Editor,

Dear Hospital District Board of Commissioners: it has come to my attention that WhidbeyHealth no longer allows WhidbeyHealth Primary Care to dispense Drug company rep-supplied “samples” for patients of the clinic.

This was a carefully documented way for patients of this clinic to obtain drug “samples” that many could not afford to purchase on their own.

Diabetic insulin, asthma inhalers, etc. were provided for patients of this clinic, since it was Whidbey Community Primary care many years prior to Whidbey General — now known as WhidbeyHealth — purchasing this clinic.

There was always careful documentation as to who got the medication samples, yet this has been discontinued?

You claim “transparency,” however I find the opposite in many areas. Why are the hospital board’s public meetings held at 7 a.m? That is hardly a convenient time to allow the public to attend.

Yes, I know it’s easier for the doctors to attend, but who are your “core” supporters? Yes, we the taxpayers of Whidbey Island Hospital District No. 1.

Your recent EMS levy was not well advertised. Many of your constituents were, frankly, shocked to find this on their primary ballot without much public information being presented.

Did you assume it would just be passed because it always has been? Your posted board meeting minutes do nothing to inform the public of your “transparent” actions.

And now you want a committee of citizens to advise the board? I thought the board of directors was elected by the people to represent their interests, yet WhidbeyHealth has installed another layer and, seemingly, has lost it’s integral duty to the very people who elected you.

Your new addition was another area in which public opinion has decreased significantly. This big shiny state-of-the-art facility was way over budget and it did not increase capacity as you are still a critical access hospital.

History and demographics show the majority of patients in this district are predominantly Medicare or Medicaid.

Public opinion again plummeted when, during one 7 a.m. board meeting, you discussed the new additions cost overage and, shortly thereafter, went into executive session and “awarded” your CEO a $60,000 bonus.

Are you being proper fiduciary stewards of the public’s money when you have known the infrastructure of the plant has needed to be replaced, i.e. the air handling HVAC systems, since I was elected to this very board in 1996?

I am saddened by the down-spiral of WhidbeyHealth and its reputation within the community it serves.

It is still known as Whidbey General, despite the massive amount of money spent on re-branding.

The days of the public trust — the days of Bob Zylstra — integrity, honesty and true public “transparency” have long since been forgotten.

But not by all of us.

Kristy Lang Miller

Oak Harbor