Dr. Brushett retires from HRH after 32 years

By Janene Moran
Special to the Pioneer Times
    On August 14, Dr. Brushett, completed his final day of emergency room coverage for Houlton Regional Hospital (HRH), choosing to retire from that portion of his career.
    Dr. Brushett and his wife, Dr. Janet Parker, moved to Houlton in 1977 to open private practice. At that time it was customary practice for all local physicians to enter into a rotation to cover the Emergency Department (ED) and often spending the entire weekend providing 48 hours’ coverage. The hospital provided the area, but it was left up to the doctors to figure out a schedule amongst themselves.
    Dr. Brushett recalls upon first arriving in Houlton working in the ED with Doctors Williams, Madigan, Harrison, Carton, Wilson and Romanelli, just to mention a few. In the late 1970s and early ‘80s it was the practice if a patient presented to the ED for their family physician to be called in. The doctors were basically on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and many doctors were always “in house” at any one time.     Dr. Brushett fondly remembers Marcella McCready, RN who was always found in the ED calling the docs to come back in to the hospital. Dr. Brushett credits working in the hospital’s ED for establishing his private practice as quickly as he did. Dr. Parker also worked in the ED until she chose to be at home with their children.
    When the procedures changed for covering the Emergency Department, Dr. Brushett chose to remain providing coverage working 24-hour shifts and was most often on duty Friday evenings and all day Saturday, and sometimes rushing off to do a quick baby delivery as well!
    Lisa Mooers, an ED RN who has worked with Dr. Brushett for over 20 years, shared Dr. Brushett’s very best attributes as, “Always pleasant, always happy, always kind to both patients and nurses, a friend and a peer as well as a physician, never griping about work, the work load, or the patients that presented to the Emergency Room. There was no vanity with him; never afraid to appear to patients with his hair all askew from being awakened in the night!”
    The ED staff have shared how he always lights up at the mention of his children and their accomplishments, his wife, and extended family, sharing many of their stories with the staff. They recall his stories of skiing with his 80-year-old father and the year of the ice storm when his 103-year-old grandfather along with his grandmother spent three nights on a gym floor until they could return to their home.
    Dr. Brushett also had the relationship with his ED staff to make them feel “part of his family too”.  In speaking of Dr. Brushett’s family, it should be noted his best pal, Jillie, his cocker spaniel was always at his side.
    Dr. Brushett and his guitar were often partnered with Dr. Husted for musical entertainment at many hospital functions, including Nurses’ Day. During quiet times in the ED if the guitar was handy there was some singing to be heard in the conference room especially during the Christmas season.
    HRH and the Emergency Room Staff thank you, Dr. Brushett, for your many years of providing emergency coverage.