Community Corner

Comments of the Week

Parcel tax for Doctors Hospital, Relay for Life fundraiser stoke readers.

News of a to sustain Doctors Medical Center and coverage of the piqued the attention of readers. Below is a small sample of reactions.

Sarah Creeley said she will vote for the parcel tax:"I will definitely support this parcel tax. Doctor's Medical Center helps so many people.  After I had breast cancer removed and needed radiation, Kaiser,(my provider), sent me to the Cancer Center at Doctor's for my radiation treatments. The people there are great! Not having Doctor's Medical Center would create a hardship for many people who need healthcare."

Toni Leance took the opposite view: "Doctor's hospital is the last place I would want to go for ER care. The residents of Hercules can not afford another cent on any parcel tax. Our home prices are way down, we are underwater and taxing property owners is not the solution. The hospital will have to find another way out of it's financial mess not on the backs of over taxed homeowners."

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Giorgio C wanted to know why Kaiser doesn't contribute more to Doctors and asked if the facility should be run by the county:  "Why am I a Kaiser member if Kaiser cannot help me during my greatest moment of need? We all end up at DMC, so i am also surprised DMC is not receiving more funding from Kaiser if you are treating their patients. What is DMC doing to attract current Kaiser members? I would be willing to consider dumping Kaiser and switching to another HMO or PPO if the preventative services at DMC are satisfactory. Perhaps the County should be playing a greater role in this issue. Should this be a county hospital?"

Our hit home for some readers.

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

CeCelia wrote: "Even though we're called 'survivors' the cancer battle's never really over and done with. It changes our lives as well as the lives of those who struggle with us. It puts a whole new spin on being really grateful to just be here. You see the world in new and unexpected ways - mostly for the better. The Relay For Life events keep the gruesome facts about cancer up front and personal - where it has to remain until that hoped for day when a cure is found. For all cancers, for all its victims, once and for all. One day at a time."

Susan Roberts-Stewart expressed: "Author Rob Shea put to words what so many of us felt / feel in our hearts about Relay for Life, the people participating, and the reason we do this. The event during the day was uplifting and had a light hearted spirit about it, but as the... sun goes down and the luminaria are lit, the reality of the cause strikes the heart hard. The image of those bags with all those written messages filled with love and sorrow tears at your sole. And yet some how, they all stay lit throughout the night and we keep on walking...Our Guardian Angels watch over us, giving us that ever so gentle nudge at the moment when we say "I can't take another step" but some how we do."


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