Poll: Re-engage with St. Joseph for hospital

A majority of respondents to an online Argus-Courier poll said that the Petaluma Health Care District should reopen negotiations with St. Joseph Health on a lease agreement for Petaluma Valley Hospital.

Here are some comments:

“It is time to go back to St. Joseph and work out the issues. St. Joseph has done a great job of running the hospital for Petaluma and should be encouraged. The secrecy that was maintained during negotiations keeps us from knowing the disagreements and have fueled rumors.”

“Many people depend on St. Joseph healthcare in Petaluma. Why can’t they agree on a plan to keep the hospital going and keep the good doctors here in this town?”

“Petaluma taxpayers do not want to take on the risk of subsidizing this hospital. Management agreements or leases just put the hospital in a sort of twilight zone. This hospital needs to belong to some entity that can use it as a piece of their overall corporate puzzle. Sorry, Healthcare District, but you aren’t doing much good.”

“St. Joseph has done a good job. Lets get a new board to run the hospital for the people of Petaluma.”

“They should sell hospital to St. Joseph and walk away. PHCD has blundered these negotiations from the beginning.”

“It would be nice to have a Kaiser Hospital here.”

“It should go private. Any private run hospital that is established in Petaluma should have a community oversight board.”

“Just get it done with St Joseph and take political posturing out of the mix.”