Editor,

It was gratifying to see the editorial in the Sept. 19 edition of the Whidbey News-Times titled “What will it take for voters to demand accountability from public hospital board?”

One quote in particular referred to “the perils of secrecy and an insular culture infecting the hospital’s unabashedly stubborn board of directors and administration.”

A few concerned citizens criticized the board for not dealing with serious issues, but board members seem to be content with the status quo. Their aloof attitude shows disdain for the voters who entrusted them to oversee our hospital.

One of a number of problems facing Whidbey General has to do with “patient satisfaction.”

This important factor is actually measured by the Department of Health & Human Services, as patients are asked to rate their hospital stays. Recent results reported on April 8 at www.seattlepi.com reveal that of 47 hospitals in Washington, Island Hospital in Anacortes ranked No. 3 and Whidbey General ranked near the bottom at No. 45.

I wonder if our hospital board would like to comment on that?

Board members bemoan problems in recruiting quality physicians to join the medical staff. But one of the first questions a prospective doctor is likely to ask would be “Is the hospital fully accredited?”

Unfortunately for Whidbey General, the answer is “no.” We lost our accreditation by the Joint Commission in 2005, after many years of certification beginning in 1972.

The Joint Commission of course is the highly respected organization that evaluates hospitals nation-wide, measuring quality of patient care, infection rates, treatment complications, safety, and other important criteria. Their seal of approval is the “gold standard” and a mark of excellence for any hospital.

When our hospital lost its accreditation, what reasons were given?

Where was the announcement by the board?

Where was their indignation?

More importantly, what steps are they taking now to restore our accreditation?

The answer is none.

There’s an election coming soon, and it’s time for voters to stand up and be counted.

Our public hospital is supported by our tax dollars, and some adult leadership is long overdue.

There are two hospital board members running for re-election, Georgia Gardner and Nancy Fey. They are part of the problem and it’s time for them to go.

David Howe

Greenbank