Montecito Couple Gives $3 Million to Cottage Hospital

That is very nice. I wish the Haseltons have been made aware of Nick' brain injury and can help with a solution for that young man's recovery. He needs a miracle.

Cottage Hospital just ranked HIGHER than statewide average for DEATH rates in four out of seven categories in a California State gov report!! The people of this community need an explanation, not a cover up.

http://www.oshpd.ca.gov/HID/Products/Pat...

Richard,

First of all, nice use of caps :). People DIE in HOSPITALS.

Some hospitals rank higher than average in certain categories. Some rank lower. That's how the "average" is calculated. You're comment is a perfect example of the finger pointing that has forced hospitals across the country to worry more about legal consequences than patient care. Could the aging population in Santa Barbara be the reason for some of those higher than average mortality rates? Is it reasonable to say that more people die here because they are transported long distances from all over the Central Coast and do not tolerate the trip well? Is it the prevalence horseback riding or the dangers of working on a ranch? Is Cottage to blame? Is it a combination of all of the above? What's more likely?

You said, "[T]his community needs an explanation". You're right. I challenge you to follow through and expose this "cover up". We could all benefit from someone digging a little deeper and exposing Cottage for what it really is. But, what if you discover that it's a decent hospital with caring, dedicated employees? There's no story there. Is there?

What a gracious and generous gift! What an ungracious response from Indy readers.

Thank you, Haseltons!

Their generosity reassures me that there still are people out there with a conscience. The "naysayers" above should be ashamed of themselves...probably haven't had a good thing to say about anyone or anything in years. Thank you, Mr and Mrs. Haselton.

Kwayne!! Look at you!! You are an epidemiological genius!!

So, according to you, the increase in death rates at Cottage Hospital could be due to increased horseback riding in the areas served by Cottage!! Brilliant!!

Next, perhaps you could enlighten us as to how increased horse back riding could cause increased in-hospital death rates in cases of acute stroke,, PTCA, craniotomy and, hugely, carotid endarterectomy!!

Now Kwane, go look at yourself in a mirror. What you see is either: 1. a moron, or, 2. an apologist who fails to understand that doctors are no longer the high priests of society who cannot be questioned.

In the 21st century in Santa Barbara, as in all other parts of the world, doctors and hospital administrators are technicians and managers who are obligated to treat their patients with dignity and respect and and not above the law.

And to the Haselton family, I say Bravo!! and thanks for your generous gift to the community.

To Richard,

Santa Barbara is an aging community. Older people have more strokes and require carotid endarterectomies more frequently than younger people. Horseback riding is more common on the Central Coast then in other areas of California. When people fall from a horse and hit their head, they may require a craniotomy to repair damage or relieve intracranial pressure. Falls from horses or from ATV's tipping over on ranch land are not uncommon in this area. These are just some possible explanations for the data you presented. These explanations do not absolve Cottage or the MD's that work at Cottage of the responsibility to provide quality care.

I do believe that Cottage is a good system, better in fact, than many health care organizations. I hope the $3 million donation helps Cottage to continue to grow and improve. Many thanks to the Haselton's.

What a wonderful gift. It should of course go toward increasing the quality of care at Cottage. We should not however lose sight of the fact that Cottage is a relatively small hospital in a small town. To expect the level of expertise that one could get at a metropolitan medical center or specialist facility would be silly. We're lucky that SB is such a wonderful place to live. We can actually get rather high level doctors to come here even though it is a small community/facility. 90,000 person towns in Kansas, Nebraska, etc. aren't so lucky. The reality of Cottage is that for most prosaic problems, Cottage will do the job well and most likely in a more friendly manner. (And it's always nice to have family nearby). But for serious issues most anyone that could would head to LA or Orange County.