Editor,

Kudos to staffers Jessie Stensland, Michelle Beahm and South Whidbey Record’s Justin Burnett for shedding light on recent activities at Whidbey General Hospital.

The imminent changeover of CEOs at our public hospital provides an historic opportunity to reverse a decade-long slide and return the place to being a “patients first” facility.

This simply won’t happen unless our community papers are relentless in demanding that the hospital board members cease their practices of non-transparency, cover-ups and special-interest dealings.

It’s wonderful to see new blood, including in local editorial offices, exposing rather than assisting the Whidbey General administration in its misdeeds. Keep it up and you will literally be performing life-saving services for our community.

Let’s all welcome new CEO Geri Forbes as well. She has publicly pledged to set a new tone, usher in a new era of openness and rebuild a cohesive leadership team. Let’s hold her to that — and lend her the support she’ll need in this challenging undertaking.

Rob Born

Greenbank