News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Letters to the Editor
On Monday January 6th, 2014, I received a letter in the mail addressed to me on a personal note, DEAR BECKY L, signed J. Scott Graham, Chief Executive Officer of Coulee Medical Center. I was kind of taken back by the unprofessional greeting, and got more disturbed as I read this troubling letter. I took the letter personally, and that it was written strictly out of spite, and an attempt to demoralize the honesty of our physicians.
I trust Dr. Castrodale explicitly, because he has literally saved my life, with his knowledge, his abilities, and especially his caring. I also witnessed those same qualities in Dr. Chaffee, as he cared for my elderly friend. They both are so knowledgeable, but more importantly, patient, honest and loving. We are so very fortunate to have these two as a part of our community. Mr. Graham, you tried to make these doctors look dishonest, and I resent that!
I have often wondered how our doctors have kept up the pace that they have been put in. It angers me at times, when it takes months to get a scheduled appointment. But that certainly isn’t their fault! They are overworked! We obviously need more physicians to lighten their loads. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that!
I resent the fact that Mr. Graham felt the need to criticize the integrity of our physician(s) in an attempt to make himself look good, and to justify anything he has or hasn’t done. To me, that just showed your integrity and you failed miserably in my eyes, and hopefully in the eyes of the rest of this community.
And one last question. Who gave you the right to get into anyone’s file, including mine, and feel you had a right to contact me, or anyone else for that matter? How do you justify your actions? I fully understand the doctors’ reasoning. Does anyone really think they were looking to see and share with their wife(s) who had an ingrown toenail, or sore throat? Seems to me, Mr. Graham, that you just committed a patient privacy act yourself.
We don‘t need your kind in our community, but we do need and want our doctors, and we do need and want to keep our hospital!
Becky L. Billups
Reader Comments(1)
Jennifer Manon writes:
I am so disappointed to see these letters accusing any administrators, doctors, nurses, or staff of hidden motives especially to say that we do not need Mr. Graham's kind in our town. I wonder if this writer has ever met Mr. Graham, or spent any time talking to him? I have and it is Mr. Graham's help that has made it possible for my severely ill son to get some help. It is because of his comfort and his guidance that I have known where to go and what I could do to help him. I have spent time professionally and personally with Mr. Graham and some of the doctors in this town. I first came to this community and I was unable to get a doctor to see me. I turned to Mr. Graham and he took the time to help make the connections necessary to allow me to be seen. It took almost a year of calling the clinic myself with no movement until Mr. Graham got involved. I've never had a follow up call from the doctor, but I have from Mr. Graham. I have had Mr. Graham call to find out if my son who was in the emergency room the night before was doing alright. I want our hospital to succeed, with personal and family health problems I want doctors and nurses who are well trained and care about their patients. I also know that a hospital is a business and must be administered. We cannot force doctors to come move here as we all should well know. If a doctor is looking at an open position and sees backbiting and letters to the paper, they are likely to turn and run. I know I would.
01/16/2014, 2:47 pm