterical allegations of Obama tapping his phones and endless alternative facts shown to be fantasies. We began to feel that the catastrophe of Trump could be minimized. Don’t believe it, this is no time to relax.
Donald Trump decided to change the narrative. He needed something that would divert people’s attention away from the incredibly negative consequences of his Tea Party policies. Then there came Syrian chemical weapons attacks. Some believe that the missile strikes are a dangerous escalation of involvement in more Middle East conflicts. Others that this was a valid attack on a purely military target in response to a horrific action by Assad.
Either way, we all must admit the obvious. Trump thought Assad was OK and Putin was a pal only a week before. Trump repeatedly voiced his support for Putin in Syria, cancelled any asylum for Syrian refugees and specifically stated that “this is not our problem.” The endless bombing of hospitals and civilian aid centers by Assad, the hundreds of thousands of dead made zero impression on Trump before. Now he is deeply concerned about the death of civilian children?
This action is purely political. The missile attacks have knocked hysterical Trump tweets, the deportation of millions and the rape of the EPA off the front pages. If you were worried about Trump policies before, you need to keep worrying about them now. Congress is planning another bill to overturn the ACA. The EPA is cancelling oversight of the nation’s largest polluters. Mass deportation is just around the corner. We must continue to resist Trump policies. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.
Michael Miller
Healdsburg
