Every year, we celebrate National Nurses Week (May 6 to May 12) to uplift hard-working colleagues, neighbors, and loved ones.

No matter the setting, sickness, situation or care specialty, nurses are staunch advocates for their patients, expert and efficient multitaskers and compassionate caregivers to family and friends. They work hard every day to keep people as safe and as healthy as possible.

Nurses have remarkable qualities, and by caring for people around them, they hold our communities together. Once again, we are honored to publish your personal stories, share your gratitude, and celebrate the work of nurses across Maine.

To: Morgan Murphy at Southern Maine Health Care
From: Lisa Thomas
MoMo, we are so proud of you. Not only are you an amazing ICU nurse but also an incredible UNE Clinical Instructor. You truly display upbeat, compassionate care and will not settle for anything less. You bring so much to the table. Here are some
of what patients or students have shared in cards or evaluations:

“She reassures me when I need it most.”
“She gave me guidance with what I need to do next.”
“She has tremendous grace with her approach to anything she is faced with.”

We knew you would give it 110%. Always remember, “we are your biggest fans,” and hope to always have our nightly talks with you. We love you bunches and bunches!

 

To: Carlene Stevens at Northern Light Mercy Hospital — Critical Care Unit
From: Jordynne Copp
Carlene has been a nurse at Mercy Hospital for an outstanding 42 years. During her time at Mercy, she has worked in various departments, but her greatest impact has been on the critical care unit. Carlene obtained her national critical care certification (CCRN) in 1997 and has remained up to date with current practice as a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Carlene has been the clinical lead in the critical care unit since 2006. As the clinical lead she has devoted countless hours to create a team that provides excel-lent and compassionate care to all patients. Carlene is the most dedicated and knowledgeable nurse that I have ever worked with. No one who has worked with her would hesitate to say that she is truly an expert in critical care nursing.

Carlene is an incredible leader for our unit and demonstrates her commitment daily. Throughout her years as clinical lead, Carlene has covered countless shifts when help was needed including nights, week-ends, and holidays. If Carlene isn’t physically in the unit, she makes it clear to us that she is just a phone call away no matter what time of day it is.

Every nurse and physician that has ever worked along-side Carlene can attest to the fact that she is one of a kind. Carlene is known in the ICU as “The Legend” and she deserves every ounce of respect that comes with that title.

On behalf of the Mercy CCU staff, thank you for everything that you have done for us and this unit. To say that we will miss you seems trivial in comparison to the magnitude of emotion that we feel. Your impact on this unit is immeasurable, but it is felt every single day that we step foot into Mercy Hospital. We wish you the best in your retirement!

 

To: Cait Plante, RN, at Home Health Agency
From: Sharon Smarc
I would like to share with everyone about the experience I had with a home nurse that took care of me for several weeks. Cait Plante arrived at our house within 24 hours after I had surgery from a fractured femur and other serious medical problems.

The very first thing Cait did was to sit with me at the beside and chat about how I was feeling, and asked if I was in pain. She then organized my drugs into a simple way of keeping track of what drug to take and when. She explained what each drug was for and what to notice for side effects. She became my nurse and my counselor within minutes. I knew I could trust her with my medical care and help me make the progress that would be needed to improve my mobility from my broken leg.

I would hope that everyone who needs nursing care could have the skill and compassion from their nurse that I had with Cait Plante.

 

To: Jamie Mitchell and the 1 West nurses at MaineGeneral Medical Center
From: Gilbert Deroche, Jr.
A few years ago, when Dad was in the hospital for heart issues, the nurses were very caring, which made dad and our whole family feel well cared for with their personal care and love. And I’m a proud dad. Thank you to my daughter, Jamie Mitchell.

 

To: Marty Bushey at Spring Harbor Hospital
From: Margaret Bushey
Dear Marty,
I am so proud of you. Your dedication and compassion towards your patients is inspiring. As your mom, I have watched you grow into the amazing person you are today. Seeing you put your heart and soul into your work fills me with pride and admiration. Your kindness, patience, professionalism and compassion is what makes you the exceptional medical professional you are today.

