Letters to the Editor - The Lakeville Journal - 3-30-23

Thanks to Wolcott Hall Nursing

I have recently spent several weeks at Wolcott Hall Nursing Center in Torrington taking part in a short term rehab program.  I had never known about this facility which has been operating on Migeon Avenue for many years.

It was a good experience and I recommend this place for short term rehabilitation.  The staff was very experienced and helpful.  The food was good, too.

Sincerely,

Carolyn A McDonough
Canaan

Appeal to stay on point with affordable housing

Recent housing-related letters in these pages seem to reflect more on their authors’ need to screed than on the topic of affordability—which is the point of making it possible to balance an aging, often wealthy local population with younger families and workers who can fill gaping job vacancies and inject new life into our communities. Judging by the tone and content of these letters, I fear we often overlook the bigger picture. Affordability is more than just a low rent that a single-income blue-collar family can meet. It’s also child care near home or work that enables single parents to earn a living. (In many communities, often those most challenged to find housing are single moms escaping abuse.) Affordability is easy access to nutritious food, and walkability to stores and services that can free people from dependence on cars whose gas, insurance, maintenance, and tax costs break many budgets. Affordability is a working domestic appliance that reduces reliance on expensive laundromats. It’s energy-efficient heating in frosty winters. It’s having a quiet, dedicated space in the home where kids can study.

As we think about where to place homes that people can afford, let’s not neglect these and other contextual factors. Let’s encourage our few larger employers to invest in the modern equivalent of ‘worker’s cottages’ adjacent to their sites, and to provide transportation to employees who lack it. Let’s look into housing sites that could combine commerce with housing and public transport, so we can worry less about cars and their parking spaces. Let’s repurpose existing structures to support multi-generational family living. Above all, let’s think outside of the ordinary and set our sights high. Imagine how wonderful it would be if our towns could become shining models of thoughtful affordability planning that the rest of the country would emulate. And let’s stop bickering—please.

Rob Buccino

Salisbury

Acknowledging ‘Doctor’s Day’

In recognition of National Doctor’s Day, I want to acknowledge the tireless work of our Sharon Hospital doctors, as well as the community physicians who care for patients across our service area.

Here at Sharon Hospital, our physicians are integral to the five-star quality care we provide our patients. Our doctors lead our teams of caregivers as we serve patients in their times of need and guide them to good health. Our medical staff’s commitment to the health and wellness of our community is unmatched, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this team.

Over the past three years, we’ve seen this commitment in action as our healthcare providers have navigated a seemingly endless stream of challenges, stepping up to meet the moment and serve our community at every stage. There is nothing more powerful or inspiring than seeing the impact of our physicians on our tight-knit community.

I have been a physician practicing internal medicine, hospital medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine at Sharon Hospital for nearly 24 years. This National Doctors’ Day and every other day, I’m proud to call Sharon Hospital my home and to work alongside some of the most dedicated and caring professionals I know.

So on March 30, I ask that you join Sharon Hospital and Nuvance Health’s leadership team, Board of Directors, and staff in wishing our physicians a happy National Doctors’ Day and saying, “thank you for all that you do.”

Mark J. Marshall, DO, MA, FACP, FHM, FAAHPM
Sharon Hospital Vice President of Medical Affairs