Tobacco Initiative and Patient Care
Re “Hospital’s Tab for Tobacco Initiative Tops $500,000,” July 28.
Once again, Community Memorial Hospital Executive Director Michael Bakst has made it into the newspaper.
He has spent $520,000 (so far) to get the tobacco initiative passed, just so he can save Ventura County residents from the county Board of Supervisors.
As a side benefit, he offers to bring better health care to county residents.
So far, between two initiatives, he has spent almost $2 million. I wonder: If he had spent this money on people who need health care, would any deaths have been prevented?
Or had he spent this money on salaries for the nurses, doctors and staff at Community Memorial Hospital, would patient care have improved?
I only wish Bakst were responsible to the voters of Ventura County, instead of to a board of directors that only cares about the bottom line: money.
ROBERT FRY
Ventura
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