Letters for July 27, 2024

All deserve brighter, healthier future

The recent announcement of the planned closure of Sacred Heart’s children’s psychiatric unit underscores the critical impact of the ongoing health care professional shortage in Spokane County. Designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area, Spokane faces significant deficits in providers, especially in psychiatry and nursing, affecting access to essential care.

Over the last decade, our community providers have stepped up to support new access to behavioral health services. Dedicated response teams provide rapid, on-site support during crises, reducing the strain on emergency departments. Wraparound programs offer comprehensive, individualized support to children and families. These efforts are reducing the number of mental health crises requiring emergency care. We must continue building on these successes.

The vision for the future involves creating a family-centered treatment environment for behavioral health care. Inspired by models like Rising Strong, which provides comprehensive family treatment when an adult has a high level of need, we must envision a similar approach for children where the entire family can receive care.

Imagine a community where families facing these challenges find a sanctuary that supports their journey together. For instance, a local family with a child struggling with severe depression found that traditional outpatient care wasn’t enough. Through a family-centered program, all family members received the support they needed. This holistic approach helped the child recover and also strengthened the family’s bonds.

Together, we can build a community where every child and family have the support they need to thrive, ensuring a brighter and healthier future for all.

Andrew Hill

Spokane

Please fix your damaged cars

There is a new collision shop in Spokane. Actually, it’s been around for several years. We see its handiwork every day. It’s called “duct tape repair.”

If you are a daily driver, you sight duct tape repairs all over the city. Cars with fenders or bumpers duct taped to the car. Of course, some simply drive around with no bumpers or fenders. For convenience, they simply leave them by the side of the road. Have a broken side window? Just duct tape clear plastic to the car or door frame. Have a crack or spider web in your windshield? Ignore it.

Who are these people and why does the city allow it? I suggest that they do not have insurance. In 66 years of licensed driving, the few accidents I have had were repaired by insurance companies. I once was stopped because a headlight was not working. It was fixed in one day.

While working and living in Ireland and Great Britain, I had to have an updated inspection decal and insurance decal on the windshield. Cars such as we see every day here would never be allowed on the road in those countries and other countries in Europe.

Sadly, we look like a third-world country.

Bernie Korth

Spokane

Rapp believes in serving community

Every year we honor people and groups, sometimes for a day and other times for a month.

We recently honored men and women who sacrificed their lives on Memorial Day. The honor of service made by our veterans should be made more than once a year.

Letter carriers in the state of Washington recognized one carrier each year. This recognition is intended to honor one person who gives their time and talent both on and off the job. I urge you to give of your time and talent.

My husband, Mike Rapp, was honored this year by the Washington State Association of Letter Carriers.

His accomplishments include donating 25 gallons of blood, serving in various functions in the National Association of Letter Carriers, and serving as a Boy Scout leader for several years.

He is an Air Force veteran, serving for four years. He retired after 30 years as a letter carrier and remains active as a retiree.

He believes everyone should find some way of serving their community.

In addition to a grown son and daughter, he is proud to say that once his father introduced him as a “good union man.”

Mary Ann Rapp

Spokane