These MDI Sisters Don't Stop Giving Back
MDI Hospital Celebrates its volunteers, employees and community partners
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Paradis Ace Hardware.
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—Two MDI sisters have spent 150 hours this year volunteering at the MDI Hospital. One hundred and fifty hours. But they aren’t counting.
It’s part of who they are: talking, connecting, giving, worrying, making a difference in one interaction after another.
Mary Dow and Alberta Willey have spent a lifetime of taking care of others. Week after week, the Mount Desert Island sisters built their families on Mount Desert Island, and for a good majority of their many decades took care of people in their communities who might not be connected to them by blood, but were connected to them by location, need, or spirit.
Mount Desert Island Hospital, one of the many organizations that the sisters helped, honored the duo as volunteers of the year this past week during the hospital’s community celebration at the Bar Harbor Club.
But first the ladies had to get there. Thom Willey, Alberta’s son, was chauffeur. He’d just gotten home from work and they had to go. They had to go right now.
Could he change his shirt? Yes, yes, he could, if he hopped to it.
Thom hopped to it, shirt changed, chauffeur hat on (symbolically at least), and they were on time to be shown their special table near the front by the hospital’s Claire Sassner, and then to hobnob with family and other guests, and to be celebrated—recognized for the good that these sisters do over and over again.
Patients benefit from the sisters’ joy and their conversation, said MDI Hospital Community Engagement Specialist Trey Michonski.
They dedicate their own time and funds to provide puzzles and books. Every week, Alberta and Mary head to the hospital, move through the halls, bringing water, bringing conversation, talking to patients, learning their needs, their stories and sharing their own stories, too.
The applause was wild.
According to the hospital’s impact report, “Their contributions have profoundly impacted the hospital community post-COVID, during this time of growth.”
Maribeth Payne was Birch Bay Retirement Village’s Volunteer of the year. She’s been the worship service leader for two years and her reliability and willingness to go above and beyond was exceptional, James Hoke, director of programs and residential engagement, said.
“She’s not just a volunteer, but a cherished friend,” Hoke added.
Maribeth has volunteer more than 30 hours in the last year.
“She is a very thoughtful and kind person, and the residents truly appreciate her,” said Jessica Buch, Birch Bay’s programs and engagement coordinator.
EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR
Once Natalee Spencer draws your blood, you might never let anyone else do it.
That’s because Natalee is about compassion and advocacy and honesty helping the hospital to become a more inclusive place.
The meeting opened with the announcement of the organization’s Employees of the Year. This year’s recipients are Lauren Shirley of Birch Bay Retirement Village and Natalee Spencer of MDI Hospital and Health Centers. The recipients were chosen by their fellow employees for their dedication and commitment to the organization.
As a clinical laboratory assistant, Natalee’s work is full of compassion.
“She gives voice to the voiceless. She ensures that there is equity and there is inclusion. She does this by mentoring and coaching us. We are so deeply grateful that she is part of our team,” said CEO and President Chrissi Maguire.
The hospital and Birch Bay Retirement Village were recipients of the 2024 Best Places to Work in Maine designation, the only hospital and retirement village to receive that designation this year. Maguire thanked the employees, patients, residents, volunteers, and community as she introduced Natalee and gave a special thank you to the employees.
“You are everyday heroes. You are why we do the work we do. You represent us. You care for us. You are here for us,” Maguire said. She spoke of Natalee’s generosity, kindness, compassion and inclusivity.
“I am so proud to be part of your team. Thank you,” Maquire said.
Lauren Shirley received the award for Birch Bay. She is the receptionist.
Lauren is the first smiling face when you walk into Birch Bay. She is kind. She is gentle. She is patient, presenters said.
Lauren also coordinates Golf for Alzheimer’s and the Trail of Treats event.
NURSING EXCELLENCE
Lindsay Bland, Deb Bumbaugh, Jennifer Leonard, and Lily Sweeney all received nursing excellence awards. The award was established in 2019 by Dr. Leung Lee in honor of his wife Ursula E.J Lee.
It honors loving and compassionate care, the kind of care Ursula received while at the hospital.
