I am writing in response to a column by Douglas Rooks about larger hospitals buying smaller hospitals  (Oct. 21).

Health care is complicated enough without muddying the waters with misplaced facts. Without counting Veterans Administration, psychiatric and rehab hospitals, New Hampshire has 29 hospitals, 13 of which are critical access. In Maine there are 36 hospitals with 17 registered as critical access — about the same percentage as in New Hampshire.

The point is that Maine hospitals and Maine legislators have some very special challenges. We have one hospital for every 930 square miles and New Hampshire has one for every 320 square miles. Within 20 miles of Lewiston there is a choice of at least seven hospitals. Within 50 miles of the two hospitals in Washington County there is no choice and Rooks characterizes those two hospitals as non-acute care hospitals.

It is time that we recognize the special challenges of our beautiful state that is equal in size to all of the rest of New England and figure out just what is important without belittling the role of critical access hospitals or ignoring the facts of simple geography. Also, Rooks must understand that if he has chest pain or serious injuries, he has many choices; I have one and that, without that choice, I have an hour and 20 minute drive in good weather.

The debate in Brunswick is to be encouraged, but don’t take the meat ax to Maine hospitals without understanding the metrics that drive health care costs.

By the way, all 36 hospitals in Maine provide acute care, life-saving services.

Douglas Jones, Machias, CEO, Down East Community Hospital