By Douglas G. Langrock, M.D.
Over 40 years ago, our fellow Whidbey Islanders came together and built a hospital. Thanks to their foresight, we’ve enjoyed the convenience and security of centralized health care in a rural setting, and this has had a tremendous impact on both the economic growth and the quality of life we enjoy in this unique setting, where every morning begins “another day in paradise.”
A little over 20 years ago I was attracted to this special opportunity and began my practice of family medicine with the help of my partners, Tony Bartley and Jerry Sanders, and with the expertise of medical staff mentors like Dr. Roof and Dr. Zaveruha. I’ve spent a generation growing both a practice and a family, and thanks to the opportunity afforded me by Whidbey General, I plan to work another 20 years and then retire right where I live right now, knowing my wife and I will be taken care of by our WGH based colleagues and neighbors.
With my 50th birthday approaching, it will soon be time for me to schedule my colonoscopy at the same hospital where all three of our children were born, where our parents have received first-rate care for life-threatening conditions, and where I’ve had the privilege of serving as chief of staff, first in the mid 1990s, and again almost two decades later. During that time we’ve seen amazing changes in the practice of medicine, yet as we embrace exciting new technologies, including personalized electronic health records, we still enjoy coming to a facility where one can look out at 150-year-old cow pastures and wheat farms.
As I travel around scenic Penn Cove on the way to our hospital, I worry about what would happen to our lives if we didn’t have adequate health care on Whidbey Island. What if my teenager were in an accident? Would our world class paramedics be there to comfort her and get her swiftly to our state of the art emergency department? If our parents have another major health issue, could they still get cared for by nurses who they’ve come to know and trust over so many years? As I age and rely more and more on the expertise of highly trained physicians young enough to be my own kids, would they still be here on Whidbey Island, because we as a community made the investment at a critical time to update our medical facilities?
Friends, it’s time for all of us to step to the plate, and renew our commitment to preserving the highest quality medical care, in our own special corner of the world. I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and do everything I can to help champion our upcoming hospital bond issue. I respectfully ask for your support.
Douglas G. Langrock, M.D,
is Whidbey General Hospital
