Whidbey General Hospital’s roots date back to 1959  when idealistic islanders formed hospital guilds to build their dream. They were tired of seeing their loved ones transported to Mount Vernon and Everett for hospitalization. The long drive risked their lives, and the long distance made family visits time consuming and difficult.

Women started the drive with the guild effort. Wilma Patrick, now 92, was one of the leaders. They caught the attention of county, state and eventually federal leaders, and the hospital’s doors swung open for the first time in 1970, more than 40 years ago. Voters approved two bonds to make it happen and thousands of dollars more were donated. It was one of those few islandwide efforts that saw success.

It’s a public hospital, meaning its management hasn’t always been a pretty thing to watch. Issues are hashed out in public by an elected board and  everyone with a grudge or procedure gone bad has a chance to let the public know about it. But the alternative is a private, corporate hospital where major decisions are made far away, behind closed doors by people we don’t know. Whidbey Island Public Hospital District is one of the island’s greatest assets.

But it’s definitely time for an upgrade. Imagine the world in 1970 when the hospital opened. Richard Nixon was president, war was raging in Vietnam, the Twin Towers were brand new, and high-tech meant computers the size of a living room and hi-fi record players. X-rays were the backbone of internal medicine, with CAT, MRI and sonograph machines still in the future.

Whidbey General has kept up surprising well with the technology, but not with the competition. Surrounding hospitals are attracting islanders in droves with their attractive new buildings, spacious single rooms and an infrastructure suited for the computer age. It’s a competitive world, and if you can’t compete you die. Without the proposed new wing on the hospital, Whidbey General will eventually wither away or be snapped up by a corporation seeking to squeeze whatever profit it can out of it.

Voters are being asked to approve a $50 bond issue on May 17, a request that is essential if we want to save the hospital that so many worked so hard to achieve more than 40 years ago. We owe it to Wilma Patrick, we owe it to our kids and we owe it to ourselves. Only a “yes” vote will assure a positive future for our Whidbey Island hospital.