Editor,

I hope you are all staying safe during these storms, which serve to remind us of the many reasons our Emergency Department is so important to us. Knowing that we have a great group of dedicated board certified ED providers, nurses and EMS first responders is a great relief to us all.

We all have an important decision to make in voting for one of the open positions in the election for hospital commission (position 4). It’s easy — just check the box for the current commissioner who holds the position. After all, write-in elections are notoriously impossible to win and more so when the best candidate joined the race after the election pamphlet and the ballots were already printed, and the time to “court” your vote has all but lapsed; but, that’s exactly what I am asking you to do. I am asking you to check the box and write in “Linda Gipson” anyway because that option provides us the opportunity to make the right choice at this critical time.

At no time has the selection of a vibrant and informed board been more important as we are at a critical juncture in building a high performing health care system. We now have CEO who has been very successful in affecting material positive results like those needed here, and like me, has done the hard work of organizational transformation. It is hard work requiring vision, successful strategy and persistence.

If you don’t know me, please ask the doctors, nurses and community members who do. Ask them why they asked me to run; ask them about the quality and impact of my work in the 10 years I dedicated to building an exceptional health care system on Whidbey. Select the commissioner whose dedication to WhidbeyHealth is proven, tested and most importantly is based first and foremost to the needs of our community.

So please don’t automatically check the box with a name in it. Ask which candidate has the vision, energy and commitment needed to get the job done. Please do write “Linda Gipson” in position 4.

Linda Gipson

LTC USAR retired