Editor,

Regarding Pat Wallace’s letter about difficulties at WhidbeyHealth (long emergency department wait times and delays in scheduling procedures), I would like to thank Pat for bringing these experiences to our attention. I’m a member of WhidbeyHealth’s Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), although in this letter I speak only for myself and not for the full council. The only way we can improve the patient experience is to know of frustrating or difficult experiences that our patients have had and then find ways to improve them.

In the two years since this council was convened by WhidbeyHealth, we on the PFAC have addressed several patient complaints or suggestions. The council has always found the WhidbeyHealth administration to be open to our input, to listen to patient concerns, and to develop and implement a plan to reduce areas of friction. I invite Pat or anyone else experiencing problems within the entire WhidbeyHealth system to contact us and work with us to address these problems. Find us on the WhidbeyHealth website at https://whidbeyhealth.org/about/patient-and-family-advisory-council/.

NANCY HEPP

Clinton