Editorial made sense | Letter

Published 11:01 am Tuesday, October 9, 2012

In response to your editorial “Please put it in writing,” I’d like to chime in with a view from the East Coast. I am a frequent visitor to Orcas and believe that the addition of PIMC will be a good thing. But you are so right – you need to “get it in writing” what the future will hold with regard to potential controls on reproductive health services, genetic testing, and for that matter, abortion services.

Please Google “Abington Memorial Hospital” to see a recent and similar Pennsylvania case. Their plan to merge with a Catholic hospital, Holy Redeemer, would have meant the end of all the above services. Luckily, over 200 docs at AMH protested, as well as thousands of local citizens, including one lovely lady who started a Change.org petition that really got the media’s attention. Luckily, the merger failed.

Please be careful, citizens of the San Juan Islands, as you could face a fight like this down the road if you don’t know exactly what the hospital relationships have in store for you.

Tracy McQueen

Newark, Del.