Few places east of the Mississippi River are as rural as the northern two-thirds of Maine. Those of us who choose to make Maine our home understand the advantages of having pristine lakes, beautiful forests and a rugged coastline just outside our doors. The exceptional natural beauty and splendor of four distinct seasons draws people from all over the world to our region. What some refer to as vacationland is simply our way of life.
While the advantages of living in this part of the world are significant, the decision to live in rural Maine comes with challenges. Cities and towns are spread out, and because of their small size, many have limited access to health care and other services. Even communities that have hospitals and health centers have discovered that Maine does not produce the doctors and other health care professionals needed to care for an aging population. These organizations have had to look outside of Maine, and in many cases outside of the United States, to recruit the professionals who care for each of us and our neighbors, families and friends. Without international doctors, nurses and other caregivers, people who live in our region would not have access to the health care services on which they depend. This situation is not unique to Maine, but it hits close to home because access to health care significantly affects the communities in which we live.
International medical professionals not only ensure the availability of primary and specialty health care services, they bring their unique experiences to Maine hospitals and communities for the benefit of all. Innovation flourishes when the brightest minds in health care from different backgrounds come together to share ideas. Professionals from all over the world collaborate to find solutions that draw upon their knowledge and perspective. These medical experts and their families become part of our communities and contribute to the ethnic and cultural richness of our cities and towns.
Eastern Maine Medical Center will continue to support a culture that emphasizes inclusion, acceptance and diversity. We will keep working with Maine’s legislators to strongly advocate for our international employees when needed, and we will monitor the political environment and determine how to best support members of our medical staff, employees, patients, and their families. We are extremely grateful for our competent and compassionate medical staff and others on our health care team who carry out our patient care mission every day.
We encourage the community to join us in acknowledging the significant benefits of diversity and inclusion throughout the region. Access to the health care services that we rely on depends on it, and the people of Maine are healthier because of it.
Deborah Carey Johnson is the CEO of Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Donna Russell-Cook is president of EMMC.