CARIBOU — Maine Veterans Home in Caribou recently named Julie Lizotte, RN, as director of nursing services and Kim Cheney, LSW, as admissions coordinator. Lizotte, of Caribou, and Cheney, of Blaine, have extensive healthcare experience in Aroostook County.
“Julie and Kim have a tremendous amount of experience in their respective fields,” said Melissa Graham, MVH-Caribou administrator. “Julie started here as a certified nursing assistant over 20 years ago and has worked in a number of roles in different organizations, while Kim comes to us with over 25 years of social work experience. These two team members are joining a staff that takes great pride in caring for our veterans.”
Lizotte was previously the home staff development coordinator, a role she began in 2011. She was also an RN at TAMC’s outpatient care clinic in Caribou from 2005 to 2011, and she worked at AMHC’s geriatric/psychiatric services in Presque Isle. Lizotte is a graduate of Northern Maine Community College’s nursing program. Her daughter, Courtney, 18, is currently in the same nursing program and her son, Brayden, 16, attends Caribou High School.
Cheney served as a medical social worker at Houlton Regional Hospital from 2005 to 2013. She was also the Social Services Director at Presque Isle Rehab and Nursing Center and Madigan Estates. Cheney is a graduate of both the University of Maine at Presque Isle and Farmington.
“It is an honor to care for our veterans and their families,” said Lizotte. “They deserve the best care possible and in my new role I have the opportunity to make sure that is what they receive.”
Both Lizotte and Cheney’s fathers served in the military. Lizotte’s father was stationed in Germany with the Army and Cheney’s father was at Pearl Harbor with the Marine Corps at the start of WWII.
“Certainly having family members who served gives us a different perspective on just how important MVH is to veterans and their families,” said Cheney. “Part of my job is educating the community on all the benefits our veterans can receive here and it gratifying to know we have helped the County’s heroes.”
