Think about it, hospitals began as charitable refuges for the sick, especially the sick who were poor. Back when, hospitals were organized by religious and community organizations to share societal goals that would otherwise have been provided by the government. When you put this in proper perspective, hospitals represent a pluralistic approach to providing health care in our local community. That's quite a status!

Sure, progress and change has occurred over the many decades since hospitals in this area began serving us. So has medical knowledge and advanced skills. But the one thing that hasn't changed is our reliance on having the hospital open and ready every and any day of the year and at every hour, usually ungodly ones! That kind of access is part of what forms a lasting relationship with us and the hospital. And that relationship defines the hospital's role within our community.

Yes, we expect the hospital to be open every minute of the day, providing us the highest quality health care services and medicines. For this expectation, our three hospitals making up Southcoast Health, St. Luke's, Charlton Memorial and Tobey, also have a need to ask us to embrace community stewardship and give any amount contribution we can to ensure that they continue to be there for us 24/7.

As a not-for-profit system, these three hospitals are institutions that maintain the old, traditional values of compassion and charity, providing equal access to health care for the insured, the uninsured and the under insured. It's our shared responsibility to recognize our nonprofit, public hospitals by donating during the Fun 107 and WBSM Radiothon, and keeping them and our community healthy.

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