Letter to Editor | I’ve lost my doctor on Orcas

||| FROM ANJI RINGZIN |||

I want to share my concern about the recent ‘letting go” of Dr. Jennifer Simpson-Manske from Island Primary Care – Orcas — and to invite others in our community who feel the same way to speak up.

My granddaughter and I were so happy that we had  found Dr. Simpson-Manske – she listened carefully, cared for patients of all ages, and felt like a genuine part of island life. She was exactly the kind of doctor our small, rural community needs and deserves.

Access to quality, consistent primary care is already one of the great challenges of living on Orcas Island. Losing an experienced, beloved physician makes that challenge even harder for all of us — especially for elders (like me)  and families who depend on stable, ongoing care relationships.

I urge the Orcas Island Health Care District Board and Island Health to review this decision and to hear what their community has to say. If others share this concern, I encourage you to contact the Health Care District Board at orcashealth.org and make your voices heard!

Our community’s health depends on the people who care for us. Dr. Simpson-Manske was one of them.