Editor,
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is an old and powerful truism. Sometimes we need to just leave well enough alone.
Enough of old clichés and platitudes.
There are those in this world who simply have to foment change for its own sake, with no deep thought going into the process except, “change is good.”
We’ve all seen the effect of hope and change in this country and many would agree that the change part isn’t for the better.
There is serious work afoot to change the name of Whidbey General Hospital to the unimaginative and non-descriptive “Whidbey Health.”
Why? Is there something about the term ‘general” that bothers these people? The term “general,” when applied to a hospital clarifies that it is not a specializing hospital such as a children’s, cancer or mental hospital.
This is good to know.
The complaining name-critics seem to forget that we usually name things for a purpose so that others will quickly understand the meaning. The current name does that well.
If there is dissatisfaction in such a title, one would think that other, grander establishments would have retitled long ago.
Swedish Hospital could be Swedish Health, but that smacks merely of Nordic wellness.
One of the greatest hospital complexes in this country covers many acres and includes many buildings with underground tunnels connecting them due to annual severe weather in Minnesota: The Mayo Clinic.
Now, “clinic” sounds like a local, neighborhood wellness office, but the folks at Mayo don’t mess with success. Everyone knows the name and what it stands for.
Our well-meaning, but misguided wordsmiths might not realize that “Mayo Health” would be interpreted as the goodness of salad dressing.
The blue-and-white road signs indicating a hospital location might be changed to read: “Health” instead of “Hospital,” and would anyone understand what it meant?
There are more things in this life to worry about than changing an accepted name just to prove you can do it, while others are too busy doing real work to notice that.
If you really hate the word “general” so much, drop it, and only that word. Rebrand WGH as “Whidbey Hospital.” That name has not been taken, is available and clearly states the case.
I rest mine.
Jim Siggens
Oak Harbor
