First, let me congratulate The County for merging our local weekly papers. I think this was a great idea and I hope it will I inspire a larger paper with strong editorial content as well as more local news and sports. Local journalism is so vital to our democracy, particularly during these days.
On Friday, Jan. 24, I officially retired from my position as chief public relations officer for Cary Medical Center. After 46 years I felt it was a good time to bring a fresh voice and new ideas to match this ever-changing healthcare environment.
I want to take the opportunity to thank all of those who I have had the good fortune to work with over four decades, from media to local businesses and collaborative public health agencies. It has truly been my honor to work with you representing Cary Medical Center.
Over my years at Cary I tried to move beyond the idea that hospitals are for sick and dying people, and to think of hospitals as a “source of wellness.” I think we made some headway in that effort, though it is true that the hospital must also fulfill its mission to care for the sick and injured as well.
Thanks to a very supportive administration, including Jack McCormack for 19 years and now Kris Doody, RN, for more than a quarter century, we have been able to secure local health services for County veterans, establish the Caribou Maine Veterans Home, achieve millions of dollars in grants to promote healthy lifestyles, establish the Jefferson Cary Foundation, which has raised and given more than $2 million to the hospital, thanks to a very generous community including our medical staff and employees. Our hospital auxiliary has also given more than $1 million to the hospital and continues to operate our hospital gift shop and provide other valuable services.
Over my career our volunteers have provided thousands of hours and the value of their time and talent. They are truly the people that have enriched my life throughout my career.
It has been such an honor for me to work with our County veterans for more than 40 years. Many I have worked with are now gone, but the sacrifices they made to secure health care for their fellow veterans will live on for generations to come.
I have worked with some 5,000 people at Cary over the years. I have been inspired and mentored by so many I will not name them at the risk of forgetting others. Today, Cary, together with Pines Health Services, has the largest medical staff in history, a remarkable dedicated nursing staff and a family of clinical and support staff in multiple departments, all working together to provide that unique, family approach to healthcare that has become our tradition.
Through all the changes and challenges Cary remains an independent rural community hospital. It is a lifeline of this region’s economy. Our founder Dr. Jefferson Cary could never have imagined the medical center that today continues to bear his name. Thanks to a dedicated board of directors and a solid strategic planning process, Cary has advanced technology, made multimillion-dollar improvements to the facility and remains one of the lowest indebted hospitals in our state.
To have been part of such a visionary and caring organization for most of my life has been such a privilege. I say, Godspeed and full steam ahead. God bless our hospital and all those who have dedicated their lives and passion to create a one-of-a-kind life-saving, life-giving and life-enhancing medical center.
Bill Flagg lives in Stockholm.
