I moved to Santa Barbara in 1976 and have been a longtime user of the Westside Clinic, the Eastside Family Dental Clinic, and, earlier on, the Isla Vista Clinic. During my years of transitioning from middle age to senior status, I have been blessed to have top quality care from these neighborhood institutions. For some years now I have been a patient of Susan Lawton, lead physician at Westside Clinic. In my long life I have known many medical doctors, including an uncle, a cousin, two nieces, and two nephews, and Dr. Lawton ranks among the very best in knowledge, wisdom, and manner.
Let’s all get behind our clinics, our Santa Barbara “gems” as Dr. Lawton wrote. Many of us are willing and able to volunteer time and treasure to this urgent task. Put us to work! Our means may or may not be limited, but our eagerness to serve is not. Do we need a fundraiser, an endowment, an extravaganza, a delegation, a demonstration? All of these? None of these? What? Let us know out loud and right now.
Apparently, we’ve no time to waste.