In August 1990, my wife Ellen and I, along with our two young children, Channa and Hayden, moved to Blue Hill. It would be our home for the next 12 years and the place our now adult children call their hometown. Blue Hill Memorial Hospital--now, Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital--would become my workplace and the most consequential setting of my eventual 40-year career in healthcare administration.
At the time of my arrival as the hospital's chief executive officer, then as now, the hospital had terrific physicians and wonderful nurses who, together, provided excellent, compassionate care, but back then the very survival of the hospital was in serious jeopardy. Committed to preserving this wonderful community institution, my administrative colleagues, board, and medical staff collaborated to at once rescue, stabilize, and advance the organization.
Today, thanks to being able to draw upon the technical and strategic expertise of a larger system, Northern Light Health, and due to the superb leadership of John Ronan Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital has further increased its national reputation for excellence, winning awards for outstanding patient satisfaction and most recently being named a Top Rural Hospital by Leapfrog, a leading patient safety organization.
Philanthropic support of Northern Light Health Foundation was important during my tenure; it is even more important today. Although my family no longer lives on the peninsula, this beautiful part of the world and the special place that is Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital still retain great significance for us. Ellen and I want to assure the continued availability to our former neighbors, friends, summer residents, and visitors, now and for future generations, of the same high quality, compassionate, community-oriented care that has long been the hallmark of this small but amazing organization. Therefore, we have named the Northern Light Health Foundation as a beneficiary in our estate plan and hope that others will join us in participating in the Foundation's planned giving program, too.
At Northern Light Health, we're building a better approach to healthcare because we believe people deserve access to care that works for them. As an integrated health delivery system serving Maine, we're raising the bar with no-nonsense solutions that are leading the way to a healthier future for our state. Our more than 12,000 team members are committed to making healthcare work for you: our patients, communities, and employees.
