Frequently Asked Questions about CHOICES Isn't PeaceHealth's move to the edge of Springfield a "done deal"? Actually, no, contrary to all the PeaceHealth public relations propaganda, the plans for the Springfield campus have not even yet been submitted to the city.  In fact, conversations with PeaceHealth's planners indicate that even the desired location of the hospital on the 160-acre site continues to change.  Many, many more land use steps follow the master plan submittal.  In addition, recent issues surrounding the apparent inaccuracy of the floodplains mapping along the McKenzie River add even more uncertainty. Of course, the more PeaceHealth can characterize the move as a "done deal," the less people are inclined to get involved in community efforts to find a better site.  Nonetheless, we believe that residents in central, south, and west Eugene are entitled to accessible hospital facilities.  Our efforts are focusing on illustrating the needs of the community and the opportunities for some health care provider to fill those needs - if that entity turns out to be PeaceHealth, so much the better.  But it's also possible that McKenzie-Willamette, squeezed out by PeaceHealth's encroachment into its service area, or even some "outside" hospital, would step up to address the needs and desires of the community. How come you guys are so anti-PeaceHealth.  Doesn't the hospital need new facilities? We're not at all "anti-PeaceHealth."  In fact, we fully support the need for PeaceHealth (and McKenzie-Willamette, for that matter) to upgrade and expand its facilities.  Medical requirements have changed throughout the years, and citizens of the Eugene - Springfield community, the second largest metropolitan area in Oregon, deserve the best available hospital care, the best technology, and the best facilities.  Our concern is ensuring those opportunities are accessible for the entire community and ensuring healthy neighborhoods and natural areas are not destroyed by a siting process that did not even attempt to address the concerns of the public. Doesn't a "healing environment" require greenspace? No, in fact, it doesn't.  Many urban hospitals around the country manage to provide the highest quality health care without paving over suburban open spaces.  Indoor atriums can provide a much more accessible natural "healing environment" (as well as a respite for health care workers) within the facility.  In fact, many people, when taking a break from a family member's bedside vigil or awaiting test results or surgical outcome, would much prefer to be able to step outside into a thriving urban commercial district than to be isolated in the waiting room of a hospital separated from the community by a sea of parking lots and medical buildings. There aren't any suitable hospital sites in central Eugene anyway, are there? There are a number of suitable locations in the urban core, but CHOICES is committed to not advocating for any particular site.  Rather, our focus is on engaging the community in the discussion of the needs and opportunities and in the siting decisions for any large regional facility and major employer.  Such decisions should not be made by only the out-of-state governing boards of the business entity, because the criteria of the business are much narrower than the criteria of the community.  Involving a wide cross-section of the community in the decision making is much more likely to yield the best solution.