Sutter Hospital cuts its Literature, Arts, and Medicine Program (LAMP); join the write-in campaign to save it.

Sacramento friends of poetry,

I have fond memories of a Jack Hirschman reading held in Sacramento in May 2005. He read with Agenta Falk in the intimate circumstances of the Sutter Hospital Resource Library. Not the typical poet-behind-podium affair; imagine instead a fireside chat kind of arrangement (sans fireplace.) They both encouraged the audience to ask questions and it was an evening that became a conversation; Hirschman and Falk poems read as punctuation marks between its sentences. It was beautiful. And it was all thanks to Sutter's Literature, Arts, and Medicine Program (LAMP) under the Direction of Lawrence Spann.

Now comes the sad news that LAMP is closing. Lawrence's letter below provides details and a possible recourse. Please consider taking a moment to do as he suggests.

As he points out, LAMP has done much for members of the program, but it has also been a remarkable asset to our larger poetry community. In addition to the Hirschman/Falk reading mentioned above, LAMP has put on a number of incredible readings, all open to the public. Jane Hirshfield, Luis Rodriguez, Ellen Bass, Naomi Shihab Nye are just some of the poets LAMP presented to Sacramento.

"I have always been impressed by the quality of the program and how much it helps people dealing with chronic or terminal health situations, mental or physical, their own or others," writes poet JoAnn Anglin in her own appeal to save LAMP. "Closing it would mean closing a unique source of help and healing for patients and the community."

This is a loss that will weaken our poetry community. Again, please consider taking the action suggested in the letter below.

Regards,

Richard Hansen
poems-for-all.com



Here is Lawrence Spann's letter:


From: "Spann, Lawrence"
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 16:54:22 -0700
To: "Spann, Lawrence"
Subject: Sutterwriters Write-in

"I hope that people who have benefited from LAMP can write to people at the hospital who make decisions and let them know, from the heart and gut, that this is a real loss and more what has touched them about the program."

-- John Fox,nationally known Poetry Therapist
who recently visited LAMP & Sacramento

Dear Sutterwriters,
When I was told last week that LAMP was cut due to a budgetary crisis, I was in shock. We've come such a long way--the groups are full of committed and soul-searching writers. And there are now six other writing groups in the community based on this model. As for LAMP, I love that this is done in a hospital and open to everyone, as illness knows no race, religion or socioeconomic barrier.

I am sending an email to the entire mailing list to inform you that LAMP is closing.

Your voice needs to be heard. The only way this can be done is if you let your thoughts and feelings be known to Sutter Health administrators. A few sentences is enough, and email makes that easy. Please don't polish or search for words. This can be a simple 5-minute
write.

Please send your letters to Tom Gagen, CEO Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento and copy Sarah Krevans, Regional Executive Officer, and Patrick Fry, President and CEO, Sutter Health as below:

To: gagent@sutterhealth.org

cc:
krevans@sutterhealth.org ;
fryp@sutterhealth.org

It has been such a pleasure to work with each of you. The two hours became precious, a place to tell our truth through fiction.

Keep that lamp lighted in your heart,
Lawrence
Lawrence H. Spann, Ph.D.
Director, Sutter's LAMP
Literature, Arts, and Medicine Program
2800 L Street, Library
Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone: 916-454-6802
www.sutterwriters.com