Dear Editor:

“At St. Andrews Hospital, we serve a close-knit coastal community of small towns and islands through our 25-bed critical access facility in Boothbay Harbor where we are committed to provide comprehensive healthcare for residents and visitors. While primary care is our focus, we also provide those specialized services best delivered close to home. When care is needed off the peninsula, we expedite that process and then, as recovery begins, provide compassionate personal care that welcomes the returning patient home.”

Doesn’t that sound wonderful? It is a paraphrased statement from the website of Mt. Desert Island Hospital, but it speaks to why so many are broken-hearted by what has happened here. It was so perfect for so many years. Can we make it so again? We are told no.

The word on the street is that recently, an assisted living resident of the Village (a long-time volunteer at St. Andrews Hospital) fell and hit her head. She was taken by ambulance to the ER at St. Andrews where some tests were done and then she was told that they wanted to admit her for observation.

She was further told that she would have to go to Miles because they could not take her at St. Andrews. She raised such a fuss that they sent her back to the Village to her own bed. Now, I am sure that there is more to the story than what I have been told but it does raise the question of whether there are, in fact, any beds available at St. Andrews during this time (until October 1) or are they just running a shadow ER to keep the natives quiet?

Margaret Perritt
Boothbay Harbor