Specialist is special

With very little notice, the new owners of Deaconess Medical Center have decided to close the Movement Disorder Clinic in Liberty Lake (“Deaconess closing Parkinson’s clinic,” June 18). Now hundreds of people must look for another neurologist. The problem is, Dr. Anthony Santiago is not just “another neurologist.”

Treating Parkinson’s disease is experimenting with medications until the right combination is achieved. It isn’t one size fits all. It’s work.

In the past, my husband, who has Parkinson’s, and I have had many bad experiences. Some doctors don’t want to get involved with that much work. Mostly there were problems of over-medicating, which takes weeks to recover from. Some experiences were actually horrifying.

We were so lucky to find Dr. Santiago. He is brilliant. To say he is kind and caring is an understatement. He is willing to treat the individual. On our first meeting, he told my husband, “We won’t win the battle, but I will make the road straighter for you.” That is what he does.

We need to have a Parkinson’s specialist in this area. We want Deaconess to reconsider this bad decision. There are so many patients who need Dr. Santiago and deserve to have their lives made easier.

Osa Mallory

Coeur d’Alene