[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 141 (Wednesday, September 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5975-S5976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                100TH ANNIVERSARY OF CARY MEDICAL CENTER

  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, on September 5, 1924, a new hospital 
opened its doors in my hometown of Caribou, ME, and admitted its very 
first patient. Today, I join people throughout the region in 
celebrating a century of expert, compassionate care at Cary Medical 
Center.
  It is fitting that this 100th anniversary coincides with Cary being 
named as one of the Nation's Top 100 Great Community Hospitals by 
Becker's Hospital Review. This latest addition to the long and 
impressive list of national awards and recognitions underscores what 
CEO Kris Doody said when that announcement was made this summer: 
``Working at Cary Medical Center is not just a job. It's a calling.''
  From the start, Cary has been a community hospital with the emphasis 
on ``community.'' It was built on the foundation laid by Dr. Jefferson 
Cary, a physician as devoted to the people of northern Maine as he was 
to the practice of medicine. He came to Caribou in 1877, a time when 
house calls, even in the frigid winter, were made by horse and buggy, 
medical supplies were scarce, and payment for services was often made 
with farm products and firewood rather than cash. His skill as a 
physician was matched, as a friend put it, by his ``untiring devotion 
to the cause of humanity.''
  When Dr. Cary died in 1912, he left the bulk of his estate to 
Caribou. His

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bequest enabled the construction of the original hospital and created a 
legacy of generosity and support that the people of Caribou and the 
neighboring communities continue today.
  The new Cary Medical Center, built in 1978, offered greatly expanded 
facilities and new technology, but the focus on patient-centered care 
remained unchanged.
  Cary Medical Center is a nationally recognized leader in providing 
quality healthcare to rural veterans. Maine has one of the highest 
percentage of veterans in the country, and we Mainers are proud of our 
State's commitment to protecting our Nation. We also are proud of our 
State's care for the brave men and women who have served in uniform, 
and Cary has led the way.
  One of the most significant milestones in Cary's storied history came 
in 1987, when our Nation's first community based outpatient clinic for 
veterans was established in Caribou. That pioneering work has been of 
great benefit to America's 3.5 million rural veterans who now receive 
care close to home at nearly 730 CBOCs throughout the country. The 
commitment by Cary Medical Center, the Veterans Administration, local 
veterans, and the entire community transformed healthcare for the men 
and women who defend our freedom.
  Based on that success, Cary was selected in 2011 as one of just five 
sites nationwide for the Access Received Closer to Home pilot program. 
Maine's successful ARCH program paved the way for the Veterans 
Community Care Program that enables rural veterans to access the care 
they need in their communities. Veterans throughout American are 
grateful for Cary's leadership.
  From professional education to diabetes care, oncology, and women and 
children's health, Cary Medical Center offers an ever-expanding array 
of services. These expansions are made possible by generous community 
support, led by the active and dedicated professionals and volunteers. 
The Cary team of physicians, nurses, technicians, staff, and volunteers 
are joined by grateful and supportive people throughout Aroostook 
County.
  Through its partnership with Tufts Medical School's Maine Track 
Program and Cary's partnership with Pines Health Services, Cary Medical 
Center is a leader in strengthening rural healthcare. The selection of 
Cary as a pilot site for the Maine Medical Center and Dartmouth 
Institute Healthcare Improvement Project further demonstrates Cary's 
commitment to excellence.
  My family, like so many others in Aroostook County, has close ties to 
Cary. My father served as chairman of the board of directors and 
actually signed the mortgage when the new hospital was built. Decades 
later, my brother Gregg chaired the board, and today, my niece Clara is 
a board member. For many years, my uncle Doug Collins, an internist, 
practiced medicine in Caribou and at Cary. The wonderfully 
compassionate and skilled healthcare providers at Cary cared for both 
of my parents during the final days of their lives. I am personally 
grateful for the leadership of all who have served in this outstanding 
community hospital.
  More than a century has passed since Dr. Jefferson Cary practiced 
medicine, and he could not have foreseen the dramatic advances in 
healthcare since that time. But he had a vision that his generous gift 
to the community would benefit future generations. Thanks to the 
efforts of so many, that vision is a reality.
  My congratulations to Cary Medical Center for 100 years of going 
above and beyond, and my best wishes for the years to come.

                          ____________________