Our local medical options are far from the same.

For example, I recently noticed that if one gets a blood test at Palo Alto Medical Foundation, the sample taken is just the tiniest pinprick that the patient hardly even notices, either in pain or in later bruising.

However, over at Kaiser they are still using the old huge needle and taking the very large sample, with all of that method's attendant ill effects.

I just write this for those who may be deciding where to have their health care for the new year. I wish I had known in advance that Kaiser's equipment and technology level is still that of stone knives and bearskins.