Letters to the Editor | April 17, 2026
Inquirer readers on the Grays Ferry parking garage collapse and the question of whether Operation Epic Fury constitutes a just war.
A path for physicians
Contrary to the assertions of the authors of a recent op-ed, the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine provides multiple ways for internationally trained doctors to be vetted and issued a professional license without having to repeat their medical residency.
The board is authorized to grant an unrestricted license by endorsement to applicants, such as internationally trained doctors who do not meet the standard requirements for licensure, after evaluating applicants’ qualifications on a case-by-case basis.
Additionally, for many years, the board has provided an expedited pathway for international medical graduates to practice in our commonwealth.
It’s called an institutional license, and it grants such physicians full practice privileges in an institution under supervision. If the supervised practice is successful, the internationally trained physician can obtain an unrestricted license within six to 12 months.
More information about licensure by endorsement, and about how the State Board of Medicine protects the health of Pennsylvanians, can be found at dos.pa.gov/bpoa.
K. Kalonji Johnson, deputy secretary for regulatory programs, Pennsylvania Department of State
Free passes better option
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia garage, ill-conceived from the start, has now become ill-fated. Instead of spending millions to buy land and build a garage for 1,000 cars to spew pollution and jam traffic between one of our poorest neighborhoods and the hospital complex, CHOP could have used a fraction of that amount to provide all its employees with free passes on all SEPTA and Regional Rail routes. While we grieve the three lives lost in the garage collapse, it is not too late for CHOP to show what it means to be a good neighbor.
Debra Weiner, Quakertown
A just war, or just war?
If one cannot recognize that Iran, formally designated by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984, must have its war-making capabilities dismantled, then one has lost one’s moral compass.
Unfortunately, those who are morally challenged will not be persuaded by reason; no argument, however grounded, will convince them that confronting evil is both necessary and just.
Steve Wenick, Voorhees
Support in tandem
The Inquirer’s recent article on preschool children with disabilities being excluded from childcare highlights a real concern, but it risks oversimplifying who is responsible.
Families deserve inclusive early learning opportunities, and no child should be stigmatized or pushed out. But many childcare providers are small community programs operating with thin margins, staffing shortages, rising costs, and little access to specialists or behavioral supports.
Providers are often expected to meet increasingly complex needs without timely early intervention services, additional staffing, coaching, or funding that reflects the true cost of inclusion.
If we want better outcomes for children and families, the answer is not blaming providers. The answer is building a system that gives both families and providers the support they need to succeed.
Pennsylvania families and childcare programs deserve solutions, not scapegoats.
Diane Barber, executive director, Pennsylvania Child Care Association, Lemoyne
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