Editor,

A recent letter from Richard Wagner, MD, has been attributed to me by several people. I am Dr. Robert Wagner, MD, the pediatrician. I do not support Rob Born for a hospital board position.

I have been a member of the Whidbey General Hospital medical staff for 26 years and have joined with many capable people of our community to provide local care and integrate with the region at large for specialty care. This community works to provide 24/7 care for you if you need it.

Big changes in health care have required changes in the delivery of services. Many people have fought those changes; others have worked hard to adopt those changes and to adapt to the new working world.

Whidbey General Hospital is poised to build a new wing, to bring the changes requested by the community at large. New operating room facilities and private patient rooms are among many welcome features.

A solid hospitalist program, ER group, new anesthesia group, tele-medicine, hospice program, as well as several new and well-qualified surgeons are changing the landscape. Geri Forbes, our new CEO, has put in place a new administration team, and they deserve the chance to develop the new Whidbey Health System. I join with my colleagues in supporting their work.

I have watched the CEO and board jobs grow in complexity over the years. This is tough work for dedicated people. Federal and state regulators continue to pile on new standards for privacy, protection of information, infection controls, etc. Small hospitals everywhere struggle to evolve on small budget margins.

I strongly believe that our current board has the experience and momentum to provide a steady hand at integrating the complex changes in the hospital over the next few years. Georgia Gardner has the skills that are needed for that teamwork. For that reason I support Georgia Gardner to retain her board position.

Robert Wagner

Oak Harbor