I have been keeping track of Sutter Lakeside Hospital's quest to acquire Critical Access Hospital status. They can't help it, they are hemorrhaging money and must cut back on beds, orthopedic services – you name it, it needs to be reduced. Especially if its an essential service.

Plenty of money for landscaping. Plenty of money for yoga studios, no need for cardiac rehab. No need for many more beds than the planned domestic violence shelter. Its all good folks, forget your maladies and just say Ooohhmmmmm. Just because we have a high senior population, who needs an orthopedic surgeon? Had the bad judgment to pick the wrong parents and have heart disease that isn't diet-related – just assume the lotus position.

Then, in today's mail, came the glossy paper full color SLH Your Health wellness magazine. And this saves money how? If you're trying to promote wellness you just failed as the back page made me feel very ill. Looking forward to that Celebrity Red Carpet event – too bad so sad. It is being replaced by the Howard Hughes Hollywood Hanger Bash. Seriously. Not kidding. Got it right here, not even in black and white, like I said, full color glossy.

Just when I thought this entire matter could not possibly get more absurd – well, kudos Ms. Mather, the Board of Directors at Sutter and corporate headquarters – you've named your affair after a man that brings to mind serious mental illness and physical disorders. Perhaps you've really nailed this whole issue of CAH and the community right on the head by emulating such a seriously deranged individual. Oh, that's right, he was rich so he was eccentric, not bark-at-the-moon crazy. Community based, not for profit. Not for meeting the needs of the community that you allegedly serve either.

I'm trying to laugh at the absurdity of it all, I'm just not finding any of this to be funny.

Donna Christopher lives in Lucerne.

{mos_sb_discuss:4}