Angels Camp, CA…Having just observed another Labor Day, I’ve been reflecting on the history of businesses like our family’s, Middleton’s Furniture and Appliances, and what I’ve learned about the importance of taking care of our customers and our employees. More than that, I’ve been thinking about how critical it is to the economic well-being of Calaveras County that we attract and keep business institutions that provide our rural communities with the services and the jobs we need.

The fact is, we’re all tied together, and depend on one another for our livelihood, our health, and our economic prosperity. There are plenty of examples of strong business operations in Calaveras County that deserve recognition for operating successfully in our corner of California. But one I want to point out is Mark Twain Medical Center in San Andreas, a pillar of our community which has steadily grown and developed into a provider of critical health care services that none of us should ever take for granted.

Due in part to its affiliation with Dignity Health, Mark Twain Medical Center has stood firm throughout the years and even now, in the face of significant uncertainty facing our nation’s health care system, continues to provide access to care for all of us, regardless of income or financial status. Personally, I know about the commitment of its physicians, nurses and staff. My daughter has been serving patients in the emergency department at MTMC for the last eight years.

Since being rescued from the financial brink in the late 1980’s, MTMC has stood out as a good example of a stable, caring, and compassionate institution in Calaveras County.

Thanks to MTMC’s exceptional business operations, the hospital has attracted many of the best and brightest physicians, specialists and care takers who provide our community with top-notch health care. Locally, MTMC has created hundreds of well-paying jobs that help to fuel local investments in our schools and other important community services.

I have a special appreciation for the solid business principles that characterize MTMC’s operation, based on my own business education accumulated over a lifetime, starting at the store that my parents opened in Altaville in 1955. The store later moved to the Mark Twain Shopping Center in Angels Camp that my parents developed.

My peers and I all grew up in that store, learning a strong work ethic and earning a paycheck but also gaining an understanding of fundamentals that have allowed us to navigate bumps in the road and continue to provide value to our friends and neighbors for all these years.

These same characteristics apply to MTMC. While many businesses ebb and flow with the economy, the hospital has been a pillar of resilience and consistency. And with expansions at its clinics, MTMC is continuing to grow and provide even more jobs and economic investment in the region.

As a business owner who loves Calaveras County and its spirit, I’m glad I can count on Mark Twain Medical Center and its affiliation with Dignity Health to remain a steady source of opportunity for our community for years to come.

Bob Middleton is the owner of Middleton’s Furniture and Appliances

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