THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE NOTICE withdrawing its final determination to close “Sattley” Post Office on January 5th and “respectfully requests that this proceeding be dismissed,” has brought a lot of joy to Calpine residents. The exact reasoning may never be known yet Debbie and Ken McMasters led the charge with much community help. Postal clerk Ginny Butler’s appeal was evidently not allowed, as it never showed up on the Docket yet her letter gives great testimony and background. Post Office Operations /The Postal Regulatory Commission 901 New York Avenue NW, Ste 200 Washington DC 20268-0001 Dear Mr. Granholm, I have been employed at the Calpine/Sattley Post Office for more than 11 years, the last two as Officer in Charge. I have enjoyed working in my small community helping the residents with their postal needs. We are like an extended family looking out for each other, sharing at community events, and supporting each other when the need arises. The closure of the two post offices in Calpine and Sierraville is a concern to me as well as all the residents who rely on the consistent and dependable conveyance of their mail by the USPS. I have tried, without success, to find the justification for the closures. The question most frequently asked by USPS patrons is, “How are we going to get our mail?” We were first told our mail would be accessible through the Post Office in Sierraville, then Clio, then Portola, and now it is back to Clio. It seems as though not only are the residents uncertain about the future of rural communities’ mail, but the USPS is uncertain as well. My customers are very disappointed with the way the USPS has handled the proposed closure at both the Calpine and Sierraville offices. Residents feel their concerns are not important and have fallen on deaf ears; regardless of what the residents say, the USPS has already made its decision. Many of my customers are seniors and veterans and get the majority of their prescription medications by mail, some of which require a signature. The decision to close these offices could mean residents may be forced to drive up to 26 miles to get their prescriptions or other important packages.This poses many difficulties, especially for those living on a fixed income. Travel costs, time, and unsafe winter road conditions are only some of the problems. There are many days in winter when the road over Calpine summit is dangerous. Rural communities lack public transportation or a taxi service for residents who would find it difficult to drive to the nearest Post Office. During the community meeting in Calpine, USPS representatives stated that it is no more difficult to travel for mail than it is for shopping.This is an example of thoughtless bureaucrats who did not consider that residents in rural communities typically shop only once or twice a month for food and other staples. This is not a viable option for retrieving and sending mail. The residents in rural communities are the most loyal customers the Postal Service has.They shop online, pay and receive their bills by mail, and still like sending cards and letters the oldfashioned way. Local offices are important to all residents in rural America. It is not a convenience to have a Post Office accessible year-round. It is a necessity. Respectfully, Virginia Butler Due to personal reasons, which are outlined in a letter sent to his patients, Dr. Colin Kopes-Kerr will be leaving Eastern Plumas Health Care at the end of January. We are very sorry to see him go—he is loved by his patients and has made a significant difference in our community’s awareness of preventative health care. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Doctors at the Portola Clinic will soon have increased time to see clinic patients since the new emergency room hospitalist program will have ER doctors following patients throughout their hospital stay. Clinic physicians, freed from their hospital duties, will soon be offering evening and weekend hours at the Portola Clinic to better serve our community. Any of these physicians, as well as our Family Nurse Practitioners, will be happy to see Dr. Kopes-Kerr’s former patients. Patients looking for a new provider should look at the “Find a Provider” page of our website at www.ephc.org; it lists a short biography for each provider. And, EPHC encourages patients to ask questions about our various providers so they can find the best fit for their particular needs. Please call Tiffany Williams, Executive Assistant to the CEO, 832.6564 for more information or to have your questions answered. Thanks to our community members as we work to remain flexible and continue to provide top quality care through inevitable changes in our organization. We’re very sorry to see him go—he is loved by his patients and has been very involved in working to raise this community’s awareness of low cost health and illness prevention measures. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors. An Open Letter to My Patients: January 20, 2012 Dear Friends and Colleagues in Healing, I am saddened to have to announce that I will be leaving Portola at the end of January. It has been my pleasure to get to know you. I know this result is a big disappointment for us both. My work here has been a source of great satisfaction for me. The practices in both Portola and Graeagle have been the best practice situations I have worked in. The relationship with my patients has been warm, rich and varied. The staff who have supported me have been wonderful to work with and exceptionally diligent. I believe we have practiced very good medicine together. The pace has been just right, allowing enough time to get to know you. I admire the mutual commitment to doing the best we can with less, since we don’t have all the fancy medical technology or specialists. This place is wonderful. I have been fortunate to live in a wonderful house just a block away from the hospital. I have cherished being able to do most of my errands with just a brief walk to the store or the bank. Wherever I go, I see people I know. Every time I step outside, no matter where I am or what the season, I feel exhilaration with each breath of fresh air and every fresh vista. The most frequent questions I have had over the year have been “Do you like it here?” and “Are you going to stay?” I want every one to know that I have loved it here. That has nothing to do with my decision. It was my hope and wish that I would be able to make this my long-term home and that I would be able to slowly wind my way into retirement over the next ten years. The reason that I cannot is solely due to the economy and the limitations of California law on practices in settings like this. To make a long story short, while I think I am a good physician, I have been far less successful at business. With the crash of the economy, a huge loss on my home, and a marriage that did not work out, I am in the biggest financial hole of my career. Tom Hayes and I had both hoped that I would be able to develop a growing practice here with brighter prospects ahead, but this is not working out. As everyone knows, the California legislature and the Federal Medicare program have put a near stranglehold on small rural health care systems like ours. What most folks do not realize is that California law also prohibits hospitals from directly employing physicians, which compels a resort to independent contractor agreements lacking in standard benefits like any retirement benefits and paid time off. This makes a long-term practice in a declining economy extremely challenging. In my current situation, I can’t make it without these benefits. And as much as I’ve worked with Tom and the Eastern Plumas Health Care District, we’ve been unable to come up with any alternatives that solve the problem. Due to these restraints I am leaving at the end of the month. I will miss you all and this special place very much. I have been very blessed to have shared this last year with you. You won’t be left without a caring and highly competent provider, however. Mary Morrison, FNP, will be increasing her hours and days in the Graeagle Medical Clinic beginning in February. Morrison is a long term Plumas County resident whose family history with Portola hospitals goes back generations. Mary has served as an RN and then an FNP for forty years. And, there are a number of fine providers available to serve you at the Portola Clinic, as well. Sincerely, Colin Kopes-Kerr, MD

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