A note to praise our Vashon community, particularly the Vashon Health Center and our pharmacy. Our daughter Bria came home for Thanksgiving break from her senior year at college with a cough and fever and feeling really lousy.

Sunday morning we called the clinic, talked with a Franciscan nurse who did a good assessment on the phone and showed care and compassion as she spoke with Bria. The nurse contacted Dr. Gary Koch who was on call. We met him at the clinic soon after. Bria had pneumonia. We were so grateful there was a physician on call on a Sunday morning to see her. We headed to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. Bria was feeling pretty sick, waiting in the car.

When I walked up to the pharmacy, they let me know that Dr. Koch had called in the prescription already and it was waiting for us. I had forgotten my insurance card, and they gave me the prescriptions with a request that I drop by with the card when it was convenient. I know these things are good medicine that we have come to get routinely on our island. We were grateful not to have to go off island — the discomfort and costs would have been far greater.

We are so grateful for our community of health care providers. Thank you Vashon Health Center and our pharmacy and the Franciscan nurse service. It is nice to see Highline/Franciscan working so well together for patient care that is patient-centered. We are fortunate.

— Gina Anderson