I read in the Oct. 6 Free Lance, that Hazel Hawkins Hospital
will try to come to a solution regarding proposed landing fees by
Calstar air ambulance if Calstar doesn’t give a discount to
hospital employees.
Editor
I read in the Oct. 6 Free Lance, that Hazel Hawkins Hospital will try to come to a solution regarding proposed landing fees by Calstar air ambulance if Calstar doesn’t give a discount to hospital employees.
About 56,000 San Benito County residents could lose the benefit of Calstar at Hazel Hawkins Hospital for the sake of 300 hospital employees.
The hospital is a community facility and the helipad was installed by the local Rotary Club for the benefit of the entire community. Calstar’s excellent membership program just lowered its membership dues by $10. Now everyone can afford $40 per person for an individual or $45 per family per year. The group membership remains at $25 per family per year for businesses or organizations of five or more, that’s a bargain at only 48 cents per month per family. The whole family can be covered, not just in Hollister by also by reciprocal air ambulance services if you are traveling.
There was a suggestion by the hospital administrator that if no agreement was made Calstar’s helicopter air ambulance service could land at Hollister Airport. There is no helipad there at present. A critically ill or injured patient would have to endure (and pay for) an ambulance ride from the hospital to the airport then transfer to the helicopter, wasting precious, critical time for the patient, and ambulance fees.
For the sake of this community, I hope the hospital comes to an agreement. Hospital employees along with the rest of the community are invited to join Calstar’s non-profit public benefit organization and pay nothing if they have to use their services. What a bargain!
Ron and Ruth Erickson, Hollister