I know it’s not always easy. It can be physically and emotionally challenging. It takes someone very special. You have taken the challenge with grace and determination and excelled beautifully.

I truly admire you for your dedication. I am honored to call you my daughter.
Love, Mom

 

To: Maria Sestos Reinhardt at Maine Medical Center
From: Judi Hilton
Thank you, Maria, for your care of my hubby, Bruce, as he battled CLL. Your compassion was outstanding.

 

To: Vivi at Maine Medical Center
From: Nicole M.
When I was a brand-new mom in 2016, you so patiently guided me through the unexpected challenge of breastfeeding, giving what felt like your completely undivided attention until we were successful. You had so much knowledge that you shared in a loving and caring way. Your support was so special and memorable that several years later, when having a very different challenge with our second newborn, I literally burst into tears out of pure relief when you unexpectedly stepped into our room in the middle of the night and once again so lovingly helped us navigate a difficult situation. I couldn’t help but believe it was through some type of divine intervention that you had been assigned a shift that night in the mother- baby unit, which was no longer your regular unit at the time.

Our youngest is now four, and we must be one of countless families whose lives you have touched with your compassion. Thank you for the blessing of your care that we will never forget and for your dedication to Maine families. I hope that you read this and that on those tough days, it reminds you of the light you shine and that you are so appreciated.

 

To: Meaghan Wildes, RN, Clinical Care Coordinator at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Maine Medical Center
From: Gerry & Carolyn Greenleaf
Our daughter, Meaghan Wildes, has provided compassionate and nurturing care to her patients and co-workers for nearly two decades.

For her patients, she goes above and beyond by providing a listening ear, excellent care, and a friendly laugh to those separated from their loved ones. She arrives to work each day to care for the children in PICU/Barbara Bush with love and compassion, a strong work ethic, and a can-do attitude. She continually demonstrates true strength and resilience in providing amazing care to her patients.

For her co-workers, as Clinical Nurse Coordinator, she provides leadership and guidance to help them get through their challenging workday. Meaghan provides the team with mentorship, support, connectivity, community and a dash of fun throughout the workday.

Meaghan, we are proud of you and the amazing person you are to your family, friends, patients, and fellow co-workers. You truly are an inspiration. Thanks for all that you do!

Love, Mom & Dad

 

To: The Labor and Delivery Team at Mid Coast Hospital
From: Molly Cimikoski
At the end of March, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. After an intense emergency c-section, this new mama was physically and emotionally shaken. The compassionate care that I received from the L&D nurses at Mid Coast Hospital was beyond any that I’ve had before, from watching Baby in the nursery for a few hours each night so I could physically recover, to consistently providing me the space to weep as I processed my feelings about our birth experience.

What stands out to me so much about the care I received is the combination of medical excellence and humanity. Baby and I are healthy, happy, and continuing to reap the benefits of all the support provided by the incredibly talented nurses at Mid Coast. My husband and I are forever indebted to all of you!

 

To: Anonymous at Maine Medical Center
From: Jackie H.
I had a nurse angel—I have tried unsuccessfully to find out her name—that I am convinced saved my life on the night of December 23, 2022. I believe that I was on R-5 at that time. This wonderful woman noticed that the symptoms of my intestinal blockage had worsened and alerted a hospitalist who immediately arranged for emergency surgery. I had become septic and had this astute nurse not taken the time and shown the initiative that she did, I probably would not be here today.

If she has the opportunity to read this note, she will remember that night. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE! I will always remember your kindness and caring.

 

To: Annika Moltz at Maine Medical Center
Annika, you bring so much caring and commitment to your work every day. We thank you and we celebrate you!

With love, D & M

 

To: The nursing team at New England Cancer Specialists in Kennebunk
From: Cindy Coulombe
I would like to recognize the nursing team at New England Cancer Specialists in Kennebunk. As a long-term patient, I have seen the passion and dedication of each and every staff member there. I am treated with kindness, patience, compassion, and concern at each appointment. They are experts at what they do and at the same time they are masters at putting patients at ease. When I have an appointment, I look forward to sharing pictures of my granddaughter or laughing at jokes, or just conversing. I feel like I’m visiting friends while also receiving life changing treatment.

