Those who attended Grace Cottage's second annual Roundtable, held on March 29, all listened, learned, and spoke in praise of the facility, while voicing concern about the future.

Many issues facing the Otis Health Care Center were discussed throughout the course of the evening. Administrator Al LaRochelle and Selectman Bill Eckhardt agreed that insufficient parking is a major problem for both the hospital and the town, and steps are being taken in an attempt to alleviate this situation. "The lack of parking is holding us back on our ability to provide more healthcare services for the community," said LaRochelle, who spoke about another of his pri- mary concerns, the current lack of funding in the healthcare arena. "We, as a society, have allowed our legislators to fund healthcare insufficiently. Costs are not covered, and long-term-care facilities like Heins Home and Stratton House are dragging us down. In addition to insufficient reimburse- ments, the additional rules and regulations that are being imposed all the time are increasing our oper- ating losses."

On a more positive note, LaRochelle asked atten- dees to compare the facility eight years ago to today's Grace Cottage. "In 1993, our annual revenues were $2 million and now we gross $10 million." East Putney resident John Nopper, who told attendees that his mother had been a day care patient at Stratton House, added, "You'd have to really work at it to give me a negative view of this place. Some of the happiest years of my mother's life were when she was here."

Attorney Lawrin Crispe, who moderated the Roundtable, capped off the evening by noting: "This hospital's wonderful and talented team has learned how to overcome obstacles. Grace Cottage is on very firm ground."

"We want to go from being good to being excellent!" replied the indefatigable Dr. Robert Backus.