I agree with Jim, I don’t see any problem with a guest column by a Councilmember giving praise to our local hospital and writing about her positive experience. In fact, I kind of like reading good news once in a while since both the MSM and blogs seem to often report bad news more often.

Personally, I would avoid any hospital if at all possible, by diet and exercise and other means within my control. Hospitals kill more people than smoking, car accidents, and guns combined, through avoidable medical mistakes. Highline Hospital nearly killed my father on three seperate occasions, by medical mistakes, even though he had served as Chariman of the Board of Directors at Highline for many years. But that is just a symptom of the profit motive driving our health care system, not a flaw particular to Highline. Even if Highline is one of the best hospitals in the country, they are still causing unnecessary harm and death to hundreds of patients every year. The worst part is that there is no way in sight to talk about it or solve the problem.

Keene is expressing her own experience and her own bias. Even if she is wrong about how great Highline is, she isn’t wrong to express her views in a public forum–unless they paid her or promised special care in return for the endorsement, and there is no reason to suspect that from the article she’s written. I have publicly criticized Burien City Council for many things, but she hasn’t done anything inappropriate here.

Under BarryBamaCare we will have more choices so we should start comparing costs and services. For example there is an interesting piece in today’s Seattle Times.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009716402_grouphealth23m.html
Does Group Health hold answers in health-care debate?

Apparently Kathy wants to tell us about her experience at Highline Medicare Center so maybe she will tell us how much her new shoulders cost?