I was not surprised to read (Renton Reporter, Feb. 10) that Judge Robert McBeth had resigned as parliamentarian for the Public Hospital District No. 1 Board of Commissioners over the efforts of three board members (Hemstad, Heide and Joos) to sabotage the new alliance between Valley Medical Center and UW Medicine.

I’ve been part of the community served by VMC for over 30 years now and see this alliance as a very logical next step in improving what has already become an outstanding medical institution, making excellent health care available to us local citizens.

Having served on the President’s Advisory Committee leading up to the affiliation with UW Medicine, I am very aware of the benefits this arrangement brings to us. I knew, based on what I observed at a number of board meetings, that commissioners Hemstad and Heide would oppose the affiliation.  My hope, even expectation, was that Dr. Joos would rise above the petty politics exhibited by those two and focus on what was truly in our best interest. This hope is beginning to rapidly fade away, as he appears to be going down their same path. It’s still possible that he will “see the light of day” and chart a different course.

In the meantime, the only thing any of us can do is voice our support for this very beneficial agreement and vociferously oppose the efforts of the board members in question to undermine it.

Jim Sullivan,

Renton