Dr. James Jones Letter

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 3071

Posted by: RStokes
[email protected]
334-790-1729
Date: Nov 01 2024 1:17 PM

DR. JAMES C. JONES

Dr. Jones served as Emergency Medicine Physician for 33 years

Dr. Jones now serves as Dean at ACOM

I am asking you to vote NO on local Amendment 1. I am James C. Jones, DO, FACEP, and I am joining with other local physician leaders like Dr. Walter Young and Dr. Donavon Wewers, along with former Southeast Health CEO Ron Owen, to ask you to support our community medical center with your NO vote.

As an emergency medicine physician at Southeast Health for 33 years, I may have provided care to you or a loved one.

I am grateful and proud that we have been able to provide our community with advanced medical, surgical, and sub-specialty care at Southeast Health. Southeast Health Medical Center is recognized as one of the most successful not-for-profit community hospitals in our state.

The excellent care provided by Southeast Health is made possible by the Houston County Health Care Authority (the Board of Southeast Health), who have provided cutting-edge resources and forwardthinking practices to ensure our community health needs are met. Voting NO on Amendment 1 ensures that our Board members can keep doing their job.

I have witnessed the Southeast Health Board in action over many years.

In addition to serving as medical director of the emergency department, I have served as president of the Southeast Health medical staff, and now dean of the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine – the academic division of Southeast Health. This Board has brought big-city medicine to Dothan, and they continue to focus on providing resources and services we need.

This is important, because none of us wants to drive hours away for the care we need or our loved ones need.

Just over ten years ago, this Board had the foresight and vision to create the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. This year, US News and World Report ranked our College #1 among all US medical schools for the most graduates practicing in primary care. Thanks to the Southeast Health Board’s vision and investment, many new young physicians are serving in Southeast Health medical center, network clinics, and other areas of the Wiregrass. This is great, because none of us wants to wait months for an appointment with a caring, expert physician.

This Board is focused on meeting the healthcare needs of our community. They put the needs of our citizens first, and this focus is supported by the 1982 Alabama Health Care Authorities Act. The Act supports our community’s strong, vibrant medical center, but this would be undermined and disrupted by Amendment 1.

Thank you for allowing me to share my personal views (on my own time and independent of Southeast Health) with you on this important topic.

Please let this Board keep doing their job. Keep politics out of healthcare by voting NO this November 5 th on Amendment 1.

James C. Jones, DO, FACEP

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