Election critical to hospital’s future

This election is critical to the future of our hospital, and it has become obvious that the district and the Board need to take a new direction.

Our community has been divided by the actions of the CEO and the Board, and nothing has been done to reconcile the mistrust and mislike created by those actions. In fact, accusations have been made by employees of the hospital that have created even more animosity, and I want to address one specific charge, one that was repeated by a candidate at the AAUW-sponsored forum last week.

It has been said, by more than one person, that the Hometown Family doctors are refusing to refer their patients to the hospital for tests, therapy, and treatment.

That is supposedly because the doctors want the hospital to close (which makes no sense at all) and is, again supposedly, done out of revenge for the unacceptable contract demands.

Hogwash. This is just plain untrue. My husband was recently referred to the hospital by Doctor Eckley for a CT scan, which he had there the next day.

You can say people are mistaken; you can say they are factually incorrect or misinformed. But a stronger word for this type of rumor is “lie”. This town needs to be brought together and not further divided.

In January, the Board and management came to a fork in the road; they took the wrong turn, and they’ve been speeding down it ever since.

It’s time to stop, back up the truck, and turn down the correct road. Please vote for Stacey Plummer, Jeff Reynolds, and Jerry Snyder.

Lynn Walker, Ritzville