To the Editor:

Everyone who lives in our community should be asking, “Why in the world would a Lewiston hospital want to take over a Brunswick hospital?”

We can be sure it’s not because the Lewiston institution cares about the people of our community.

So I find it quite astounding that Central Maine Medical Center wants to come in and take over Brunswick’s Parkview Medical Center and then, in their commentary, suggest that such a takeover is no big deal.

Not so fast. It is a big deal and it has huge implications for every resident and business in our Mid-coast community.

To transfer ownership to an entity from outside our county will mean that people seeking care will travel — sometimes by ambulance or helicopter — to Lewiston to be treated.

Does traveling make sense when we already have an excellent local provider here in Brunswick? Mid Coast Hospital has received the designation as one of Maine’s very best community hospitals. So we need to evaluate whether the cost to put someone on a helicopter and fly them to Lewiston for care makes sense, especially at a time when we need to reverse the trend of the rising cost of health care.

Is there a need for this takeover? Does Brunswick need a Lewiston-based organization to take some of our friends and neighbors away for their health care? Does Parkview need to be part of another organization in order to survive?

Our community should consider the offer that Mid Coast Hospital is making — to partner with Parkview, retain the jobs that are part of this organization, consolidate services, and focus on keeping our friends and family members healthy instead of only treating us when we become sick or injured.

Hope Haug
Brunswick