Editor,

As transplants to Whidbey Island in 2012, my husband, John, and I have always supported our community hospital on principle. However, we were introduced to Whidbey General in a direct way a week ago Friday, when my husband was admitted through the emergency department with acute abdominal pain. He needed immediate help and follow-up surgery.

In the eight days between his admission and release, he and I were seriously impressed by the treatment he got, both the quality of care and the level of human caring. I will not cite individuals because they all — his surgeon; anesthesiologists; emergency, operating room, critical care and surgical unit nurses; nursing assistants; dietary and housekeeping staffs — were were uniformly good at their jobs, treating him as a patient and as a person. As well, I was never made to feel I was in the way, and was helped to understand what was happening.

Both of us have undergone major surgery in a well-regarded East Coast hospital but, although we had excellent outcomes, we did not feel confident that we were being listened to there, compared with the respect we got at WGH.

We think, as your editorial pointed out, that the hospital should more widely promote their positive achievements. And we believe the administration, including Commissioner Georgia Gardner, should be encouraged in their efforts to make Whidbey General a hospital well matched to the future of our community.

Catherine Ballay

Coupeville