Dear Editor,
The Freestone Medical Center is a true blessing for all of us. It provides excellent medical services for one and all. As a reminder of its importance, we offer these statistics: annual usage includes 1,125 patient visits, 375 actual admissions, 8,760 emergency room visits, 21,000 clinic visits, 12,400 radiology visits and 10,600 laboratory visits. Those are impressive numbers, however on a more personal note, we chose to retire in Fairfield because of the excellent medical facilities. In a similar vein, we have many friends who are alive today because of the emergency room care which they received at the Freestone Medical Center.
The Fairfield Hospital District Board has been very forthright and transparent in their planning and communication with the public. They have a vision and goals for FMC. They developed the plans to achieve these goals and very carefully laid them out to the public for their inspection and comment. The public, after two hearings, overwhelmingly voted in favor (86%) of allowing the Board to press forward with their plans.
It is my understanding that there is a movement underway to derail these plans by way of a recall election. While not wishing to deprive anyone of their rights, it seems to us to be somewhat inappropriate to try to disrupt the plans after they have been approved by such a vast majority.
We, you and I, need the Freestone Medical Center and its services to protect our lives, protect our community and quite frankly, promote the growth and economy of Freestone County. Let’s not impede the plans and progress of this program which has been carefully crafted with citizens’ input and initiated with their approval.
Dick & Claudette White
Fairfield, Texas
