The public pulse “Context for a petition to improve health care at Mercy” appeared in the Herald on Oct. 23. This document was the product of many meetings with physicians who collectively have cared for patients in the Four Corners for decades.
We have watched as access to primary care and specialty care for our patients and neighbors has become increasingly difficult. All of us in health care share the same goals, especially during this pandemic. We want Mercy to be successful in this goal, and we respect the hardworking, dedicated staff working there.
However, it is telling that Mercy Regional Medical Center no longer exists. On the Centura website under Durango providers, you will see that the hospital has been renamed. It is now Mercy Hospital. This is a symbolic representation of the scaling back of services that is apparent to anyone trying to schedule a timely appointment. This trend began before the pandemic. We encourage community members to make their opinions known to Centura Health, they are the ones running Mercy Hospital.
The doctors who support this petition are: Joe Murphy, Bob Goodman, Buz Bricca, Cathy Winchester, Fred Ochsner, Gary Scott, Jack Cartier, Steve Lipnik, Mark Stern, Eugenia Miller, Mike Demos, Patrick Gerstenberger, Randy Jernigan, Richard Grossman, Ron Ritz, Steve Christensen, Vaughn Johnson, Rich Brown, Christopher Roach and Marjorie Cristol – all are MDs.
W. Donald Cooke, MD
Durango
