Is there a crisis in health care, especially with hospitals in the Eugene-Springfield area? We are inclined to think so based on recent needs for emergency services at PeaceHealth/RiverBend.
Waiting for seven hours to see a doctor for a condition deemed serious by a specialist, in an at-capacity waiting room throughout a long night, defies the concept of emergency when no other options were available to us, even with full insurance coverage.
Has our area outgrown its capacity to serve its citizens’ health needs? Might a problem be that a higher number than average of new incoming residents are retirees, having more age-related medical requirements, thus growing the care-needing population? Or is it that hospitals and clinics are constrained under profit quotas that cause staffing shortages of qualified professionals?
Eugene-Springfield’s population has and will continue to grow. But not factored into the push to increase housing to accommodate that growth is a healthcare infrastructure. And by all accounts, it’s already hemorrhaging!
I am hoping that mayors, city managers and councilors take careful note of an unsafe situation, and begin prioritizing future steps that truly ensure our wellbeing and the livability of our cities, over and above bicycles and murals.
Richard and Christine Sundt
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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