The editorial "Pulling the Plug" (Oct. 19) regarding the closure of UPMC Braddock hospital raises many questions. A major one is: What efforts did UPMC make to increase usage when this hospital's numbers began to decline?

A second one is: What portion of UPMC's millions of marketing dollars were spent on finding the approach needed to restore previous levels of use at the Braddock hospital? Its all-pervasive advertising campaigns stress the importance of early diagnosis and UPMC's outstanding treatments for a host of illnesses. It appears that this death was of no consequence to UPMC!

Our elected officials and this area's major leadership in many fields can and should rise to the challenge UPMC has created by this choice. As Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato seeks to be our next governor, his ability to bring about the positive actions to overcome this decision will be a major indicator of his capacity for the effective leadership we sorely need.

LUCY HIXON
Oakland

Open new doors

With the announcement that UPMC Braddock is closing ("UPMC to Close Braddock Hospital," Oct. 17), the community mourns the loss of yet another important beacon of light in the Mon Valley. As pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Parish in Braddock and a resident of this fine community, my heart goes out to all the employees, volunteers and those who have been served by the hospital. Many of our parishioners have worked or volunteered at and have been part of UPMC Braddock for many years.

Good Shepherd Catholic Parish was formed 24 years ago with the merging of six ethnic churches because of loss of population in the area. In 2005, another ethnic parish, Sacred Heart in Braddock Hills, merged into the Good Shepherd family. With 1,900 families, we are a very active parish and operate a wonderful elementary school K-8, the only school in Braddock Borough. The parish has several volunteer organizations such as a St. Vincent de Paul Society, Women's Guild, Rosary Society, Ladies of Charity, Senior Citizens Group, Children's Bell Choir and Adult Choir.

Closing or merging schools, churches, hospitals or companies can be painful but fruitful. Over time it can develop into new beginnings and new relationships. We must be hopeful for the future. As one door closes, another one opens.

I'm confident that local government, businesses, clergy leaders and residents of the Braddock area can come together and move forward to revive this wonderful community. As UPMC Braddock prepares to close its doors, the people of the Braddock community can begin to open new doors.

REV. THOMAS J. BURKE
Pastor
Good Shepherd Catholic Parish
Braddock

Grateful for help

Hats off and a thousand "thank yous" to Pittsburgh Councilman Doug Shields for his assistance in solving a sewage nightmare in Hazelwood involving about six houses. I own and rent out a house in the affected area.

Others tried valiantly to help with this problem. Basements were filling with unmentionables. Noses were offended.

Enter Councilman Shields. He visited this "disaster" area, figuratively rolled up his sleeves, got on his cell phone and kicked some butt to get things moving (no pun intended). A few weeks later, during September, with some serious excavation by city employees, the problem was finally resolved after about two years of consternation.

Thank you, Councilman Shields, for your caring, input and demeanor. May you serve many more terms on City Council.

LAWRENCE PEARSON
Baldwin Borough

Premium confusion

Regarding the Oct. 12 letter "About Our Medicare": This is one of the reasons there is so much confusion in the general public regarding health care. I'm sure the letter writer got the same letter I got from our friends at Security Blue announcing a 46 percent increase in premiums for the period beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

The increase is in the cost of your insurance premium, for your HMO Advantage Plan, and not in the cost of Medicare.

This is the reason I am looking for a better plan for myself after Nov. 15.

ATTILIO NECCIAI
Charleroi

Vaccine facts

I have had a disturbing number of conversations in the last few weeks with people who have misconceptions about the new vaccine for the H1N1 pandemic influenza strain. Many otherwise intelligent people have the impression that the vaccine has been developed differently from the seasonal flu vaccine, and that it has not been properly tested. Both of these notions are false!

Don't just take my word for it. If you are at all concerned, you can read about the vaccine on reputable sites like that of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov). Please don't rely on hearsay for important health and disease information.

LAWRENCE P. KANE, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Immunology
University of PIttsburgh
Oakland

Reflects on us all

When someone gives you a compliment, you smile and say "thank you."

The Nobel committee paid our president a compliment, and perhaps the whole country, for a change in consciousness that has given us hope that a world without war, a world of peaceful co-existence, a world without nuclear weapons is possible. Let's all say thank you.

I think Barack Obama deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. I believe he is turning our attention toward peace and brotherhood and that whatever you put your attention on grows in your life. Let those ideals grow in our lives and start beating some swords into plowshares (and bridges and commuter rail lines and solar panels), no matter how hard the sword makers lobby against it.

If nothing else, you can at least be thankful for the $1.4 million that comes with the prize, which President Obama won't keep. Whether it goes to charity or into the general fund, we'll all benefit. And not a dime came out of your pockets.

Just say "thank you."

MARYLOU BROWN
Greensburg

Dumb decision

From the dumbing down of the public school systems in the United States and the American electorate to the dumbing down of Congress and the Pennsylvania General Assembly, we can now add the dumbing down of the Nobel Peace Prize committee.

GERARD D. PASQUERELL
Pleasant Hills

Birth centers help to lower care costs

The Senate Finance Committee passed a version of a health-care reform bill that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would reduce the federal deficit over 10 years.

This version of a health-care reform bill includes the "Medicaid Birth Center Reimbursement Act" (H.R. 2358 and S. 1423) that would mandate Medical Assistance to reimburse licensed birth centers. The CBO estimates that if the "Birth Center Act" were passed, it would save $47 million to the U.S. health-care system over 10 years (not including savings from fewer C-sections, which account for 45 percent of the $79 billion the United States spends on hospital charges for childbirth a year).

Pregnancy and childbirth account for 25 percent of all hospitalizations in the United States. Although 85 percent of women are considered healthy and low-risk for complications during pregnancy and childbirth, nearly all births in the United States occur in hospitals with doctors and are often treated with high-tech medical interventions, which add to unnecessary spending. (In Europe, midwives are principal attendants for 75 percent of all births.)

At the same time hospitals are using all of this technology for childbirth, the United States continues to experience some of the worst outcomes for infants and mothers among industrialized countries. Birth centers' outcomes statistics are consistently better than the national average and have the ability to contribute to significant cost savings. Effective health-care reform may not be as elusive as we think if we include and expand on existing models of high-quality, low-cost care within our current system.

CHRISTINE HAAS
Executive Director
The Midwife Center for Birth & Women's Health
Strip District

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