I am writing in response to “Tell us why we need a hospital” published on August 22. For residents in our community who haven’t visited Snoqualmie Valley Hospital recently, we are an entirely different and better organization than we were several years ago.

Just like the Snoqualmie Valley has changed and grown in the past decade, we have grown too. In fact, patient volumes have increased dramatically during the past few years to the point we are bursting at the seams.

Our mission is to “promote the health and well-being of people in our community by providing quality care in a collaborative environment.” We do this every day by providing round-the-clock hospital care, a fully functional, 24-hour emergency department staffed by physicians, an on-site pharmacy, lab, imaging, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services and endoscopy services. We also have four local clinics that provide a broad range of primary and specialty care services including pediatrics and women’s health.

We work closely with all of our regional hospital partners, including Swedish of Issaquah, to provide the full range of health care to our residents. The Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, in cooperation with our regional partners, serves different needs, different communities and provides distinct services to our respective patients.

We invite you to take a tour of the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital or visit our clinics to see for yourself the high level of service we provide to our community. We are proud to be here for you and to serve all of your health care needs.

Dick Jones, President

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District Commission