As a patient, I try to support our hospital by getting my care locally.  I recently received excellent care at RMCH {Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital].  I underwent three surgical procedures from mid-July through mid-October. I felt fortunate to be able to receive care by highly qualified docs and caring nurses. Everyone was pleasant, courteous, and professional.

But I have to say I was a bit hesitant knowing about the turmoil within the organization, seemingly random and reckless retaliatory firings, and ignored safety concerns resulting in the departure of experienced nurses. Most of the nurses caring for me were new graduates.

I want to thank the Board of Trustees of RMCH for...

Dear Editor,

Is a community viable if it does not have a hospital? Sadly, for Gallup and McKinley County, this question, while rhetorical (the answer is clearly “no”), is not hypothetical. RMCH currently has no OBGYN and no neurologist on staff. (It’s been without an OBGYN for at least a month and without a neurologist for perhaps a year.) Is a hospital a hospital if it cannot provide care in all basic/major medical areas? Is a health care system a health care system if it is made up of LOCUM/traveling providers who are only available on an erratic and unreliable schedule?

Can a community retain and attract workers, families, retirees, and businesses if it is known as having an...

Editor,

Every day is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Even more so in the “Indian Capital of the World” where the Gallup City Council acknowledged the historical contributions of the First Nations who call “Turtle Island” home and met the challenge of celebrating the correct history of this misguided federal holiday.

On September 27, 2016, the Gallup City Council passed Resolution/Proclamation R2016–40, declaring the second Monday of October as “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” into perpetuity.  On October 17, 2017 the McKinley County Commission also approved Resolution/Proclamation No. OCT‑17–085 designating the Second Monday in October of each year as “Indigenous...

As the Navajo Nation recovers from COVID-19, we must ask ourselves a simple question: how do we make sure everyone benefits from the recovery?

Home care workers provide essential services to older adults and people with disabilities. Yet, they struggle to earn a living – a result of longstanding inequities of women and persons of color. Caregivers are not just an important part of Arizona’s aging population. Without caregivers, much of the rest of the economy would not even function. Arizona is also an aging state as we all know – like other states, the 65+ population increased by 51 percent between 2008-2018.

And nationwide, in the decade from 2018 to 2028, all our states will...