Editor,

There’s more to see than just tulips peeking out of the dirt on Whidbey this spring. An array of piping and rebar is sprouting from what used to be the staff parking lot of our 46-year-old Whidbey General Hospital.

It’s the rebirth of WhidbeyHealth Medical Center in Coupeville, the cornerstone of our island-wide community based healthcare system, and from Deception Pass to Possession Point, WhidbeyHealth will continue to provide the personalized local medical care our citizens deserve, with state-of-the-art facilities that will serve Whidbey Islanders for generations to come.

After practicing for 26 years in Oak Harbor, I can honestly say that I have never been more excited about the future of medicine on Whidbey. We are attracting the best and brightest physicians, nurses, and staff, led by our dynamic new CEO Geri Forbes.

We are updating our clinics and infrastructure, and installing modern information systems to connect our medical offices up and down the island. We are dedicated to improving patient access every step of the way.

Some of my patients have asked the age-old question, “What’s in a name?”

I certainly can respect their point of view. For me, Whidbey General Hospital invokes the names of special physicians with whom I’ve had the honor of working. I cherish the memory of Neal Manor and Bob Goetz, honor the service of Jane Mays and Byron Skubi, and appreciate the continued mentorship of Lee Roof and Paul Zaveruha.

I won’t forget how honored I was to twice serve as chief of staff at Whidbey General.

But I also recognize that medicine is dynamic, that our responsibility as physicians and providers is to constantly stay up-to-date with the ever changing scope of medical practice. I believe that taking care of my patients from infancy to adulthood, through aging and retirement, and ultimately, through the challenges and struggles of end-of-life, requires that I think “outside the box,” beyond just hospital and clinic based care.

This continuum of care, so necessary for my Whidbey friends’ and families’ health, is the ultimate goal for me and my colleagues.

“WhidbeyHealth.” It’s our pledge to all of you that we will use both best practices and genuine neighborly compassion to serve you in the years to come.

Douglas G. Langrock, M.D.

Oak Harbor