I attended a forum where St. Vincent Regional Medical Center representatives addressed questions about the role of Christus Health in services provided in Northern New Mexico. People raised concerns about how Catholic teachings fundamental to the philosophy of Christus would adversely affect reproductive health care services and end-of-life decisions.

When I raised concerns, I was insulted by a doctor on the board reminding me that this was not the '70s. She's right. The medical philosophy of Christus has not caught up to the '70s. Three doctors eloquently raised the same issues. I wish more Northern New Mexico physicians had the courage to speak out.

If St. Vincent-Christus fails to put promises in writing about continuing to provide full modern reproductive health care and honoring end-of-life decisions, norteños will not get the quality care we need and deserve.

Helen Laura López
Santa Fe


As one of Santa Fe's most important assets, we all rely upon St. Vincent being there for the health care of our loved ones and ourselves. As a mother, health care consultant, and member of this community who voluntarily serves on the hospital's board of directors, I am deeply committed to the health and well-being of Northern New Mexico.

After a lengthy and rigorous process of considering options for keeping St. Vincent viable, we decided to form a partnership with Christus Health, a nonprofit organization. This decision was approached out of great concern, knowing that community hospitals, particularly nonprofits, are a dying breed.

For St. Vincent to continue to meet the growing health care needs of Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico, capital is needed. The board of directors did not sit idly by, and I now believe our health system will not only survive but will thrive.

Kathy Armijo-Etre
Santa Fe


I am concerned about my community. As a retired physician, I have cared for patients in religious-affiliated and non-religious affiliated hospitals. The approach to decisions about treatment was the same in both. The arrangement between Christus and
St. Vincent is a watershed event that will raise the bar on quality and bring new resources to a region that needs them.

Any complications due to religious affiliation have been solved. Let's move on and be glad we are still a not-for-profit and better able to pursue excellence. As a member of the St. Vincent board of directors, I believe that delivering on our commitment to great care is the very responsibility that St. Vincent Regional is embracing with our decision to partner with Christus.

Cliff Vernick, M.D.
Santa Fe


Regarding "Don't distort faith in comments," José Villegas Sr.'s March 11 letter, which labels community concerns about the proposed merger of St. Vincent Regional Medical Center and Christus Health as "Catholic bashing":

We at National Organization for Women-New Mexico share the concerns of such organizations as the American Association of University Women-New Mexico, Compassion and Choices, the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (NARAL) and of many others (none of whom are "special interest" groups or "foreigners") about the merger. Never, in my 28 years in New Mexico have I known any member to criticize or bash the Catholic Church.

Pro-choice advocates are men and women who believe in truly democratic ideals encompassing all our views of reproductive health care and end-of-life decisions. These are private decisions that deserve respect. Those who might disagree with these ideals should never be forced to action on those choices.

St. Vincent's refusal to make public its contract with Christus — and just what it articulates — is highly disturbing, as was Mr. Villegas' letter.

Dana Middleton
Santa Fe NOW

Facility 'raids' needed
On Feb. 24 my mother had a hemorrhagic stroke. After being transported to University of New Mexico Hospital, where it was determined that surgery was not necessary, she was transported back to a "skilled nursing facility" in Santa Fe. My family was horrified at the way patients were treated at this facility and were in fear that my mother would suffer the same abuse as we saw other patients suffering.

After a second stroke at this facility, she was at St. Vincent for a few days, where she received the care that she needed. She is now at home where she is lovingly cared for. When will our states stop allowing other facilities to operate under such horrendous conditions? Why are inspections of those facilities scheduled, when they should be inspected without notification?

Cecilia E. Jaramillo
Santa Fe

Credit the interlock
Gov. Bill Richardson's remarks at a recent press conference regarding the reasons for the reductions in DWIs in our state omitted the Ignition Interlock Program.

We are one of two states in the United States with a mandatory interlock law for first-time DWI offenders. Dick Roth has worked tirelessly over the last 10 years to see his dream of saving lives in New Mexico through reducing drunk driving and raising community awareness of its dangers come to fruition. He has gained national and international acclaim for his innovative ideas that led to adoption of these laws, with the help of state Sens. Phil Griego, Kent Cravens and Ken Martínez. While I applaud all factors utilized to reduce drunken driving fatalities and crashes, to me the interlock is right up there on top. I know how much time he has spent at this because he's my husband, and he is supposed to be retired!

Karin Roth
Santa Fe

Willing wastrels
March 9 "My views" by Kim Sorvig and Ellen Cavalli had many well-reasoned arguments for opposing Tecton's plans to drill in the Galisteo Basin. I have to take issue with one of Ms. Cavalli's points, however.

She says, "Most of us who use oil and gas are unwilling participants in the petroleum economy." Santa Fe County is full of people, including many opposed to the drilling, who drive "vanity vehicles" well over the speed limit.

Oversized pickups, SUVs, and overpowered sedans are inherently wasteful. These drivers are not unwilling participants. They are embracing the wasteful burning of fossil fuels with gusto! Very few of us have any reason beside vanity for driving vehicles with anything larger than a four-cylinder engine. And observing the speed limit is the simplest thing all of us can do to conserve fuel.

David Kitts
Santa Fe

Preview our future
I commend you for Phaedra Haywood's excellent article on oil and gas drilling. More informative articles such as this one are necessary for all citizens of Santa Fe County to understand the complex issues of the split estate and the impacts of this industry on the Rocky Mountain West.

Oil and gas drilling requires enormous industrial infrastructure in addition to the wells. Here is a link, www.ogilviephoto.com/go/Oil/, to photos of this infrastructure at work in the northwest part of our state. How will Santa Fe County look with these plants and pipelines on our horizons?

Susan H. Bell
Santa Fe

Postal notes
Whose bright idea was it to close down stamp and package services at the Pojoaque Post Office? This post office serves a lot of people in the valley, as well as those going to and from Los Alamos. Does it make sense that for full postal services we have to waste expensive gas to drive to Española or Santa Fe? Ben Luján needs to bring us back our post office.

Edward Parone
Santa Fe


If you think that the competence level at our local post office has improved, wait until you read this:

I rent a box at the main post office. When I went to retrieve my mail on March 11, I discovered a yellow slip in my box — the post office's method of letting a box holder know that a package is waiting to be collected. After exchanging the yellow slip for the package, I discovered that it was a Christmas present from a friend who had mailed it on Dec. 14 from Carlsbad, Calif. It took three months to arrive and be placed in my box? Come on! A package mailed from a Third World backwater on the other side of the planet sent by slow boat would have arrived sooner than this gift mailed from Southern California. When will this deplorable incompetence cease?

Laura Ellerby
Santa Fe

Another of our 50 missing
Reporter Sue Vorenberg didn't check the facts before composing "Less sleep, more spunk" (March 8). She says we can curse Congress for making the one-hour time change, and yet it is she who should be cursed for stating that Arizona is the only state that does not observe this "custom." She conveniently forgot my birthplace, Hawaii, which joins Arizona to ignore the semi-annual time changes.

The same lackadaisical reporting occurred almost a year ago, pertinent to the addition of a second area code for New Mexico. Your paper erroneously reported then that New Mexico was the last state with a single area code. Wrong (again)! Hawaii has existed with a singular area code for its entire 50-plus year state history. To avoid reporting similar errors in the future, your writers should reveal that their facts are merely based upon the 48 "contiguous" States.

Scot J. Eastwood
Santa Fe