Who would think that a postage stamp hardly larger than a square inch would give voice and personality to letters. One of the newest releases from the post office is a “Thank You” stamp with a purpose.
The medically related symbols depicted in this stamp in the fashion of a code spell “Thank You.” Imagine a microscope as a K and a cadeuses as a T. This creative artwork impresses me so much that I miss the point, which is to recognize the medical community with gratitude.
The “Caring Hands” remind us of all doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, lab technicians, x-ray technicians, nutritionists and engineers and maintenance.
This stamp resonates especially in our community because our own healthcare workers are providing our excellent healthcare. These healthcare workers, our friends, family and neighbors, work directly with patients to comfort, satisfy and ultimately cure. Direct patient care is something board members cannot and do not perform.
The post office honors healthcare in our community but it is something that the community has failed to do. The community has ignored healthcare workers while taking them for granted.
I am thinking about the big block “H” depicted in the stamp representing the H in thank you is our own hospital.
The Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital Board has taken healthcare workers for granted and ignored what their own healthcare workers wanted. Doctors and nurses did not want to sell the hospital.
Instead the board gave them a very deaf ear.
Selling the hospital may or may not provide the healthcare that we already have. Our healthcare workers work for our community. Upon a sale, “ours” will no longer be our healthcare workers. They will be “their” workers. New ownership possesses new and different ideas. New ownership works for new owners.
New owners will have different ideas and ideals. But it is never too late to thank our own healthcare workers and to thank the post office for reminding us of how lucky we were to have had our own hospital.
Mary Zanger
Hollister