Each year, it’s given to four nurses for clinical excellence and a commitment to compassionate care.
HEALTHCARE PARTNER OF THE YEAR
The Good Shepherd Food Bank was declared the healthcare partner of the year. The food bank addresses food insecurity in the community, but also in healthcare settings throughout Hancock County. One in seven people do not have access to nutricious food to keep a healthy lifestyle.
The food bank, the hospitals, and health centers have joined forces to help give out food bags in clinics
BUSINESS PARTNER
Peter DeVos accepted Kebo Valley Golf Club’s business partner award. The golf course hosts multiple events for the hospital including the David R. Harding Memorial Golf Tournament, Pink on the Links Golf Scramble and others. The Harding tournament, begun in 2021, has brought over $85,000 to the hospital.
COMMUNITY PARTNER OF THE YEAR
Former College of the Atlantic President Darron Collins received the hospital’s community partner award from Maguire, who said Collins’ legacy is like an encyclopedia with the threads of community, education, and curiosity interwoven throughout. She applauded his work at the college as well as at the hospital and as an on-call firefighter.
“Darron thinks about empowerment. He thinks about how do I ensure that every single person has value,” Maguire said.
She spoke of dealing with an issue at the emergency department early in the morning, vacuuming and mopping.
It’s five a.m. and “in walks Darron through the emergency doors,” to help, she said adding. “He inspires all of us to be better leaders.”
Collins returned the complement and told attendees of Maguire, “Boy, you have an extremely gifted leader.”
He also told a self-deprecating tale of hitting the low Emergency Room entrance canopy his first time he drove the ambulance to the hospital. He also remembered Duffy Ackerly, a swim official and coach and community member who recently died.
“Duffy just embodied so much about this place that is very, very special,” Collins said of the island community. “What makes it really beautiful is the people here.”
THE DEAN AND PENNY READERS
The hospital also surprised Dean and Penny Read with the naming of the Dean and Penny Readers program. The Reads made a gift and promise that allows every child who come in for wellness checks at the hospital to receive a book. The selfless act, Maguire said, embodies what the hospital community is and what it wants to continue to be. That kindness is also exemplified by the MDI Hospital Auxilliary Program of volunteers, which held a silent auction at the event.
“You set the bar,” Maquire said, “and we are better for it.”
CELEBRATIONS
The hospital’s community celebration at the Bar Harbor Club focused on thanking others for their contributions, compassion, work, and kindness, but it also touched upon some of the hospital’s changes and accomplishments this past year.
Attendees celebrated training the next generation of caregivers through the hospital’s newly opened Kogod Center for Medical Education on the Main Street campus. In other news, Dr. Nate Donaldson became the director of medical education. As other regional hospitals have been reducing some services or shutting down clinics altogether, MDI Hospital is recruiting and expanding and upgrading its Bar Harbor campus and supporting care in both Northeast Harbor and Southwest Harbor. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins helped the hospital secure a $5 million federal grant for the hospital’s emergency department improvements. The changes include 16 modern rooms, more privacy, and rooms dedicated to behavioral health and isolation needs as well as a new bay for the ambulance
Behavioral health needs, Magquire said, are a priority for the hospital, which is “steadfast” in its desire and dedication to expand “access to mental health services in our region, particularly for children and young adults.”
Unless otherwise specified all photos Shaun Farrar and Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story
An earlier story about the hospital’s celebration and Wyatt Fountaine’s journey is here.
To learn more about MDI Hospital and to view its 2023-2024 Annual Report, visit mdihospital.org.
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Thanks for your, as usual, comprehensive coverage of MDI Hospital's business meeting awards. However as a resident of Birch Bay, I think you left out part of Lauren Shirley's job. There is nothing wrong with being a receptionist. In fact, a receptionist is an organization's most important employee in many ways. The receptionist is the first person in the organization encountered by members of the public, who are, in many ways, actual or potential customers . That initial interaction is going to influence the rest of that person's dealings with the organization. On top of all that, Lauren does other things for the rest of Birch Bay's staff and residents. Ms Shirley is Birch Bay's most important employee, and she is about as nice as anyone gets. In short, she is a treasure.