I could write endlessly of the support and care available to all patients at New England Cancer Specialists. Suffice to say I feel so lucky to have such a professional team supporting me.

 

To: Marion Chase at South Portland Nursing Home
From: Judy Thibodeau
Marion was a nurse for 53 years working her way up to Director of Nurses. She was a great nurse and really cared for all the patients. She deserves much praise for her work and commitment.

 

To: Jessica Weber, Deborah Courtney, Lisa Conway, Bethany Hardy, Jeff Merrill, and Jeff Brown at Maine Medical Center Cardiology
From: Rob Bolster
The Advanced Valve team at MMC/Scarborough Cardiology are one of the hardest working, compassionate teams around. Evaluating and treating some of the most complex valve cases, this team treats each patient and family as individuals ensuring that everyone understands the treatment plan.

Working side by side with the physician group, this team is the best in the region at what they do. This team was formed 11 years ago and has been raising the standards every year. Balancing family time with patient care can be a challenge but this group is able to do it each and every time. Thank you for all you do for our community.

 

To: Mike Shelley, Lauren Vickerson, Andrea Wyman, Devon Andrews, A. June Chavez, Kathleen Keane, Sofia Leavitt, Jacqueline Locke, and Amanda Sebastiao at Maine Medical Center
From: Rob Bolster
This amazing group of nurses and nurse practitioners do an outstanding job managing the VAD/Transplant patients. Very dedicated, kind, caring, and compassionate team that always goes above and beyond in the care of their patients. Covering patients from Fort Kent to Kittery, the team is available 24 hours a day for coverage. Patients have reached out at all hours of the day and night. The team doesn’t just look after the patient alone but involves the family in the care of their loved ones. It is a pleasure working around this group of All Stars.

 

To: Heather Silva Stephen at the Maine Medical Center Transplant Program
From: Donna Stephen
I am honored to publicly thank my daughter-in-law, Heather Silva Stephen, who is a Living Donor Coordinator in the Maine Transplant Program at Maine Medical Center.

Heather approaches her work in the same way she approaches life—with skill, passion, commitment, enthusiasm, creativity, joy, honesty, and belief that she is making a difference. She is indeed making a difference by supporting and facilitating the desire of a donor to make a difference in the life of someone in great need and in securing a healthier life for someone in great need.

Thank you, Heather, for all you do every day-at work and at home. Our lives would be less full, duller, and more mundane if you weren’t a part of them. I love you and am so thankful to be a part of your life.

 

To: Ashley Rivers DeGuzman at Maine Medical Center
From: Chris DeGuzman
Ashley is one of the hardest working people I’ve met. She answers the bell in the ER every night at work. She is compassionate and hopes everyone leaves the ER healthier than when they arrived.

 

To: Carol Dearborn at Option Care Health
From: Courtney Ampezzan
I have been blessed to have been cared for by countless amazing nurses in the doctors’ offices, treatment facilities, and hospitals where I have had to spend the majority of my life. It is always such a relief as a patient when I know “that nurse” will be there.

One nurse who has always been “that nurse” for me is my home health nurse, Carol Dearborn. There isn’t a single person in my life that does not know how special Nurse Carol is, and what she means to me. Going above and beyond is not the exception for her, but the rule.

She has always gone out of her way to take care of me by rearranging her schedule to see me on nights, weekends, and days off, and on more than one occasion she has even come to care for me while I was on vacation. Carol is a constant professional with unmatched technical skills. Nobody can start an IV like Carol. More importantly, Carol has the kindest heart of anyone I have ever met. Her capacity for kindness is what gives me hope when this world can be so uncertain. Carol has supported me through every hard day and celebrated with me on all of the good days.

I honestly don’t know if I would be here today if it wasn’t for her. It is an honor to call her my nurse and my friend. Thank you, Nurse Carol, I love you.

