I believe that we are, indeed, very fortunate to have Mr. Wes Chesbro as our State Assemblyman for our District. Mr. Chesbro has a history of being supportive to, not only our rural hospital but, all rural hospitals in the State of California. As a State Senator in 2003, Chesbro authored Senate Bill 376 which allowed Direct Employment of Physicians by Certain District Hospitals in California. That landmark bill sunseted in 2006 and so, today in 2010, we still do not have legal employment of physicians by hospitals in California. As a State Assemblyman, Mr. Chesbro continue to support Physician Employment with his current bill, Assembly Bill 648. On Saturday, March 13 Assemblyman Chesbro and 2 aides stopped by our hospital for a briefing on our Healing Hospital program, as well as on issues of concern to rural hospitals. They then toured our hospital. Perhaps the 2 highlights of the tour, were a meeting between Mr. Chesbro and 1 of our Emergency Department Nurses, Anita West (pictured with Mr. Chesbro). Anita spoke about her recent experience as a nurse volunteering in earthquake stricken Haiti. Another highlight of the tour was a meeting between Mr. Chesbro and our Hospital robot, "Dr. Don." "Dr. Don" (named after 2 pioneers of medicine on the Mendocino Coast, Dr. Don Hahn and Dr. Don Thomas), allows Mendocino Coast District Hospital patients, when appropriate, to stay in their local hospital and to avoid a transfer to a larger hospital in Santa Rosa, San Francisco or elsewhere. We are very excited about "Dr. Don" and what he has meant to hospital care in our hospital.
