Save our hospital with vote for Heuschel

Published 12:37 pm Friday, October 21, 2011

Valley Medical Center is at a turning point. There are those who would change the hospital’s status from public to private. And there are those who would cancel its new alliance with UW Medical.

Mary Alice Heuschel is running for the vacant seat on the hospital commission. She is strongly committed to keeping the hospital’s public status and implementing the alliance with UW to its full potential. Look for Mary Alice on your ballot under “Public Hospital No. 1.”

Mary Alice as the Superintendent of Schools in Renton. This year, she was selected as the Superintendent of the Year in Washington for her work in that position, and was further recognized as one of the top four superintendents in the entire USA.

She will bring tremendous skills to the position of hospital commissioner, including personnel skills, cost control and managing large budgets. Collectively, these executive management skills are the essence of the position. Medical skills are not needed, and in fact could be construed as a conflict of interest.

Mary Alice is dedicated to education, but believes there must be a strong link between education and health if we are to achieve the best of both worlds. She is the only candidate who can establish that link.

Jean Garber, Newcastle

Garber is a former Newcastle councilmember and mayor