 

To: The Wound Healing Center Nursing Team  at Northern Light Mercy Hospital
From: Ellen Farnsworth
The Nursing Team at Northern Lights Mercy Wound Healing Center are all outstanding in their professionalism, compassion, competency, and respect to ensure quality wound care to patients. These nurses are well respected by providers and entire staff on the team. I have been a patient for years at various times and have felt safe, well cared for, and respected by these healing angels of mercy. They go above and beyond in caring for patients that come to their door. I cannot thank them enough for their care, compassion, and professionalism. Please keep up the great work as Maine is so lucky to have such a great team.

 

To my 4th floor nursing family at Northern Light Mercy Hospital:
It has been such a pleasure to work, grow and learn alongside all of you. I can’t express how much I truly value the experiences we share. Each and every one of you has enriched my life and brought something invaluable to my nursing practice. I appreciate all of you immensely and I’m so proud of the work we do together.

I love you guys!
XOXO, Stephanie Nichols

 

To: School nurses in the Sanford School Department
From: Barbara McCall
Thank you to school nurses everywhere and especially to the wonderful nurses in Sanford for all you do for the school and community. I had the privilege and pleasure of working with them as a school physician for over 30 years.

They are knowledgeable and dedicated. Their doors are open every day to children with rashes and scrapes, bumps and broken bones, earaches and belly aches, seizure disorders, behavior issues, diabetes, and mystery symptoms. Nurses have adapted to their changing roles. Diseases, vaccinations and treatments have evolved, and social issues have increased. As they learn, they have shared their knowledge with students, staff, and families.

Thank you for caring for our students with your expertise and sometimes a quick hug.

 

To: Ashley Baber at Northern Light Mercy Hospital
From: Matt Baber
Thank you, Ashley, for your continued dedication to patient care and congratulations on your most recent accomplishment of reaching Professional Nurse III!

 

To: Kathleen Frost at Maine Medical Center
From: Brenda Allen
This heartfelt message is to thank my daughter, Kathleen Frost, for being by my side during a recent surgery. I was feeling anxious about my procedure, but her reassuring presence relieved me of my concerns and eased my transition from healing to recovery. I experienced firsthand the care and sensitivity she gives her patients (on the Mother-Baby Care Unit at MMC) every day. Her intuitive sense of compassion, love, and support has been such a source of comfort.

Kathleen, I’m so proud of the dedicated nurse you are and am truly blessed to have you as my daughter.

 

To: Tiffany Eaton, NP, at Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital
From: Veronica Young
Nurse Practitioner Tiffany Eaton is everything any of us would want in a nursing professional. With her advanced nursing training she is able to function like a doctor—to diagnose, treat, medicate, prescribe, and, above all, to observe and carefully listen. Tiffany pays attention and takes care of the whole patient not just a collection of symptoms, and her team responds quickly to portal questions. I wish there were more medical professionals with her abilities. Thank you, Tiffany.

 

To: Wellpath Correctional Nurses at the Maine Department of Corrections
From: Miriam Davidson
We would like to acknowledge Wellpath nurses working for the Maine Department of Corrections as modern-day superheroes. Incarcerated patients are often marginalized, vulnerable and rarely have a history of quality health care. Our nursing teams make a huge difference in their patient’s health and wellbeing by providing patient centered care with dignity and respect.

Correctional nurses perform an essential job in our communities by ensuring the health and stability of those released back to our communities. We want to thank all Wellpath nursing staff for their care. Thank you for your expertise, kindness, and commitment to serving those in need. Your strength helps us through the most challenging times, and we couldn’t do this work without you!

 

To: Wellpath medical and nursing staff  including CNAs, AND CNAMs at the Maine Department of Corrections
From: Gerard Fitzgerald
As a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor I often work side by side with many of these women and men at Maine State Prison in Warren. I have several years of experience at the Veterans Hospital (thank you for your service) and at Riverview Psychiatric in Augusta.

They work together as a well-oiled machine. This isn’t so they can deny liability or culpability but rather so they can augment the unique skills that each one possesses, the most critical being empathy and compassion, the two qualities that cannot be taught in any school, anywhere. Sometimes, however, these skills hone themselves by patient acuity and learned life experiences.

From my perspective, Wellpath hires the best, they have the best management in place and the workers are also the best.

