Editor,

With a patient’s alleged assault by an administrator, administration’s resistance to a prosecuting attorney’s subpoena and the commissioners’ lack of operational transparency, Whidbey General Hospital has been the subject of numerous local newspaper reports.

Another newsworthy issue is WGH’s being the only non-accredited hospital in the region. Although some of its programs are accredited, the hospital as a whole is not. “Accreditation is the self-assessment and external peer assessment process used by health care organizations to accurately assess their level of performance in relation to established standards and to implement ways to continuously improve.”

Accreditation is earned through organizations such as the Joint Commission and DNV GL. Each has a “gold standard” industry-proven basis for an objective evaluation and improvement process. The accreditation process is rigorous because continual improvement in quality and patient safety must be demonstrated.

Whidbey General Hospital is certified by CMS (Medicare) through the inspection and licensing procedures of the Washington State Department of Health. According to the Department of Health’s website, this licensing is based on a hospital’s providing care within minimum health and safety standards established by state law. If WGH chooses only the minimum standards to operate, do we really need a $50 million state-of-the-art wing?

WGH’s voluntary lack of accreditation, a standard of hospitals throughout the nation, is inexcusable. This situation is even noted on Consumer Report’s website. Because of the current hospital leadership’s aversion to public scrutiny and input there are only two ways island residents can receive more than minimum standards health care. The first is to leave the island via the bridge and the other is to leave on a ferry.

TOM LEAHY

Freeland