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The Gazette's Sept. 9 article, ["State to review hospital plans"] on two different proposals for a hospital in upper Montgomery County fails to mention that there are already medical services in Germantown, including the Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center, a facility residents like myself fought hard for and do not want to lose.

In fact, Adventist HealthCare partnered with upcounty residents to expand access to health care in a rapidly growing area. The result of this careful planning and collaboration was the emergency center, which opened in 2006 and has since provided crucial health care services.

Adventist's community commitment and foresight in recognizing the health care needs in upper Montgomery County is also evident in its proposal for a hospital in Clarksburg. As a long-time resident of Montgomery County, I am well aware of both proposals and truly believe that Adventist's plan to expand the current medical services in Germantown while developing the future Clarksburg medical campus offers the best option to meet our health care needs and strengthen the safety net for the underserved throughout upper Montgomery County.

Andre Encarnacion, Germantown