 

To: Central Maine Medical Center
From: Mrs. Christian (Lucy) Derbyshire
Thank you and kudos to Central Maine Hospital in Lewiston! James Lindsey went in to have a diagnostic procedure in March 2023. All the RNs in the ER were as polite and efficient as could be.

As I waited in the ER waiting room, the nurses all kept me informed of how my friend was doing and led me to the room he had while waiting to be admitted upstairs.

Once James was safely upstairs, the nurses on his floor were just as great as the nurses in the ER. I was totally unaware of how large the patient load was in March. Rooms were all filled and there were even some patients in the hallways.

THANK YOU, Nurses, for taking good care of my friend, Mr. James Lindsey.

 

To: Melissa Fairfield at Maine Medical Center
Dear Melissa,

During National Nurses Week, we want to thank you for your dedication to your profession.

We watched you start as an EMT in high school, volunteering with Scarborough Rescue. You attained your nursing degree in 2002 and completed your master’s degree last year. You have been an MMC nurse for 21 years. Starting as a bedside nurse on R3, you chose to expand your skills and knowledge by transferring to the Emergency Department, where I was proud to work alongside you for the next 18 years. Always a leader, you became a nurse educator and then a manager. Presently you are Nursing Director on R6 and Bean 2.

Your optimism and sense of humor have helped you navigate the difficult challenges you encounter daily. You have shown unwavering integrity as you have advanced your career. You make a difference in the lives of your patients and staff. We are so proud of you and how you live your life, as a person and as a nurse. You are our superhero!

Love, Mom and Donna

 

To: Julia Hannan
From: M. Grace Keene, Proud Mimi
I am deeply indebted to my granddaughter, Julia Hannan. She was in neurology at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire at the time of my acute ischemic strike on March 15, 2020.

Dr. Nam at St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston said I was a perfect candidate for tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). He had called four other doctors for consultations. He was concerned, however, about the after effects. I had refused the procedure because of my advanced age. As a last resort, my daughter Elizabeth suggested the doctor phone my granddaughter for a consult. He readily agreed. After listening to Julia, I was convinced to proceed with the TPA. That saved my life! I have no ill effects. My gratitude to all concerned. Thank you!

 

To: Matthew Noyes at Falmouth by the Sea
From: Camilla Ryall
All patients everywhere should have an aide like Matthew Noyes, He is a calm, compassion-ate human being who is always ready to fix any problem that may come up. He is always on time. When he says that he is going to arrive, he does. He is sympathetic to any problem that one might have, small or large. One can be in tears, or angry, he will always try to help with a kind word. He is excellent with patient care, whether brushing one’s hair or changing one’s briefs. Thank you, Matthew!

 

To: Darcy Chandler at Maine Medical Center Fellows Clinic
From: Rob Bolster
Darcy is the Nurse Fellowship Program Coordinator for Cardiac Fellows. She is very kind, compassionate, and caring. Goes above and beyond when dealing with patients, assists with non-medical related tasks such as coordinating care with homeless partners or transportation issues. Every patient is treated with dignity and respect. Many patients ask about you, whether they see you for the appointment or not. She spends as much time as the patient needs during a nurse follow-up visit, ensuring patient medications are correct. Your colleagues and Fellows’ patients thank you for all you do.

 

To: The Emergency Department Nursing Team at Northern Light Mercy Hospital
From: Marc Hoffman
This very special and talented team of nurses will do absolutely whatever it takes to help you or your loved one. They will take good care of you even if you are in a stretcher in a hallway. They will take good care of you even if you are upset and angry and mean. They show tenderness to the poor and disadvantaged just as Sister Catherine McAuley showed them many years ago. Portland, they’ve got your back!

 

To: Molly Ayotte at Northern Light Mercy Hospital
From: Sophie Witkes
In the words of Michael Scott, the dictionary defines superlative as: of the highest kind, quality, or order, surpassing all else, or others. Supreme. I define it as Molly Ayotte. As a leader, nurse, and friend, she is of the highest kind, quality, and order. Supreme. She has taken her role in the OR as a true nurse champion. She is who you want caring for your clos-est loved ones; when they pass through the OR doors, Molly is welcoming them with the love and care that you could only dream for your people receive when they enter surgery. Her talent and abilities extend far beyond the walls of the operating room, but within those walls, she exceeds without limit. We are lucky to have her in the profession of nursing, and luckiest of all, we are lucky to have her in our lives.

