A little more than 20 years ago, my wife had breast cancer. Surgery, chemo infusions, and radiation were all done off-island and involved long hours of travel. The treatments worked and she was cancer free, but in addition to the health and recovery issues, the travel off-island was exhausting. Last November, she was diagnosed again with breast cancer.

Because of the previous cancer, radiation wasn’t an option so she elected to have a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Only this time,with the exception of the surgery, it was all handled locally at the new hospital. Instead of an all-day trip to the mainland, itwas a ten minute drive. When a hidden infection flared up and she landed in the emergency room and then spent six days in the hospital, she was able to do it locally. Family and friends could visit. Travel and overnight expenses were saved.

We now have an election for hospital district that has turned partisan with some folks concerned about “lost’’procedures that we never had! I would instead prefer to focus on what we do have and support candidates interested in a cooperative approach to working with the hospital rather than an adversarial one.

I’m voting for Jenny Ledford and Michelle Loftus because I feel that they will work with the PeaceHealth to keep the incredible level of care that has been built.

Greg Hertel

San Juan Island