To Whom it May Concern-
It is with great concern that I write this letter, as I just read of Dr. Andrew Jones’ termination from St. Mary’s Hospital and Clinics. I cannot speak to the details of this, but I certainly can say that Dr. Jones was a significant mentor to me, and a person that meant a lot to my family and I.
We lived and worked in Cottonwood between 2005 and 2012. I worked as a family doctor both in Cottonwood, Kamiah, and at the time also at the St. Mary’s Grangeville clinic.  Dr. Jones was one of my biggest influences there.  He not only taught me a lot about the practice of medicine, but also more about being a good person.  Dr. Jones has strong beliefs, and he stood up for them.  He also genuinely cares about his patients, and they always took priority over the administration.
In a day and age where doctors are often told what to do and how to practice by both administrators and patients, Dr. Jones didn’t tow that line.  He did things his own way, and his way was dictated by what the patient needed. I always admired him for this quality and I am sad to hear that his relationship with the hospital that he put his blood, sweat, and tears into is over.
Andy, if you read this, we have you in our thoughts, and I hope you are well.  To all of Dr. Jones’ patients out there, don’t worry a bit.  The St. Mary’s providers were always like a family and they take care of each other and their patients.
Jeremy Ostrander, M.D.
Regional Medical Officer
Department of State Foreign Service

Thank You Andy
We should thank Dr. Andy Jones for all the years he has provided excellent medical care to the people in our area. 
The primary concern of St. Mary’s Hospital should be to provide the best medical care possible to the people of our area. Getting rid of one of the most dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled doctors we’ve ever had because of an internal squabble is not the way to do that. I don’t know all the issues that St. Mary’s management had with Dr. Jones, but I believe they could have been dealt with in some less drastic manner than getting rid of him. St. Mary’s needs to get their priorities straight and resolve their internal problems in some fashion that doesn’t have such negative impacts to our communities and to their employees. 
Andy, thank you for your dedicated service. You will be missed in a big way by a whole lot of people.
Ron Grant

To whom it may concern:
Dr. Andy Jones, we thank you for your many years of caring for this community. We are appalled, saddened, and heartbroken over your dismissal.  This decision will affect our community and the surrounding area for years to come and quite frankly makes us very angry. 
Dr. Andy Jones came to Cottonwood decades ago to serve this community and the surrounding area with medical care. He has unselfishly given his time and abilities to care for people and helped build this hospital’s fine reputation. The loss of Dr. Jones leaves a gaping hole in our community. He has not only been a kind doctor, but also a kind person. His patients were treated with compassion and kindness, not just like a number. For him to be treated so cavalierly shows us that his patients were not a consideration and will suffer as a result of this action. Patients have spent years cultivating a trusting, caring relationship with Dr. Jones and have been cheated out of their choice for medical care.
Once again, thank you Andy for being the fine person you are. 
Jerry and Janet Richardson

Dear Editor
Apparently, Dr. Andy Jones has been fired from St. May's Hospital and Clinics. What a blow to the community. Surely whatever the problem was could have been worked out in some other fashion. I have heard a lot of Dr. stories from many people over the years but have never heard a bad word about Dr. Jones. It has always been praise. Years ago an older friend told me how Dr. Jones had stopped by her house just to check on her because he was concerned.  
Andy was my dad's doctor for many years. Dad was not easy to deal with as a patient but Dr. Jones earned his confidence. Dad had utmost faith in Andy and would listen and follow his instructions. I think he gave us several more years with Dad than we would have had if Andy were not the kind, caring, professional that he is.
Once Dad had an appointment with Dr. Jones in Kamiah. When he arrived the clinic was swamped with emergencies. Dad asked the receptionist to just reschedule him for later since his appointment was just a checkup and went home. Later that evening Dr.Jones stopped by Dad's on his way home from work. He thanked Dad for helping relieve the clinics jamb-up and gave Dad his checkup at home! When was the last time you heard of a Dr. making a house call? 
When it became obvious that Dad was near the end, Dr. Jones sat down with us and explained carefully what was happening and gave us our options. As he spoke, there were tears in his eyes. It was obvious that he really cared about Dad and us, his family. 
I hope this change will end up being a positive thing for him and he finds a new place to work where he can continue to help others as he has done for all his patients here.I know many people will be upset at losing him as their doctor. Thanks Andy. We wish you the best.
Lucky Brandt
Kooskia

Redneck Review!
No. 151 - 3/12/2018
Last week our review started with the old saying, let's "cut to the chase" folks! Meaning we are told "to get to the point without wasting time."  How about starting here with an equally old expression which suggests "getting serious" about "where the rubber meets the road!"One topic to get serious about is the basic cause of our huge national debt, traced to huge benefits exceeding the taxes needed to pay! Here is where "the rubber meets the road!"
And our inquiry so far has suggested that it boils down to a couple of basic tendencies in all of us!  First, that we are all somewhat willing to take things for nothing when offered, and second, we are naturally inclined to "do it our way" when faced with major decisions.
No time will be spent here attempting proof that our United States today is deeply involved in the battle to limit government gifts, and grants, and programs which make it very easy for many of us to get something we are not prepared to pay for.  I will immediately confess that I was the beneficiary years ago of a National Science Foundation grant program which paid me well to get a fifth year of math education at San Jose State College during the school year 1964-1965, and a four year similar math program sponsored by the same NSF which resulted in my receiving a master's degree in math at Reed College in Portland during the summers of 1964, '65, '66' and '68. The monthly stipend I received, tax free, was greater than my teaching pay check at the time, was definitely something beyond my ability to pay for at the time, and certainly did improve math classes taught by me over the following decades!
So... not questioning the positive results that came from the program, provided for teachers all across America at the time, nor to question the hundreds of other government programs which have been and are available at every level of society.  Who has not benefitted from a government program of some kind?  Even hard-rock conservative Idaho receives much more in government programs than the people of the state pay in taxes! 
The point is, that the human tendency to accept more than we give is a root cause of the huge debt accumulated by our government, and one which will continue to grow until it all comes down like a house of cards....unless...our national citizenry begins to understand the cause, and collectively decides to do something about it!  Does that not mean that a majority of us must choose to pay our own way, and refuse benefits we are not paying for? Can it happen?
But of even more concern should be the growing number of random killings around our nation, the venomous hatred spewing from people seemingly everywhere, the growing intolerance of people with differences of opinion, the ridicule springing up ever where aimed at our current constitutionally elected president, the hatred of religion, etc., etc.  Is this not an obvious result of the growing attitude found around us today, each of us wanting to "do it my way?" How about the growing number of radicals here willing  to kill any who resist their religion? Is this not one example? How else can you explain the growth of atheism in our country, or even the rampant explosion of secularism here as well, defined as "a system that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship." Even the growth of different protestant religions from some 3000 in the mid 1990's to 25,000 or more today suggests a growing desire to "do it my way!"  And the New Age movement around today in its simplest form comes close to preaching that each of us can be our own god, and choose our own morality!  Does it not suggest that "Do it my way" is the real problem?  Again we ask a second time, is there any solution?
Jake Wren

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