 

To: Orlene DeMatteo, RN; Ashley Baker, RN; Chris Turner, RN; Lisa Pain, RN, at Affinity Care of Maine
From: Jessica Duffy
Thank you to the amazing hospice nurses at Affinity Care of Maine. They work tirelessly in service to those entrusted to our care. We are beyond grateful for their spirit of loving kindness and thank them for all that they do.

 

To: Nicole Swift at Maine Medical Center and Stephanie Cote Guild at the Portland VA Clinic
From: Sue Cote

Nicole is a cardiac nurse at Maine Medical Center. She has the warmth and compassion that is necessary to be a nurse in cardiac care. I’m honored, proud, and blessed to call her my niece. Not only is my daughter, Stephanie Cote Guild, a wonderful mother and wife, but she also supports our veterans at a Veterans’ Clinic. Her empathy and compassion are positive notes for those who have served our country. I’m thankful, blessed, and proud to call Stephanie my daughter.

 

To: Michele Higgins at Maine Medical Center
From: Monica Fischbach
Michele Higgins has been at Maine Med for a long time. When the pandemic started, she was assigned to the COVID floor and always showed up, sometimes covered head to toe before vaccines or other preventions.

 

To: NANCY ROBINSON at SKILLS, Inc.
From: Kristin Overton
SKILLS, Inc. is so very grateful to have Nancy. She is absolutely unflappable. She is always advocating for the health and best interests of the people we support, visiting them in the hospital or calling the ER to make sure the doctors there have the best information possible. Nancy patiently trains staff and is always looking for better ways to provide care. She always answers her phone, even in the middle of the night when we need her! Thank you, Nancy, from everyone at SKILLS, Inc. We know just what a diamond you are and how lucky we are to have you!

 

To: Ginny Cote, Helen Vose, Megan Lagueux, and Julie Thompson at Maine Medical Center, Northern Light Mercy Hospital, and TBD
From: The Cote Family
We want to thank our family nurses. First, Helen “Ginny” Cote, now retired after 30 years at Maine Medical Center on R-5. Her journey into nursing was in parallel with her childhood friend, Helen Vose, who worked at Mercy Hospital for over 30 years. Ginny’s journey through nursing has inspired two of her granddaughters to join the profession. Megan Lagueux, RN, joined Maine Medical Center last year in the Gibson Pavilion, caring for new mothers and their newborn children. Another of Ginny’s granddaughters, Julie Thompson, is finishing her degrees at Quinnipiac University and she will graduate this year as a Physician’s Assistant. Thank you to each of them for their dedication to health care.

 

To: Mary C. Sanders, FNP, at Northern Light Mercy Hospital
From: Marge Slater
Mary Sanders is a nurse practitioner employed by the Northern Light Endocrinology and Diabetes Care facility caring for patients with diabetes. Mary has proven to be an absolutely essential team member. Every person receives her full attention and individual care. It should be noted that diabetes is a condition that is unique to each patient. No two people are alike. Mary is also part of an Insulin Pump Support group that meets once a month at Fore River Mercy Hospital. She always keeps us informed of recent technological advancements. Even in emergency situations, she makes herself available. If I had to use words to describe Mary, they would be “a very dedicated and compassionate professional.” Thank you, Mary, for all that you do. You go above and beyond because you care.

 

To: Surgical nurses at Northern Light Mercy Hospital
From: Chrystena Hahn
Nothing is scarier than having surgery, except perhaps having two surgeries 90 days apart! However, the surgical nurses at Mercy Hospital somehow made it seem like it wasn’t frightening at all. From the nurses who prepared me for the OR to the ones who tended me once I was in Recovery, I experienced smiles, understanding, and wonderful humor, along with the reassurance that once I’d healed, I’d be pain free and could begin living life fully again. Their confidence and deep professional commitment work a kind of magic medicine cannot. For all of them, I am deeply grateful and to all of them I offer heartfelt thanks. You make a difference!

