[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1102-E1103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING JIM CASSIDY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL H. MICHAUD

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 15, 2010

  Mr. MICHAUD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Jim Cassidy 
on his retirement from St. Mary's Health System and to recognize his 
many accomplishments while serving as its President.
  Taking charge during a period when St. Mary's was dealing with 
financial instability, Jim worked step by step to expand wellness 
services and access to quality medical care. He quickly stabilized St. 
Mary's finances and set to work expanding the system's workforce and 
budget. Today, approximately 2,000 individuals are employed under an 
annual operating budget of $252 million.

[[Page E1103]]

  With St. Mary's on solid footing, Jim turned his attention towards 
increasing care and services in the region. From 2000 to 2010, he 
oversaw the opening of the Women's Health Pavilion, the Center for 
Joint Replacement, St. Mary's d'Youville Pavilion Rehab Center, a new 
St. Mary's Campus in Auburn and the modernization of the Emergency 
Center at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center. This extraordinary feat 
was mirrored by St. Mary's outreach in downtown Lewiston. St. Mary's 
Food Pantry, Lots to Gardens and St. Mary's Nutrition Center of Maine 
not only provide emergency food assistance to the residents of the 
greater Androscoggin County but also promote healthy nutrition and 
eating habits. Other programs, such as the Neighborhood Housing 
Initiative and B Street Health Center, have expanded affordable access 
to shelters and healthcare for Lewiston's low income residents. Each of 
these programs owes a piece of their success to Jim's leadership.
  For these works and for other charity programs he established, Jim 
was honored by the American Hospital Association and by the Catholic 
Health Association. The remarkable positive impact Jim has had on the 
community is commendable and has inspired countless others. With his 
retirement on June 17, 2010, St. Mary's Health System will lose one of 
its finest leaders in its 125 year history. His legacy of community 
outreach will surely be continued for generations to come.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Jim Cassidy on his 
retirement and thanking him for his dedicated service to his community.

                          ____________________