Thank you, Melissa Youssef and colleagues, for initiating a petition to improve health care in Durango at Centura Medical Center.
I have, in fact, stopped referring to our regional hospital as “Mercy Medical Center” as it seems a far cry from the original intent of the Sisters of Mercy; Centura is, indeed, big-box medicine. The revolving door at Centura is disturbing and is the cause for many to seek care in Denver or Albuquerque to mention a few of the far-flung hospitals Durango residents end up by choice or referral.
I have been bounced four times from one PCP to another in the Centura network over the last four years. Animas Surgical Hospital has become the hospital of choice for all my health care, and I resist the sometimes inevitable referral to Centura. While fully acknowledging the collapse of health care in the United States, we in Durango still need to advocate for a higher standard of care. Unfortunately, advocating for oneself has become foundational to receiving adequate health care in this richly sourced country.
Linda Barnes
Durango