 

To: Donna Dutile Vetrone at Piper Shores
From: Lorraine Masure
Donna Dutile Vetrone is my niece and godchild, and her thirty-some years of nursing demonstrate clearly the joy with which she describes her professional life. Donna will tell you that she loves her job and naturally cares about the people entrusted to her!

But it is the seamless way she has transferred her training, experience, and their inherent character traits to her personal life that I wish to also laud today. Her nursing competency, enthusiasm, kindness, and empathy are unassumingly evident in family settings that may at times involve, say, the discussion of an ailing human being. Further, on occasion, we as laypersons question and are enlightened by her simple/modest explanations or definitions of foreign-to-us terms. It is moments like these when her comforting ways allay apprehension.

Donna’s willingness, her eagerness, to heal, soothe and calm were most evident during her own mother’s tragic illness with cancer. Further, like most people of her generation, Donna witnessed the slow, if painful, demise of her dear mémère. Again and again, Donna’s generosity of spirit, time, concern, and affection were a soothing balm extended to dear ones in her personal life. Would that you could read her grandmother’s appreciation for Donna’s attentive thoughtfulness rather than these secondary comments.

It has been wisely said that nursing is a calling and not simply the title of a job description. No truer words could describe this angel of mercy who prodigally extends a wide swath of caring and salutary goodness to those who are hurting, whether the calling is at work or at home.

 

To: Sandra Simmons at the Osteopathic Hospital of Maine (now Maine Medical Center, Brighton Ave.)
From: Judy Agner
Sandra was part of the amazing team of nurses in the emergency department. She was the one who happily stayed late to finish care of her patients, worked overnight on snowy blizzard events when usual staff were unable to get to work, and was always willing to go the extra mile. She touched hundreds of lives and was an invaluable member of the team. Thank you, Sandra Gail!

 

To: Dean Johnson at Lakes Region Primary Care
From: Judy Ferguson
If there were a Nurses Hall of Fame, Dean Johnson would be entered. Dean possesses extensive knowledge in the field of medicine and cares for his patients with skill and empathy. He makes sure that this senior has quality as well as quantity of life. Kudos to Dean!

 

To: P2C Team led by Dalis Bragdon at Maine Medical Center
From: Rob Bolster
The men and women of P2C do an outstanding job of patient care. Whatever type of patient that the floor is assigned to take care of, this unit does it with the utmost kindness and care. Transitioning from COVID-19 care to medical care back to hybrid COVID/regular medicine, this team does their business without missing a beat. Dalis and her group of nurses and professional staff are some of the best in the business. It is a pleasure sharing the floor with them. Keep up the awesome care you provide.

 

To: Mary Robbins, RN, at Frank I. Brown School
From: Corinne Altham
I would like to recognize my colleague and friend, Mary Robbins, RN. She has been our nurse for the past two school years. These have been some of the most challenging years in history for the people in the medical profession. No thanks could ever be enough. I am so grateful to have Mary as a medical leader in our building. Her experience was an invaluable resource for all of us. Thank you, nurse Mary! We are so proud, lucky and grateful to have you at Brown School! And thank you to all the nurses in South Portland for your amazing forethought, tireless work, and calm confidence in very uncertain times. You are exceptional professionals!

 

To: ED and ICU nurses at Mid Coast Hospital
From: Rick Winter
In early December, I had shoulder surgery. The surgery was successful, but the follow-up medications resulted in severe stomach bleeding. After five days, I became dangerously ill with loss of blood. My wife called 911 and I was rushed to the Emergency Department at Mid Coast Hospital. The nurses and doctors treated me immediately, hovering over me with transfusions and medications.

I subsequently spent four nights in the hospital, mostly in the ICU. In both the ED and ICU, the nurses were unfailingly attentive and compassionate. I always felt well cared for. One ED nurse, named Chad, even came up to my room as I was preparing to check out, to see how I was doing. I cannot say enough about the nursing staff and doctors at Mid Coast: they basically saved my life!

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