Letter: Specify AGH when booking services

Discussion

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July 27, 2012

Letter: Specify AGH when booking services

Anonymous Gloucester Daily Times The Gloucester Daily Times Fri Jul 27, 2012, 11:06 PM EDT

To the editor:

“Ask and you shall receive.”

It is as simple as that. It is how the ordinary person on Cape Ann can support and keep open the Addison Gilbert Hospital.

Appointments for several types of day surgeries and specia

list doctors are provided on a regular basis at Addison Gilbert Hospital. These appointments are arranged by an outside scheduling agency, not Beverly Hospital. Addison Gilbert Hospital and Beverly Hospital are under one management, Leahy, which has hired this agency for this service.

So, when you doctor tells you to schedule a special appointment, you must ask “Is that service provided at Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester?” That person will have to look it up and then says “Yes, on certain days during the month that doctor comes to Gloucester.”

The your answer must be, “That is where I want my appointment to be.”

Your answer is the power that the ordinary person has to support keeping Addison Gilbert Hospital open. You are the patient. You have the right to choose. Do it.

Cindy Donaldson, Peg O’Malley, and Beverly Quint should all be commended for informing the public about our community hospital. They all have the same goal and dedication of keeping Addison Gilbert Hospital open for the people on Cape Ann.

Although Addison Gilbert Hospital and Seacoast have assets worth millions, that is mainly in real estate value. The hospital is operating at a $1 million deficit, which is covered by the other hospitals managed by Leahy Health.

We can improve this situation by going to Addison Gilbert Hospital when possible, rather than thinking that those out-of-town are better. If the service is offered here, use it.

Some emergency care does need to be done in Beverly when time is important as their surgeons and surgical staff are there 24 hours daily, whereas it may take half an hour to bring in the necessary staff to Addison Gilbert. When minutes count, you may have to be transported to Beverly.

But under other conditions, remember to ask the scheduling agent “Is that offered

at Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester?”

Do it and use it.

JOANNE N. WILE

Highland Street, Rockport